Rock Band 2 (First Look)

As we sit here playing another round of Singstar or thrashing through the Guitar Hero 3 track list for the umpteenth time, the yanks are mouthwateringly close to getting their hands on the sequel to Harmonix’s ultimate party game. That’s right, Rock Band has been out in the States for almost a year now, and us Kiwis are yet to have a bang on the drums. All we can really do (aside from prank calling the distributors homes and getting pizzas delivered that they didn’t order) is hope the NZ release of Rock Band 2 doesn’t match the painstaking delay of its predecessor.

Hyped up to the heavens at this years E3, Rock Band 2 looks to be shaping up as a cleaner, more user-friendly game. The interface has had an overhaul, making it easier to jump into a song in Quickplay mode without having to go backwards and forwards from title screen to gameplay. For example, players can now line up a track list before they play (like a REAL band!) and scream through it without stopping and starting. Songs are now categorized via genre, era, album etc, allowing for more ease of choice. Another welcome addition to Quickplay is the ability to switch instruments during a ‘gig’, so if you are Meg White-ing-it on the drums you can redeem yourself on the mic in the next song.

The World Tour mode has also had a significant revamp, as players can now go online and rock out with others all over the world. Harmonix has removed the annoyance of having to choose a ‘band leader’, so the lineup can be changed at any time and players can switch in and out as they choose. A whole bunch of opportunity gigs, costumes, venues and hirable staff are also available online, meaning your character can show off their bling when they hit the big time.

New modes look to keep things fresh, including the ‘Tour Challenge’ mode and ‘Battle of the Bands’. Tour Challenge replaces the original solo tour mode, and will offer a more diverse campaign experience based on a path of your choosing. For example, if you want to focus on the drums, your tour challenge will offer all the best songs to test your drum skills. If you want to focus on rock from the 70’s, you can jam through a set list full of Journey, Cheap Trick and (personal fave) Kansas. All your downloadable content will automatically be integrated into tour challenge mode, so the game will constantly evolve as more stuff is released.

Battle of the Bands is the second significant mode, and is fundamentally an online tournament for up to four players. Each week Harmonix will release a new set of contests for players to go to head to head against other bands online, but they’re going to mix up the challenges in interesting ways to make things a little more difficult and fun. Players will be ranked in these challenges against their online friends, with the possibility of playing on a global level if they come out victorious. The potential for epic online rock battles is huge (NZ vs Australia in an AC/DC showdown FTW)

Importantly there is complete backwards compatibility with all the Rock Band downloadable content to date, so players don’t need to feel ripped off by having to download from the ground up. Harmonix have been particularly considerate as there’s also a disc export feature that gives owners of the original game the ability to export most of the tracks on the disc and upgrade them into Rock Band 2. New songs and track packs will be released weekly online, and by the years end the Rock Band library promises to feature a whopping 500 songs plus.

Fundamentally, Harmonix has not messed with the gameplay, cuz if it aint broke, don’t fix it. Rock Band 2 will be played in the same way as the original with the same instruments, although the peripherals have had a bit of a makeover. The Fendo Stratocaster is now sporting some mean starburst effects, has a sturdier strum bar and is wireless out of the box. It also features an automatic collaboration tool so there’s none of that fiddling about crap before you rock out. The drum kit has also gone wireless, and features quieter velocity tentative pads and a metal reinforced pedal. There’s even a drum trainer mode that will actually teach players drumming fundamentals, translating into real skills. In theory.

These bells and whistles are all well and good, but let’s face it; it all comes down to the music. Despite all the downloadable stuff, is it worth shelling out the money if you own the original game? Take a look at the tracklist below and make up your own minds - it’s enough to make you want to apply for a green card. Keep it locked in to nzgamer.com for more developments, as we inch our way ever closer to fulfilling those rock god dreams.

Let There Be Rock – AC/DC
Girl’s Gone Grey – AFI
You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette
Man In The Box – Alice In Chains
Almost Easy – Avenged Sevenfold
Shooting Star – Bad Company
So Whatcha Want – Beastie Boys
E-Pro – Beck
Rebel Girl – Bikini Kill
White Wedding Pt. I – Bill Idol
One Way Or Another – Blondie
Tangled Up In Blue – Bob Dylan
Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
Hello There – Cheap Trick
Uncontrollable Urge – Devo
Feel The Pain – Dinosaur Jr.
Down With The Sickness – Disturbed
Panic Attack – Dream Theater
Hungry Like The Wolf – Duran Duran
Pump It Up – Elvis Costello
Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
Everlong – Foo Fighters
Shackler’s Revenge – Guns N’ Roses
PDA – Interpol
Mountain Song – Jane’s Addiction
Aqualung – Jethro Tull
The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
Bad Reputation – Joan Jett
Anyway You Want It – Journey
Painkiller – Judas Priest
Carry On Wayward Son – Kansas
Pretend We’re Dead – L7
Our Truth – Lacuna Coil
One Step Closer – Linkin Park
My Own Worst Enemy – Lit
De-Luxe – Lush
Colony Of Birchmen – Mastodon
Peace Sells – Megadeath
Battery – Metallica
Where’d You Go – Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Float On – Modest Mouse
Ace Of Spades – Motorhead
Drain You – Nirvana
Spirit In The Sky – Norman Greenbaum
Nine In The Afternoon – Panic At The Disco
That’s What You Get – Paramore
Alive – Pearl Jam
Lump – Presidents Of The USA
Testify – Rage Against The Machine
Round & Round – Ratt
Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Give It All – Rise Against
The Trees – Rush
Lazy Eye – Silversun Pickups
Today – Smashing Pumpkins
I Was Wrong – Social Distortion
Teenage Riot – Sonic Youth
Spoonman – Soundgarden
Cool For Cats – Squeeze
Bodhitsattva – Steely Dan
Rock’n Me – Steve Miller Band
Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
Chop Suey – System Of A Down
Pyscho Killer – Talking Heads
Master Exploder – Tenacious D
Souls Of Black – Testament
New Kid In School – The Donnas
We Got The Beat – The Go-Go’s
Alabama Getaway – The Grateful Dead
American Woman – The Guess Who
Kids In America – The Muffs
Come Out & Play (Keep ‘Em Seperated) – The Offspring
Alex Chilton – The Replacements
Pinball Wizard – The Who
Visions – The Abnormality
Get Clean – The Anarchy Club
Night Lies – Bang Camaro
Shoulder To The Plow – Breaking Wheel
Neighborhood – The Libyans
A Jagged Gorgeous Winter – The Main Drag
Conventional Lover – Speck
Supreme Girl – The Sterns
Rob The Prez-O-Dent – That Handsome Devil