Release: Oct 19 2008 (US), Nov 21 2008 (UK)
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: EA
Genre: Rhythm Games
What, you guys still here? Well, if you stuck around for the Music and the Instruments, chances are you want to hear our thoughts on Rock Band 2′s game modes and the million-dollar question ($189.99 question actually – Ed) “Is it worth my money?” Here is the Verdict.
On The Road Again
So what’s changed, you ask? Here it is – you can play the Tour mode by yourself. That’s right, now you can rise to the top of those leaderboards without pesky band-mates to hold you back. This is available with any instrument (Bass, Drums, Vocals, Guitar) and you can seamlessly move into multiplayer Tour by plugging in another controller, giving you the option of carrying on where your partner joined or starting a new band. Tour mode is playable over Xbox Live so you can play with all your friends around the world without the hassle of cleaning up the mess afterwards.
Tour mode introduces the idea of ‘staff’, allowing you to ever so slightly control your focus. Want more fans? Hire a street team. Hungry for more cash? Put that accountant to work. Couple this with the inclusion of special events – such as sponsorship shows and (our favorite) music videos – and you’re never left with the ‘been there, done that’ feeling. Daily and weekly ‘Battle of the Bands’ challenges are also integrated into the Tour mode, helping keep things fresh.
Band World Tour mode has been completely revamped from the original. Rather than the ‘beat 5 songs in this tier to unlock the next’ scenario from Rock Band, challenges are now organized per city. After selecting a city to rock the game creates a ‘gig’ for you to play that ranges from single tracks to full on setlists and mystery setlists.
Fast and Simple
If you don’t want the hassle of money and fans at a party (or just worried about a friend ruining your stats) you’ll be glad to know Quickplay Mode is still on the menu, and has been tweaked to allow for much easier navigation of, and selection from, the setlist.
Along with the Tour and Quickplay modes, you can choose to compete in challenges which amount to playing setlists of ascending tiers. Challenges cover each instrument (and full band) along with special challenges that ask you to play related songs together i.e. the Jimmy Buffet challenge, or the Boston album challenge. This is a good place to go if you’ve unlocked 83 tracks but can’t find that final one in Tour mode – as happened to us.
The Heat Of Battle
A game mode we got heavily involved in is Battle of the Bands. Rather than a head-to-head showdown, Battle of the Bands involves you competing against rival bands in an assortment of songs with varying rules; essentially they are the Rock Band 2 equivalent of Custom Games. Some notable examples include the ‘Impossible Guitar Battle’, in which you must complete the 3 most difficult guitar songs without using overdrive, and the ‘Streak Battle’ in which you strive to go longest without breaking your multiplier.
Throughout Battle of The Bands you’re compared to other online bands so you can see your relative progress on the challenge, a la Tug of War. Example: If our high streak on a song is 500 notes, and you get 510, you’ll see the needle move in your direction. Harmonix has promised to constantly release new battles, and so far they have kept their word. These Battles are great, and will definitely increase Rock Band 2′s life span, but we’d love the chance to create our own Battles and challenge friends; we were thinking of an ‘Overdrive Battle’, in which bands would compete to see who can hold a x4 band multiplier longest – teamwork is important, you know!
Nobody’s Perfect
While playing Rock Band 2 you’d be forgiven for thinking ‘this is the most engrossing music game I’ve ever played’ however, Rock Band 2 is not infallible. There are just a few nitpicks that keep it from being that elusive, perfect game. Although it does improve in nearly every area over its predecessor, some small changes would have made it even better.
For example, you cannot import your character from Rock Band 1. After learning this we started to create a new character, only to find that the customization options have barely changed. The only additions are the new ‘Thrift Threads’ category and a few new accessories.
For all the improvements that the Tour mode has made over the Tiered system, I can’t help but feel out of touch with the songs. You name me a song in Guitar Hero 2, and I can tell you every accent and suspended note in the solo. In this Tour Mode, switching from city to city, and setlist to setlist, I can’t remember even playing a good chunk of the tracks.
While playing through a setlist you’re not given enough time to stand back and bask in the glory of your accomplishment on any single track. After completing each track you’re only granted about 5 seconds to take in your score before your herded on to start playing the next song; not good for those of us who like to photograph and share our scores with the world. Small niggles but annoying ones.
It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the rhythm game scene or if you’ve played every music game since the original PaRappa the Rapper, Rock Band 2 demands your attention. Quit your job, develop an iron bladder, do whatever you need to do, just buy this game.
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