How much does Rock Band 2 actually rock?
Andrew Wolson
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: Entertainment
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As a sequel to Rock Band, the core of the game remains intact. It is still a music video where the player controls the instrument via a guitar shaped controller, a microphone, or a drum set.
It is a good thing that not much has been changed because the original game was not broken but needed some tweaking.
For instance, Rock Band 2 now combines single-player and multi-player together. The World Tour game option is now single and multi-player with online capability so you can rock with your friends anywhere in the world.
Added are challenges that allow you to play alternative set lists that start out being easy then ramp up to impossible. Also, battle of the bands lets rock bands compete against each other to see who the boys and who the men are. A real drum trainer is available for the aspiring drummer which teaches real drum techniques. Also included is a free style mode that lets you play music from your iPod and add beats to the music with your drum set.
With 84 tracks, as well as downloadable tracks from the previous game, there is plenty of music in Rock Band 2. To download the original Rock Band tracks for use on Rock Band 2 a fee of five dollars must be ripped from your hand as the man laughs all the way to the bank charging you more money for what you have already paid for.
But, the beauty of the game lies in band play. There is nothing like having your friend doing his best Billy Idol impression singing "White Wedding."
Playing with friends is a must see if not a must experience event.
The music from Rock Band 2 features many genres of rock from classic to heavy metal. Chances are, there will be a few songs you love and a few you loath with the rest being just OK. To fix this I would recommend searching the ever growing music library, one catch though, you have to pay for most of the songs, but chances are you will find something you love in the library that is worth the money.
If you were looking for a completely new game you will be disappointed. Rock Band 2 is more of an update than anything. For those who own the original Rock Band, the 84 new songs and tweaks are what to bite on.
If you are still reading this and have not bought Rock Band yet, you definitely need to find out why Guitar Hero is copying Rock Band; because Rock Band 2 is the real deal.