The Rock Band series is back, and it still proves to be the best music game out there.
Rock Band is back with the third edition, and this is the most revamped and unique game of the series. Most of this is for the good rather than the bad, and as a result, Rock Band 3 is the new top dog in the music/party game genre.
This game is structured much differently than previous games. You still get to create your rocker and set up your band how you'd like, but the career is totally different. In essence, this game is all about challenges. Either through quickplay or through set-up challenges, you complete objectives set up by the game in order to gain more fans, more stardom, and more stuff. Some are easier than others, but they're designed so that this game has a ton of longevity. My only gripe here, and this is just personal opinion, is that there is no longer any way to earn money. Every piece of clothing or instrument you unlock is based solely on completing challenges, which is kind of a let-down to those who don't own all the instruments.
The game's setlist is quite varied this time, but pop music and music from the 1980's make up the bulk of the content. Some of my personal favorite tracks include David Bowie's Space Oddity, Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train, Avenged Sevenfold's Beast and the Harlot, The Sounds' Living in America, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, and the late, great Ronnie James Dio doing Rainbow in the Dark. There is also a free batch of songs by The Doors to download in celebration of the game being released, which includes Light My Fire, Riders on the Storm, Touch Me, and the song included in the game, Break On Through to the Other Side. Overall this is a list of songs that I'm glad finally came to the Rock Band library. There are a number of them that I couldn't care less about, but for what there is it's totally worth it.
Rock Band 1, Rock Band Lego, and downloaded songs are free to export into this game, but Rock Band 2 songs are priced at $10 to export. You only lose about 5 songs from Rock Band 2, but they aren't too memorable unless you like AC/DC's Let There Be Rock or Metallica's Battery, which are easily replaceable with Guitar Hero Metallica and the AC/DC Rock Band Track Pack. All downloadable songs are compatible here, but unfortunately for those who don't want to update, no longer will the downloadable songs be compatible with Rock Band 2.
The keyboard controller is a welcomed edition to the overall experience. It is neither difficult nor stressful to use, and can also double as a bass or guitar controller if you don't have an extra. Not only that, but it can serve as any instrument aside from the microphone and drums on pro mode. The downside is that the keyboard isn't frequent enough to justify buying the controller at full price for most people. Only the Rock Band 3 songs and future downloadable songs have keyboard tracks, and even then there are a few Rock Band 3 songs that don't incorporate the keyboard either. Still, it is an easy controller to pick up, especially if you're good at the guitar/bass. You only use 5 keys unless you're playing on pro mode.
I haven't delved into pro mode yet...mostly because I don't want to shell out the money for the pro instruments. I find it hard to justify buying them either unless you really want to waste your money. You're better off just getting the keyboard and using it for the pro parts. The fact that you aren't strumming for the guitar parts can be awkward for some, but after playing Guitar Hero 3 and Aerosmith on my laptop and using the keyboard rather than the guitar, I found it a pretty easy transition.
Otherwise this is basically the same game that we all know. The Rock Band series continues to prove that it is superior to Guitar Hero with a massive library of songs that can be carried over between games, and an overall better party experience both at home and online. If you're looking for that one music game you'll ever need to buy, this is it. Possessing most of the memorable songs that the Guitar Hero games have, this is obviously the best choice. While the graphics and incorporated storylines are nowhere near on par with Guitar Hero games, those aren't necessary to the overall experience. Rock Band 3 is the best game of its kind out there, period. It's the only one you'll ever want and need to have.