Guitar Hero hath been vanquished! Rock band stands triumphant!
First off, I'd like to say that I'm a huge Guitar Hero fan, and i've played every one in the series. I had my fair share of doubts about Rock Band. To be completely honest, all of my doubts have been disproven.
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Things that annoyed me about Rock Band
(keep in mind, there are very few)
1. The presentation takes some getting used to, especially for Guitar Hero players. The characters look odd, and it seems like the "camera" is out of focus at times. An odd blur effect, perhaps. However, once you're able to customize your character to your liking, you'll really appreciate the differences.
2. It's not as easy to hit the beats as Guitar Hero. This will start as an annoyance, but quickly become a great value to the game for most players, since it feels like there are actually fewer notes on screen than GH.
3. The mic is confusing to get working at first, but once you figure it out, you won't have problems with it again. Basically, you have to plug in a controller (not an instrument) before you turn on the game. You use the controller to navigate the screen, and then you pick up the mic to play.
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What I really love about Rock Band-
1. Customization! Your hard earned money can be spent on tons of accessories/ clothes for your character that you create. Money can also be used to buy other things, such as instruments.
2. The songs sound great. REALLY great. There's a sound quality here that Guitar Hero just didn't have. Also, some of the songs on GH that were redone by unknown bands are now on Rock Band by the original artists. Not all of them, but quite a few.
3. Downloadable content. Despite the fact that the songs that were released this week should've just came with the game, you can't deny that Rock Band has a slew of great songs coming out over the next month to lengthen your rocking experience. These songs are available through career even, where as in GH they were just quickplays.
4. The instruments work perfectly. I am not a guitarist, drummer, or singer in real life, and I had no intention of using the drums or mic in my group of friends. However, after giving them a try, I found that no instrument is less fun than another one. Drums are challenging, and mic is probably the easiest, but both are just plain fun.
5. Easily the greatest tracklist i've seen in a music & rhythm game.
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Overall-
Guitar Hero fans should've waited for this gem. It has the full rock band experience, and is the closest thing you can get to playing a real instrument without actually doing it. Every aspect of the game screams expert craftsmanship.
If you don't have Rock Band, go get it.