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IGN Review of Jam Sessions 2
When the original Jam Sessions came out on Nintendo DS three years ago I had a pretty to-the-point strapline to go with the review: "Don't call it a game." True, Ubisoft's virtual guitar was less of a traditional package on DS and more of a virtual instrument than anything else. It had its quirks, but the idea of picking up your DS, turning it into a virtual chord instrument, and actually working it into true music creation or just friendly "jam sessions" if you will, made it an appealing product. With Jam Sessions 2, Ubisoft has expanded on its actual "virtual guitar" mechanic by adding more chords, more virtual instruments to work with, and a more comprehensive music creation tool. Unfortunately, the game also suffers a bit of an identity crisis, trying to pile on way too many modes and options while ultimately losing out on the pure fun of what Jam Session so unique. The end result is a game that isn't quite Guitar Hero, isn't quite about music creation, is still a pretty fun experience, but ultimately doesn't live up to the standard set by the first game.
Before I jump into what's included, something needs to be said for the strict "free play" section of Jam Sessions 2. If you dug the first game, wanted single string strumming, and are picking up Jam Sessions 2 for the same reason, then by all means spring for the new game. As a "virtual instrument" on your DS, Jam Sessions 2 is a better offering than its predecessor. Where the game fails to make a huge "bar-raising" splash, however, comes with the sloppy presentation, unlocking system, and general single player mode. So yes, while the core guitar elements in Jam Sessions are stronger, I take the stance that in three years of time between the original and the now-available sequel, the game has sort of derailed in terms of what it's trying to deliver, and how it goes about doing it.
The big selling point for Jam Sessions 2 is that players will pick up the game, play it, and not realize they are learning guitar as they do. I couldn't disagree more with that, however, as instead Jam Sessions has included a Guitar Hero-inspired single player mode, added all unlocks and editing pieces for your own music creations as unlockables – thus having players go through single player mode in order to gain all the pieces of their music tool – and really lost what the game was all about in the first place; freestyle jamming in a totally open, user-created experience. Nobody is going to rip through dozens of cover songs, starting on mandated lower difficulties, replay them over with tougher settings, and then magically come out understanding music theory and chord progression. The final package is a fun experience, and the single player career-inspired "Song Book" mode is an entertaining and superior addition than the play along mode in the first game. As far as Jam Sessions pushing the "music tool" aspect of it's design, however, I don't see much evolution from the first game.
In fact, while single player mode is a fun Guitar Hero-inspired mode, there's no actual musical teaching is going on. You press the d-pad as indicated, and when notes fall you strum on the pad. In fact, while the game's multi-string system is a nice touch for freestyle play – it adds a lot more depth to it all – it's largely ignored during single player gaming, as all other stings are inactive when the game prompts you with a specific chord. It's tough to explain on paper, but you can essentially hold the right chord direction, strum across the entire pad, and still hit the right sound even if you were only supposed to be using two or three strings in tandem. After playing through hours of the single player mode, gamers will be better at playing Jam Sessions 2 the game, but they won't magically be absorbing actual knowledge on guitar playing as Ubisoft claims.
That isn't to say the main game isn't fun; it is. In fact, if it wasn't for the cover-only audio inclusion in the game, the guitar mechanic is actually pretty interesting. You've got four directions on the d-pad which control each chord, and then just like in free play mode you can hold L as a shift button, unlocking access to four more chords. Certain sections also let you strum individual notes based on the song, and on more difficult levels you actually need to discern between strumming "up" or "down" on the touch pad. It's a lot to take in, but considering the original Jam Session's "game" mode as an alternative, the sequel does a nice job of establishing a core form of entertainment for average players.
What's unfortunate about it is the overall cheap feel to the visual presentation, and the fact that free play or recording is dependent on single player gaming. You unlock new guitars, new drum backbeats, stock chord progressions, and even specific guitar parts by playing through each cover song in single player mode. Each of those pieces can then be used in the recording tool for creating your own music and then sharing it with friends. The recording tool itself is a nice touch as well, with more options and a full-on timeline editor, but it's also pretty visually sloppy. Since the overall presentation is this odd mix of funky art and just a few core colors, the game shrugs a more serious visual style and instead embraces art that looks like it's almost a parody of itself.
Even ignoring the visual oddities, the game's recording tool is spotty in terms of casual-vs-hardcore offering, despite being inherently fun. You can clip audio samples, record, change tempo, and then get into more specific chord progression as you create music. It isn't easy enough for those that don't understand music to jump in and use though, and for those of us that dig music creation software and want serious music creation on DS it'll be too simple. At this point, Ubisoft should decide if they're making a "learn music" game, or a "music tool" for those that already get the core concepts behind music creation; sitting on the fence is hurting the package.
©2009-10-22, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Before I jump into what's included, something needs to be said for the strict "free play" section of Jam Sessions 2. If you dug the first game, wanted single string strumming, and are picking up Jam Sessions 2 for the same reason, then by all means spring for the new game. As a "virtual instrument" on your DS, Jam Sessions 2 is a better offering than its predecessor. Where the game fails to make a huge "bar-raising" splash, however, comes with the sloppy presentation, unlocking system, and general single player mode. So yes, while the core guitar elements in Jam Sessions are stronger, I take the stance that in three years of time between the original and the now-available sequel, the game has sort of derailed in terms of what it's trying to deliver, and how it goes about doing it.
The big selling point for Jam Sessions 2 is that players will pick up the game, play it, and not realize they are learning guitar as they do. I couldn't disagree more with that, however, as instead Jam Sessions has included a Guitar Hero-inspired single player mode, added all unlocks and editing pieces for your own music creations as unlockables – thus having players go through single player mode in order to gain all the pieces of their music tool – and really lost what the game was all about in the first place; freestyle jamming in a totally open, user-created experience. Nobody is going to rip through dozens of cover songs, starting on mandated lower difficulties, replay them over with tougher settings, and then magically come out understanding music theory and chord progression. The final package is a fun experience, and the single player career-inspired "Song Book" mode is an entertaining and superior addition than the play along mode in the first game. As far as Jam Sessions pushing the "music tool" aspect of it's design, however, I don't see much evolution from the first game.
In fact, while single player mode is a fun Guitar Hero-inspired mode, there's no actual musical teaching is going on. You press the d-pad as indicated, and when notes fall you strum on the pad. In fact, while the game's multi-string system is a nice touch for freestyle play – it adds a lot more depth to it all – it's largely ignored during single player gaming, as all other stings are inactive when the game prompts you with a specific chord. It's tough to explain on paper, but you can essentially hold the right chord direction, strum across the entire pad, and still hit the right sound even if you were only supposed to be using two or three strings in tandem. After playing through hours of the single player mode, gamers will be better at playing Jam Sessions 2 the game, but they won't magically be absorbing actual knowledge on guitar playing as Ubisoft claims.
That isn't to say the main game isn't fun; it is. In fact, if it wasn't for the cover-only audio inclusion in the game, the guitar mechanic is actually pretty interesting. You've got four directions on the d-pad which control each chord, and then just like in free play mode you can hold L as a shift button, unlocking access to four more chords. Certain sections also let you strum individual notes based on the song, and on more difficult levels you actually need to discern between strumming "up" or "down" on the touch pad. It's a lot to take in, but considering the original Jam Session's "game" mode as an alternative, the sequel does a nice job of establishing a core form of entertainment for average players.
What's unfortunate about it is the overall cheap feel to the visual presentation, and the fact that free play or recording is dependent on single player gaming. You unlock new guitars, new drum backbeats, stock chord progressions, and even specific guitar parts by playing through each cover song in single player mode. Each of those pieces can then be used in the recording tool for creating your own music and then sharing it with friends. The recording tool itself is a nice touch as well, with more options and a full-on timeline editor, but it's also pretty visually sloppy. Since the overall presentation is this odd mix of funky art and just a few core colors, the game shrugs a more serious visual style and instead embraces art that looks like it's almost a parody of itself.
Even ignoring the visual oddities, the game's recording tool is spotty in terms of casual-vs-hardcore offering, despite being inherently fun. You can clip audio samples, record, change tempo, and then get into more specific chord progression as you create music. It isn't easy enough for those that don't understand music to jump in and use though, and for those of us that dig music creation software and want serious music creation on DS it'll be too simple. At this point, Ubisoft should decide if they're making a "learn music" game, or a "music tool" for those that already get the core concepts behind music creation; sitting on the fence is hurting the package.
©2009-10-22, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved