GameSpy
Review
of Rock Band 2
On HD platforms, Rock Band 2 is more of an expansion pack than a genuine sequel. It's filled with tweaks and polishes that enhance the experience of the first game with some real improvements, albeit not exceptionally dramatic ones. Wii owners will be delighted to discover that on Nintendo's platform, Rock Band 2 is a real update that builds upon the rather limited Wii port of the first game from just over six months ago. Thanks to the efforts of Harmonix and Pi Studios, this sequel uses the Wii's hardware to deliver an experience that provides the sprawling downloadable content that has come to define the series. Though it came later than the other versions, Rock Band 2 is one of the Wii's best games to date.
Like its predecessor, Rock Band 2 allows you to take on one of four roles in a music band. As vocalist, guitarist, bassist or drummer, you'll have your own unique challenges and make your own contribution to a song. For guitar and bass players, it's all about tapping fret buttons in tune with the music, while drummers must hit the pads in time with onscreen notes. Vocalists watch side-scrolling notes and sing along in tune. Rock Band veterans will be quite familiar with this gameplay, and will likely be happy that Harmonix has incorporated a "No Fail" mode, which will relieve both newcomers and hardcore players.
Rock Band 2 contains three core gameplay modes: World Tour, Battle of the Bands, and Tour Challenges. Rock Band for Wii had a rather limited career mode that resembled the linear song structure of the Guitar Hero games on PlayStation 2. Now, you can play through World Tour alone, and there's support for online multiplayer. Thankfully, there are small tweaks that make the experience a lot better this time around. In the previous game, your created character was locked to one instrument, but user-created band members can play on any instrument as needed for World Tour in Rock Band 2.
Also, unlike in the first game, you can pick your home city and work your way around territories (start in Berlin and you'll be touring Europe; start in LA and you'll be working your way across America) until you go global and get to the "Rolling Stone Rock Immortals Challenge" in Shanghai. This makes for a vastly improved experience that emphasizes teamwork, whether it's a solo jaunt through Paris' venues on guitar or you and three friends playing over Nintendo Wi-Fi.
Aside from the tweaks to World Tour, Battle of the Bands is another great addition to Rock Band 2. Every day, you and your friends will have a new challenge on your hands. These can range from hitting a lengthy note streak to cracking high scores on a specific song, and Harmonix spices up the proceedings with different rules and parameters, whether it's playing only on bass or having to perform a specific tracklist based around a theme. The only caveat here is that certain challenges require downloadable content rather than what's on the disc, so unless you're an avid collector of songs, you might not be able to take part in some of these battles. But if you're really hardcore, they're a great gameplay addition.
Tour Challenges function as a sort of offline Battle of the Bands that you'll perform without your fellow bandmates. You'll run through a gamut of songs tailored to your instrument of choice, whether it's your voice, a guitar, or drums. As in Battle of the Bands you'll get some themed challenges, and any new tracks that you buy will integrate with new challenges, whether it's a song genre or specific decade. It's not a substitute for the excellent World Tour, but it's another handy means of unlocking more songs.
As mentioned, the core gameplay is fairly similar, with some small tweaks. The concept of Overdrive, which allows players to double their scores for a limited time, is still the same, but you might notice that on guitar and bass your score no longer jumps from 4x to 8x when you activate it. Instead, the 2x multiplier will apply to the entire band. Would-be drummers who couldn't quite nail percussion in the first game will be happy to test out Drum Trainer, which allows you to master those fills and patterns with some extra attention that normal practice can't quite provide.
Unfortunately, as of review time, one of Rock Band 2's biggest attributes, the online music store, isn't up and running yet. Using the music store isn't quite as simple as on Xbox 360 and PS3, but it's a significant improvement from the first game, which was a port of the PS2 version. Once it's up, you'll buy points outside of the game in the Wii Shop Channel, then use your available credit to purchase individual songs within the game -- due to hardware constraints, there are no compilation packs. Unlike the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, the Wii game doesn't allow you to import tracks from the original Rock Band into the sequel.
Aside from the massive number of forthcoming downloadable tracks, the innate Rock Band 2 tracklist runs an impressive gamut, from hot bands like Linkin Park and Paramore to a stronger roster of classic rock from the '70s, such as Fleetwood Mac and Kansas. There are some popular bands that might not be everyone's cup of tea (Panic! At the Disco comes to mind), but for every band that's super-popular there's a hidden gem like Lush's shoegazer hit "De-Luxe." Overall it's as impressive and diverse of a roster as its predecessor, and we've got few complaints about the tracklist, especially with Harmonix's never-ending flood of new content.
With such a vast amount of music, it's a relief that it's much easier to play a setlist than before. The track selection menu has been revamped to resemble the Rock Band Store more than the Guitar Hero-like menu of the first game. Given the vast selection of songs available, Harmonix has streamlined the search mechanic so that it's easier to jump from alphabetical song titles to band names to which game the song originates from. Gone are the days of one-off tracks and reloading the song selection menu. With Rock Band 2, it's possible to load up a number of tracks and play from song to song without stopping. It's a welcome relief for party gamers who are interested in jumping into a session without getting snagged in loading screens -- or worse, newcomers who can't stop hitting the "back" button while everyone starts picking songs.
Rock Band 2 touts some new gear in the Special Edition, which is good if you're either looking to upgrade your gear or are picking up a Rock Band game for the first time. The new Fender Stratocaster controller has a sturdier neck, and the select button has a raised ring to make it easier to activate Overdrive without tilting the guitar. Strumming feels more natural and it's easier to pluck than on the first game's Fender, as well.
It's a solid controller, but the biggest incentive to pick this new equipment over any other guitar controllers on the market is the new (and vastly improved) USB dongle, which also shipped with the PS3 version. Rock Band 2's guitar dongle functions as a hub for other equipment. It's got two USB ports on the side so that you can chain on the wireless drum dongle and either a second guitar receiver or the microphone. It's a significantly better solution than the electric USB hub that shipped with the first game.
The new wireless drums, with their built-in noise reduction, make a big difference. They're very responsive, and unlike the previous drums, it's easy to set them up anywhere in the room. Plus, thanks to the design, it's easier to pick them up and transport them, since the kick pedal stays attached to its pole. If you've already got a set of drums, this is the accessory that we'd say tips the scale in favor of picking up the new hardware.
Visually, Rock Band 2 isn't dramatically different from the first game, but there are some noticeable improvements in the interface, such as character animations -- the onscreen vocalists' lips seem to synch better with your singing -- and some odd twists, such as video shoots that affect the background performances with crazy effects. The note charts have a sleeker, cleaner look. The aesthetic tweaks aren't profound but they're noticeable.
Unfortunately, it's not always easy to set up Rock Band 2 Wii. Although the new Fender Stratocaster hardware has a tiny camera and microphone built-in for automatic calibration, it didn't easily work on every gaming configuration at our disposal. Although our play sessions in the office worked well, it was difficult to tweak at home with an LCD and surround setup. Although the automatic calibration is designed to prevent the sort of tech hiccups that plagued the first game's release, they still happened. We got it to sync effectively, but not without aggravation.
Rock Band 2 might feel like an expansion pack (albeit a great one) for Xbox 360 and PS3 owners, but on Wii it's a real sequel that fleshes out the experience with fresh content. If you're diving into the series for the first time it's a great introduction, since new elements such as Drum Trainer should help beginners adjust as they channel their inner Animal. Veterans will appreciate how the track selection covers a great range of sounds, from the '70s to today's big hits. The hardware is rather sound; the wireless drums function wonderfully, and the new Fender dongle has a convenient USB hub built in, although the automatic calibration feature wasn't 100% effective. Ultimately, Rock Band 2's greatest triumph is its design philosophy. With Rock Band 2, Harmonix has created a game that's quick to grow and evolve... just like the music libraries of its ardent fans. If there's any game that reflects the age we live in, and the way that we interact with music, it's Rock Band 2.
©2009-01-05, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
