Rock Band 2 Image
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 130 Ratings

  • Summary: Rock Band 2 builds upon its foundation as the first music game to introduce co-operative band gameplay, multiple instruments, a robust online multiplayer experience, an unrivaled offering of downloadable content and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, authenticity and features including: Backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable music content. All previously purchased tracks immediately load into your Rock Band 2 song list. No need to re-purchase or re-download. The biggest and most diverse soundtrack ever featuring some of rock's most prolific acts, comprised entirely of master recordings. Major new and dynamic online modes that connect the entire Rock Band community in more ways than ever before both locally and globally. More variety of instrument choices than ever before with new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality and innovative new designs - all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments. [MTV] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. It’s not radically different from its already brilliant predecessor (at least not yet), but everything is tighter and runs more smoothly, and there’s an explosive, extended encore.
  2. 100
    Rock Band 1 was innovation. Rock Band 2 is perfection. Buy it.
  3. "Rock Band" seemed like the definitive music game experience when it came out, and Rock Band 2 has taken it even further, fixing the few things that were wrong with the first and adding a little bit extra to boot.
  4. 85
    The lack of innovation is disappointing, but there's still more than enough here to attract existing players and lure new ones to what remains the best way for music fans and gamers to party together.

See all 69 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 33
  2. Negative: 4 out of 33
  1. Rock Band 2 has a large variety of genres on platform. The option of 2000 (At time of writing) songs ranging from Death Metal to Nerdcore to Funk to Rap to Trance. From Megadeth to Gun's n Roses to Snoop Dogg to Bob Marley.
    The option to import all the songs from Rock Band 1, Lego Rock Band and Green Day Rock Band allows users to keep on playing their songs on one disc and future editions of the game.
    World Tour bring a much longer and varied playthrough rather than Rock Band 1's play one song, next! play next song, NEXT!.
    Single users can play World Tour now.
    Realistic charts a.k.a single notes rather than a ensemble of three note chords.
    Weekly Download content announced every friday on Rockband.com
    Better graphics and colourschemes. (Have you seen the main menu tiger! D:)
    Rock Band Network allows even more songs for 360 users and soon to be PS3 and Wii Character Creator could do with a makeover
    Expand
  2. brockjones
    8
    a great sequel to the first Rock Band, but it feels a lot like just a bunch of new songs. Not enough fixes of things like a lack of note streak count in a setlist (other than the last song) and the fact that the improved drums are just as breakable. Worth buying the game, not worth buying the new instruments to replace Rock Band 1's. Expand
  3. NatoV.
    7
    I played Rock Band shortly after it came out, and being a huge Guitar Hero fan, I hated it. But over time I grew weary of the same 50-60 Guitar Hero songs and wanted something new, so I bought Rock Band this summer. It grew on me and I got pretty excited for Rock Band 2. Rock Band 2 is a solid game. It fixes a lot of the minor problems with the first on and adds some cool new features. Any fan of Rock Band should buy Rock Band 2. Word to the wise though, I played through Rock Band's solo career... it was straight forward and fun for someone just looking to unlock all the songs and deck out their character. Rock Band 2 has done away with the solo career option instead offering a Solo World Tour mode. This blows completely. By the time I finished the game I had played some songs so many times that I was already sick of them. I could go the rest of my life without hearing White Wedding again... If you don't Rock Solo, this won't affect you, but it is a major complaint for me, and why I give Guitar Hero: world tour a slightly better score for it's superior solo options. Expand
  4. NanaM
    4
    I really love playing RB and GH, but unfortunately, I found this game just to be an expansion pack! WTF?!?! the characters, clothes, and STAGES are pretty much the same thing! Seriously, I feel ripped off by the cost of it. And is it me or is the graphics a bit fuzzy? This was not a $60 game, it was a $40 game. Expand

See all 33 User Reviews