- Publisher: MTV Games , Electronic Arts
- Release Date: Nov 20, 2007
- Also On: iPhone/iPad, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii
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94While Rock Band doesn't offer the insanely intense (and perhaps impossible) challenge of "Guitar Hero III," it's a game that everyone will have fun playing. This may just be among the best party games ever released.
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90Rock Band does a superb job of bringing out the wannabe rock star in all of us, and creates one of the best party-game experiences of all time.
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93While the build quality of the bundled peripherals feels a little flimsy and the whole thing is a bit pricey for many gamers’ budgets, the game is a wholehearted recommendation for any fan of music-based games.
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Rock Band has one thing going for it: the necessity to having friends to play and the willingness to work together. It may not be enough for everyone to drop 170 bucks on the game and equipment, but I can say if you even remotely have thought about this game, it is worth it.
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Rock Band is the best music game ever made... It’s immensely fun and consistently rewarding. Nearly endless replay is bolstered by the promise of a musical catalogue that will have already dramatically expanded by the time you read this.
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100It's an experience like no other in videogames, and it's amazingly realized considering it's really the first time anyone's tried it.
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100It provides more game modes, off and online, than you could shake a stick at. There are so many ways to play and/or compete online, an ample character creator, cool venues and ready-to-release downloadable content that makes the whole package worthwhile even if you shell out for the all-in-one bundle. But regardless, you will have fun with Rock Band. We guarantee it.
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I've spent hours and hours playing Rock Band and feel as if it's not possible to have as much fun when I go back and play Guitar Hero III. It's not even a question of whether you're a fan of that genre or not — if you own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 2, you need to pick up Rock Band.
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91For the bundle price of 170 dollars you do get plenty of bang for your buck and I can't give Harmonix credit enough for doing what was once only hopeful dream.
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90Actually feeling like a rock star -- for most people under 40, the next best thing to a superhero or a T-Rex -- is transcendently entertaining. "Guitar Hero" is still the way to go for lone wolves, but if you have the space, the manpower, and the means, Rock Band unquestionably, unequivocally rocks.
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100I can’t imagine myself ever not playing Rock Band at least for a few hours each week.
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100The experience is well worth its $170 asking price (for a guitar/drum/mic/game bundle, which is the only way you’ll be able to buy Rock Band for months anyway) and makes for one of the most rewarding co-op events you could ask for. This is the perfectly polished, logical extension of what Guitar Hero started and where the music genre needed to go. It just rocks.
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100There’s just nothing out there that comes close to what this game can deliver with three friends. And don’t even get me started on what will happen if you break this out at a party.
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Party games don't come much better. The best of "Guitar Hero" and "SingStar" with drums. [July 2008, p.76]
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100An unparalleled, one-of-a-kind experience that represents the very best that gaming has to offer.
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90Rock Band may not have changed the landscape of rock gaming to the level that, at times, it seemed like it would do, but it certainly altered the perception of what the ultimate rock party game should be.
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Rock Band is the ultimate role-playing game - the only way to win is to completely commit as a guitarist, bassist, drummer, or singer and do your part for the fellowship of meta-musicians sharing the virtual stage. And if you can lower your shield of shyness to let the game in, you're richly rewarded as the collective joy of making music pours back out. Unlike other games, the Rock Band payoff isn't visceral or technical; it's emotional. [Holiday 2007, p.34]
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Minor gripes aside, Rock Band with four players in the same room is quite something to be a part of, a game not only an evolution of the genre but of the social side of gaming itself. [Jan 2008, p.80]
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"Guitar Hero" is still the way to go for lone wolves, but if you have the space, the manpower, and the means($170), Rock Band unquestionably, unequivocally rocks. [Jan 2008, p.92]
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90Problems are present, such as the inclusion of a few foreign tracks in mystery set lists during the World Tour (not the easiest of songs to jump into without having any prior experience) and we still prefer the guitars included with Guitar Hero, but these aren't enough to hurt what is a unique gaming experience.
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Rock Band is an incredible evolution of what Harmonix has been doing for years.
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91Rock Band provides long-term motivation and fun for up to four players, provided that you don’t get caught in the pile of cables, which are necessary to play the game.
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100The carnival atmosphere makes Rock Band a total blast to play, or to even just watch, waiting for your turn. Even with the high price of admission, Rock Band is well worth purchasing.
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All in all Rock Band is thoroughly enjoyable experience and could easily become one of the top party games of 2008
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91While not as solid as a single-player game, the game's multi-player experience is better than just about anything else released this year. You must buy Rock Band ... and then you must rock!
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88Far more than the sum of its parts. With tight integration between all four instruments, fans that sing along when you do well, and various other touches that add up to a very polished product that’ll should only get better with a few patches.
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The best party game ever. It takes the mechanics from Guitar Hero and takes it to the next level. There is just something magical in the feeling when everybody is playing well and the crowd starts to sing along. The only downside is the questionable durability of the instruments, especially the bass pedal breaks up quite easily. [Mar 2008]
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95In the company of friends who are willing to take the plunge and hop into a role, there's absolutely nothing that comes close to it on the market, be it in the music/rhythm genre or otherwise.If you're ready to rock as a group, I can't recommend the game enough. And if you're not sure if your friends are going to be down to jam, make some new ones -- the experience really is that good.
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92The key is that the game supports people playing together, which is the definition of a party game. If you pull Rock Band out among a gathering of friends, you can be sure that almost everything else will become secondary to the “I’m up next” chant and the sweaty smell that’ll permeate through your place.
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93It’s a tool set that will be revitalized every time a new song pack is released, and with all the improvements over the Guitar Hero formula, one that will eventually become the de facto standard in music and rhythm games. For those who can foot the bill, Rock Band delivers a gaming experience that’s simply like no other.