Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 72 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 150 Ratings

  • Summary: Play together in your living room or across the world! Rock Band offers deep online functionality, allowing players to rock together whether they’re in Rhode Island or Reykjavik. Major record labels and leading music publishers have signed on to provide unrivaled access to master recordings s and legendary rock artists – from punk, metal and alternative to classic and southern rock. Rock Band ships with 45 fearsome tracks from artists like Bon Jovi and The Ramones to Black Sabbath and Stone Temple Pilots. Full support for downloadable content delivers never-ending challenges. New content will be available every week. Download full albums for play with Rock Band including the iconic rock album 'Who's Next' by The Who. Metallica has signed on to offer several tracks as digitally-distributed game levels for Rock Band as well as "Enter Sandman" for the Rock Band ship disc. Create your own rock avatar! Mold a unique rocker using Rock Band's character creator. Chose from gender, body shape, face, hair, clothes, tattoos and signature moves. Don't forget to pick your specialized rockin’ instrument. Drumming in the spotlight! Showcase a real drum solo with Rock Band's freestyle drum fill windows featured in each song. Break out your own rhythm and style as anything goes! Vocalists can bring the crowd to their feet during Rock Band’s freestyle vocal fill windows. Ad-lib your own words or shout to the crowd to raise the rock intensity of the performance. Band mates can fail out of a song for poor performance, but the band still plays on. Rescue your failing mate by busting out signature moves and blistering solos to wow the crowd with showmanship. Earn bonus points for your band during Rock Band’s Unison Phrase opportunities if everyone plays perfectly. [Harmonix] Collapse
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 72
  3. Negative: 0 out of 72
  1. The 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.
  2. The 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.
  3. 100
    If anything, Rock Band serves as an almost perfect example of a game that caters to everyone, provided there’s interest in playing virtual instruments.
  4. Rock Band is more than a simple video game, it's a highly interactive social experience. There's enough depth and fun here to keep you and your friends entertained for months. A must-have for the festive season!

See all 72 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 67
  2. Negative: 11 out of 67
  1. AshtonJ.
    10
    I was never a big fan of the GH series but I instantly fell in love with Rock Band. I love vocals but its always fun to switch it up even if you have to drop down a couple difficulty levels to do so. If you enjoy this game I highly recommend moving on to Rock Band 2 if you haven't yet. It fells like a more complete version of this game, you can even transfer the songs of RB to RB2! Expand
  2. JohnW.
    8
    Great game for the family, but not for a more intense player who's accustomed to GHIII. It's a hugely fun party game, and creating your own rockstar is fun as well. But a lack of a hyperspeed and the shoddy guitar peripheral left me a little disappointed. Expand
  3. PaulE.
    7
    As the dad I was able to manage the guitar at medium and once even played it at a hard level without bombing out. My 9 yr old son on the drums is pretty good on medium but gets overwhelmed on hard. My 12 yr old daughter manages to carry us on hard with the vocals. We've taken it as far as we can with our level of ability and can't seem to master the more difficult levels so our interest has waned in the game. I wished they'd release songs that are more fun like "Last Train to Clarksville" and less edgy. I noticed too that the guitar is rather flimsy and that the down strokes don't always register correctly. I found it best to strum with my first two fingers with the upstroke for the faster bits but can't do much more than that. Sometimes my whole forearm starts to seize up after one of those songs and can't play anymore. Ah, to be 20 years younger again. The upside is my son now has an interest in being a drummer and has gained more rhythm. My daughter too has been more willing to push her vocals instead of singing quietly to herself. I think it has been a fun family experience but it doesn't make us run back to it anymore like it did when we first got it. Expand
  4. RaffiC
    4
    Overrated by most, overpriced by anyone's standards. The controllers/instruments are of poor quality and design. Gameplay is so-so. I much prefer the fret board of GH2-3, and even their bango-sized guitar, over RB crap. I'll give them points for graphics and character customizability, as well as endowing the additional instruments for song play. Speaking of which, their song list isn't bad, about the same as GH3 in overall quality nd enjoyability. Overall, i thoroughly regret the purchase and would not recommend it to any soloists. It's, IMO, intending for those wanting to play with their friends or family 90+ percent of the time. Expand

See all 67 User Reviews