It's rare to find a game that encompasses a teaching tool as effective as Rocksmith, with virtually no negatives to observe, while still being enjoyable to play. Though for the first day or two you'll feel some pain in the tips of your fingers as your new guitarist callous' begin to form, it's a small trade for the skills, abilities, and pride you'll feel as you level-up as a genuine musician. Nothing beats learning useful and fun real-life skills, especially when it's with something as cool as an electric guitar.

Rocksmith feels like a present from the rock gods themselves. This little slice of the future is the perfect tool/game to teach all skill levels a thing or two about rocking out on the six-strings.

For a guy like me who had to borrow a friends guitar to actually try the game – the fact that I'm now contemplating visiting a pawn shop to cash in on someone else's inability to make ends meet and buy my very own guitar should speak volumes to the titles power as a fun learning tool. Beginners, give this a shot – especially if you've already got a guitar collecting dust in the closet.

This is a strong piece of learning software under the guise of a game.

In the end, making the decision to purchase Rocksmith comes down to what you're looking to get out of it. If you just want a music game to bust out at parties, stick with Rock Band or Guitar Hero. On the other hand, if you've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, Rocksmith is a great way to do it.

Is Rocksmith always a thrill a minute? No. However, few recent games offer so novel an experience as playing a guitar part, and hearing the notes you play flow out of your TV as part of a great rock song. It's the added incentive a lot of potential musicians might need to put in the time it takes to excel.

This is a really great tool to teach gamers how to really play guitar. Experienced players will grow bored with the core campaign mode, but the additions of the amp and arcade mini-games in Guitarcade will test your fingers for sure.

A niche title lacking the surface appeal of its party-game predecessors, Rocksmith's not for everyone. Still, there's absolutely nothing else like it for its intended audience. Those who'd rather play than pretend will appreciate the lasting reward of learning riffs from Nirvana's In Bloom far more than the shallow gratification that comes with pressing colored plastic buttons to a Top 40 hit.

There's definitely room for improvement down the road, but Rocksmith's debut has one thing going for it above all else: it's the real deal. This ambitious guitar game delivers on its promise of intense rhythm gaming action tied to the act of actual guitar playing. It has something to offer players of all skill levels, whether you're picking up and learning the guitar for the first time or have been playing for ages.

As a new IP and a ballsy take on the floundering music genre, Rocksmith is an awesome first step. The technology is fantastic, and while the gameplay could use some tweaks, the dynamic charting system is a great sign of things to come.

At its core, Rocksmith is wildly cool, innovative technology sitting on top of a tired formula many of us have played to death. Had the story mode been anything other than the tried-and-true Guitar Hero/Rock Band "play a few songs, unlock new venues, rinse and repeat," it would have been infinitely more fun. Even so, Rocksmith is undeniably interesting, and the potential for greatness in the franchise is there.

The prevailing problem with Rocksmith: defining exactly what it wants to be. It doesn't go all the way in teaching you guitar, in that you're not learning how to read notes or construct a composition. Conversely, as a videogame, its straight-faced tone, added playing mechanics, and high price make it less accessible than, say, Rock Band.