Rock Band is the 2007 smash-hit rhythm game from developer Harmonix. In the past Harmonix worked with developer Activision to produce the Guitar Hero series, and since their split Activision has gone on to produce Guitar Hero 3 while Harmonix is looking to break new ground with Rock Band.

Breaking new ground is exactly what they’ve done. Rock Band is an elevation of Guitar Hero, adding a drum set and microphone to the guitar, allowing a group of up to four players create a band and take on its World Tour mode, online or off. The game features 45 classic songs, some of which are covers and some of which are the original versions, as well as 13 "hidden" songs, mostly from more obscure bands.

Educationally, Rock Band’s biggest strength is people skills. Playing in a band with three other people is a unique experience, and Rock Band does several things to help emulate the experience. Players that do poorly eventually start getting booed and bringing down the whole band’s score, making it up to the other players to help bring their bandmate back into the game. Relationships form between players quickly; some are clearly more skilled than others, some might prefer higher difficulties or certain songs. It is this facet of Rock Band that makes it so entertaining, and the large number of available songs don’t hurt, either; there’s something here that every gamer can identify with.

Classroom facts are pretty limited in Rock Band, but a few get through. The best example is the different major cities that players visit during the World Tour mode. There are a number of cities located all over the world, and an accurate globe spins around to show players exactly where they’re headed. Players also earn money for completing gigs successfully, and this money can be used to buy various decorative items between shows. Each song in the game is a classic, and songs can be sorted by artist and decade of release, providing information that many players would not otherwise know. Various musical trivia is also shown on the screen during loading times.

By the Gamer:

There is some room for player creativity in Rock Band. In the beginning players create their own character, and while the number of options is hardly overwhelming it grows during the game as players make money and unlock new accessories. Players also have some freedom as far as choosing songs, particularly in World Tour mode, as there are a number of cities worldwide that can be visited, each containing several venues and setlists to play through, and players can pick and choose shows as they progress through the game. Drummers vocalists are given chances to play and sing fills at several points during most songs in order to get score multipliers, pretty much a few seconds to do whatever they want. At the end of several songs the entire band is given a chance to freestyle, building a large bonus for the entire band if they can hit the final notes of the song successfully.

By the Developer:

Rock Band’s ideas are not totally new. There are existing games on the market that simulate playing guitar as well as singing, and there are even drumming games, as well (though they’re a bit more obscure), but never before have these elements been brought together so succinctly, and the effect is truly impressive. The ways band members interact – building up energy and timing their use of "star power" to create huge score bonuses for the whole band, "reviving" bandmates that do too poorly during songs – help the game feel really unique, and the impressive library of available songs makes it something anyone can enjoy. The competitive multiplayer elements are welcome, as well. One-on-one score battles and worldwide leaderboards for each song are available and add much replay value to the game. There are also new dowloadable tracks released every week for a small price, ensuring the Rock Band will stay fresh for years to come.

Business skills enter into gameplay, but are sort of irrelevant. Players earn money and fans during World Tour mode. Money can be used to buy exclusively decorative accessories between shows, and the more fans a band has the bigger venues they can play. Doing poorly loses fans, and doing well can gain both fans and money. Occasionally a special challenge is given (for example, a band might be challenged to play a five-star show in return for earning triple the money they normally would) that makes things a little more exciting.

People skills are an important aspect of multiplayer Rock Band. The interactions between players during songs is definitely a unique thing. Players that hit certain strings of notes correctly build up energy, and when it hits a certain level it can be used to activate "star power." Star power is used to bring players that have failed a song back onto the stage as well as give the entire band a point multiplier. Synchronizing star powers increases the multiplier more and more, and if an entire band activates it at the same time scores reach enormous heights very quickly.

Besides working together to give the band bonuses, it’s also important not to do poorly and mess up teammates. When players miss notes everyone hears it, and dropping the guitar riff or missing a set of lyrics in the middle of a song can throw everyone off. Drummers in particular can get off the song’s rhythm and really mess up other players, and a poorly timed drum fill can easily ruin a guitarist’s streak.

Through some clever mechanics teamwork becomes important for players in any situation. In songs where everyone is comfortable, players can work together to get huge scores and during tough songs players can work to help each other out.

Gameplay in Rock Band is made up entirely of playing songs, and problems simply become a matter of playing skill. There’s no puzzle solving, and the style of the gameplay revolves around the same set of mechanics throughout the entire game, requiring players to build their skills from when they begin playing to when they stop. There are four difficulties for players to ascend to, and getting them requires practice from anyone that plays. Tough songs are the biggest challenge to players, and it’s not uncommon for players to have to save each other several times in order to get through some of the tougher ones.

Rock Band is the closest simulation of playing in an actual rock band that is available in videogames today. Playing guitar in Rock Band is not too much like playing an actual guitar at all, but drummers and vocalists will find themselves developing skills that can be used outside of the game. The drum set included is pretty obviously not an actual drum set, but it does a pretty decent job of emulating the feel of playing on one and is set (approximately) up as close to one as you could expect. Before long players will be playing some pretty complex drum beats, and on higher difficulties players must play through classic rock songs – featuring some of the greatest drummers of all time – note-for-note. Vocalists are also given accurate song lyrics and, again, on higher difficulties must hit songs and lyrics note-for-note.

Rock Band is pretty hugely popular both critically and commercially, with review scores averaging above 90%. The game has sold over a million copies since its release, and the game is often very difficult to find in stores (the Xbox 360 version in particular).

Extra Credit:

Rock Band is a nonviolent game.

The game features options for right- or left-handed guitarists. Players can turn off the backing vocal tracks that usually play during songs, and the microphone’s range and volume can be tuned manually. The game can also be calibrated to keep notes flowing accurately on any type of TV, as some have slight lags over others. The game also features four difficulty levels, and groups of players can all play on different skill levels together, allowing less skilled players to keep up with experts without too much trouble.

Rock Band is available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2, though its important to note that the PS2 version does not support either online multiplayer or downloadable tracks.

Rock Band received a T from the ESRB with descriptors for Lyrics and Mild Suggestive Themes.