Review - Rock Band 2

Ahh, the sweet music coursing through my veins! Rock Band 2 is finally here and for fans of the series it's a complete no-brainer must have. With over 80 new songs on disc with an additional 20 free via download later this year, this newest edition packs more hits than any other music game to date. And you'll find no cover songs here, every one is a master track by the original artist. Fans of the series will find the interface streamlined, with many of the hiccups of the first game removed. New features include:

• A "No Fail" mode - no longer will your band's conquests be hindered on Rock Band night by a single players' inadequacy, which normally meant a crushing blow to the other three band members and shameful humiliation for the culprit.
  
• Streamlined menus - Menus are quick and efficient, making jumping into the action fast and fun. Accidental button presses plagued the first Rock Band where one missed drum hit would cancel everyone's choices and return to the previous member. Now all crucial band decisions are made with the "Start" button, a welcome improvement.
• The inclusion of over 50 songs from the original - with the $5 purchase of a transfer license, you can rip the tracks from the original game onto the Xbox 360's hard drive. This allows you full access to your library with a few exceptions (three of the original songs are not included with the file transfer due to licensing issues). The only downside to this is that your original Rock Band songs and the downloads you've purchased are all included in your band's setlist, meaning for some that they'll play the same songs in the new version that they've beaten to death in the original. This might be a turn off for some, as it means not only some redundancy, but also reduced exposure to the newer tracks.
• Play any or all instruments on the World Tour - in the original Rock Band, your created character was restricted to their initial instrument choice. Now you can play any instrument or sing vocals at any point in the World Tour progression. Tired of guitar, switch your character to drums, bass, or vocals.
  
• World Tour progression no longer restricted to two or more players - if you're anything like me, you know the pain of logging in to Rock Band and not being able to progress through the World Tour because you're playing solo. Not everyone has the time, commitment, and sleep schedule needed to maintain a multi-member pseudo band. So for the rest of us you can progress through the World Tour by yourself and add or drop members at will. If you have more players available, they can join or leave any time througout the World Tour experience.
• Co - op online play - in the initial offering, your band had to be within an arms reach in order to play as a group. Now your bassist can be in D.C., your vocalist in Seattle, your drummer in L.A., and you in El Paso and you can hook up through Xbox LIVE to jam your heart out. Tired of playing together, battle against each other or against other bands in the new Battle of the Bands features. Publisher Harmonix promises to add new challenges daily involving the best scores on varying setlists, or with different tests of skill like note streaks.
• Improved tutorials - No more physically imparing yourself trying to play the drums like a pro. Rock Band 2 provides detailed tutorials for all the instruments, and a drum specific training session which takes the player through a series of traditional drumming patterns meant to provide the necessary ability to succeed at the main game. Excellent and appreciated work here.
  

All of the new features make Rock Band 2 the pinnacle of music gaming to date. That being said, fans will find little change in graphics or character customization. World Tour plays out much the same as RB1. Character creation also remains relatively unchanged, with a few new face, hair, and clothing options, but no micro customization options like facial feature sliders, etc. The performance venues are also mostly the same and fans will recognize many of them from the first game, however there is enough freshness here to please fans and keep things feeling new.

Rock Band 2 pulls no punches and releases a full month and a half before it's competitor Guitar Hero: World Tour. Fans of the series will find alot to love here but they need no convincing, they are already playing the game. Newcomers will find the best game in the genre all wrapped up with unmatched playablity, fantastic features, and vicious fun. Strongly recommended.

"♫♫♫♫½" - Four and a half music notes out of five.