Set Up | Deck It Out | Learn To Play | Maximize Your Score | Modes | Song List | Downloads
by Ben Silverman
WATCH ROCK BAND VIDEOS
It doesn't matter if you're a lone axeman or just another brat in a traveling family band, there's bound to be a Rock Band mode to suit your lifestyle.
Single Player:
Since you probably won't have a tons of friends over every night (if you do, feel free to send us an invite), you'll probably spend a good deal of time playing the game alone. Quickplay lets you hop in and out, but the good stuff is found along the long and winding road of Solo Tour. Here you'll create a character and tackle various cities around the world as a vocalist, drummer or guitarist (sorry, bassists, you're strictly support staff.) Perform well and you'll earn cash to spend on hordes of gear, cool threads and colorful tats, which you can actually design yourself using the intuitive Art Maker. You'll also unlock more songs to use in Quickplay, so get to it.
Multiplayer:
If ever there were a game that demanded you to socialize, this is it: Rock Band without a few friends is like a party without any dip. So drum up some buddies and get crankin' on Band World Tour. The most robust mode in the game, this local multiplayer gig requires at least two players but supports up to four. You'll form a virtual band, name it, give it a cheesy logo and try to conquer the world. Unlike Solo Tour, here you'll have to manage more than just egos - as the band grows, so will its fan base and finances. Earn enough cash and you'll upgrade your shoddy tour van into a bus (or better), gaining access to far away cities with more lucrative offers at bigger venues. Goodbye neighborhood cafe, hello Enormo-Dome!
While the offline-only World Tour is the main act, Rock Band provides plenty of online rocking for Xbox 360 and PS3 users. Band Quickplay can be enjoyed with any mix of local or online players, as can the two competitive modes, Tug of War and Score Duel. And if you're into rock talk, go ahead and hook up a headset to chat with your fellow faux-musicians while you play.
Posted: 15 Nov 2007
