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A quick forethought: You can find loads of "expert" reviews from hard-core gamers out there; their reviews might be more technical and comprehensive than what I am sharing with you. I am just an average guy that plays video games every so often, and this is my experience with Rock Band. If you're a causal gamer wondering if shelling out the (around $200) is worth it for this game, you'll probably find this review helpful.

My buddy picked up the video game Rock Band last night for the PS3; in all honesty I was hoping he'd eventually get it. I wasn't there when it actually took the pieces out of the box but he did mention that there was a heck of a lot of them. No I don't think it'll take a rocket scientist to put everything together, but step up might take a little longer than expected.

As far as the game itself, I enjoyed it. For a guy who's always fancied himself as the world's best air drummer, this provided some great fun. I was, like most other reviewers a little disappointed in the limited number of songs. Many of the songs I'd never heard of...but you might expect it coming from someone who loves 70's and 80's music. As you go further into the game you can unlock more songs - I guess that's a good reason to practice and get good at the game. One terrific feature the game includes is the ability for each player to select her/his own difficulty level. This means if you've got a seasoned guitarist, she can move the difficulty level to "Hard", while the drummer (which was me), can still play along and not get too frustrated on "Easy" - allowing people with different skill levels to play together.

The game includes some introductory levels that you can experiment with before jumping in, these could have been done a little better but the concept was good. There is of course a learning curve to the game, but what would you expect - that you'd come right out and play like Eddie Van Halen?!? People that have no rhythm, no coordination and no patience will probably do one of two things: break one of the instruments (which a lot of true musicians do anyway), or they'll just get frustrated. After about 3-4 hours of solid playing - yes it is a fun game...I was doing pretty well on "Easy"; however, the further we got into the game the more complicated and intricate the drum beats got. I'll enjoy getting better at this game, but I'd really like to invest time into being able to play the drums better, if you're not in that boat you might get bored or frustrated.

Pros:

• Skilled and non skilled gamers can play together.
• There is a bit of a learning curve, but if you have any rhythm you'll be playing pretty well on "Easy" in an hour or two. The difficulty level gets proportionately harder as you get better at playing and getting further along in the game.
• The game's a blast in co-op mode, being able to look at your buddy when he's not playing the right notes and saying "Dude, what are you doing?!?!"
• The songs sound great (assuming your playing your instrument correctly), the crowd noise and involvement adds to the ambience.
• You can purchase more songs through the PS3 online interface...however the usability needs to be improved.
• By the third time I'd played Rock Band, I'd moved up the medium difficulty level on the drums, and while it's still a little challenging, the game is still fun. I've played this game for several hours at a time and haven't gotten sick of it yet. I am sure I will someday, but as long as they keep pumping out songs, this game will be around for a while.

Cons:

• Limited song selection, many of the songs I'd never heard of...maybe I am too old or too unhip.
• Some people might get bored with playing many of the same songs over and over again.
• Playing in single player mode might get boring quickly.
• I agree with the experts, the drum kit and kick petal are cool but I am a little nervous about their durability. If you've got friends that get "too into the game", you might not let them get a hold of these instruments. I haven't busted one yet.
• I am not sure about the vocals portion of the game, I wasn't sure if the game really could accurately pick up shifts in pitch.

Bottom Line

Was it worth about $200?

Yeah, I think it was, but I've always wanted to do a little more than play in an "air band" with my buddies. Rock Band allowed me to be a little more than pretend I was playing a music instrument in thin air - and at the same time I didn't build up nasty calluses on my fingers from strumming the guitar for hours.

Jeremy has a decade of experience with brand identity, web design, marketing strategy, advertising creations, direct mail, content editing, custom photography, photo editing/manipulation, and multimedia presentations.

He is also the author of, "Being a Starving Artist Sucks" (which some call the bible of graphic design success, 500 pgs) and "Verbal Judo for Designers" and the Work Smarter NOT Harder Contract Package: all easy to use, proven resources geared towards helping new or struggling creative freelancers run a more profitable, more enjoyable business in the shortest time possible by covering the areas that freelancers struggle with the most: pricing, negotiating, contracts, finding business, and customer service.

In late 2007 he added a 1 on 1 coaching/mentoring component to the product mix and will offer seminars and teleseminars in 2008. Learn more about what he's up to by visiting:
http://www.beingastarvingartistsucks.com
http://beingastarvingartistsucks.typepad.com