Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

OMG... Who here didn't expect me to eventually make a thread? Seriously?



So, for starters, it's mechanically identical to Rock Band 1: Notes scrolling down tracks: Green, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange (or R,Y,B,G,Foot Pedal in the drum case).
The only change that occurs beyond this is 3-fold:

1) Guitar/Bass parts now have chords that are Hammer-On in rare instances, making for some funny looking chords on track, as well as some wierd feelings in your hand when you're not sure if "that chord" will take. More trouble than they're worth in 60% of cases, so keep that in mind. Also, older tracks have the new HO/PO chords built in if deemed necessary by the game.

2) Drum Solos. That's right. Blue background segmented sections of drum parts that integrate a percentage counter, as well as a point bonus at the end... just like the guitar solo sections. Also back-built into DLC and RB1 exports where necessary.

3) "Talkie" Vocal Recognition has been nerfed. Check it.
Got my Flawless Singing on the first try just rambling a story to my roommates. I was feeling really good about how well I did on Give it Away by the Chili Peppers until I discovered this little fact. Although I still think I could give Anthony Kiedis a run for his money...


Now, on the transfer end of things: All DLC is still UNIVERSAL. There are no songs that are specific to RB1 or RB2. If you're too cheap to buy RB2, you can continue to download the weekly relases for RB1. Also, I've downloaded songs through the music store in RB2, and then had them appear on my playlist when I popped RB1 back in later. U-NI-VERSAL!

As for RB1 compatability, the "some songs" mentioned as non-transferrable from RB1 are 3 specific songs: Paranoid by Black Sabbath, Enter Sandman by Metallica, and Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden. I'm indifferent to Paranoid, but Sandman was a blow for me, as it was my 100% drum song, as well as hella fun on Expert. My friends that did Band World Tour with me would play this as our easy 6 star song whenever we wanted a good score on something. Run to the Hills is just all-around rape for anti-triplet guitarist and bassist, and come on, I'll give a dollar to anyone who beat RttH on expert drums... on the first try. You have to be a real drummer to not pull something trying to kick that crap out.

Summary of RB1: 55/58 songs transferred, not shabby Harmonix.
Also: there is a 400 Microsoft Point charge for "Licencing" to transfer the RB1 data to your hard drive. I wish all music games had a deal where you could get 55 songs for 400 points...

Let's talk the important part now: is it fun? Yes. Yes it is. However, the Easy songs are Easy, and the Hard songs will kill you. Painkiller by Judas Priest, Battery by Metallica, and Panic Attack by Dream Theater are gonna give you troubles if you could beat RB1, and will be unbeatable if you couldn't weasel your way through Green Grass and High Tides on Guitar.

But my all time favorite so far is the song Everlong by The Foo Fighters, which has a decently difficult (but totally 100% able) guitar part, and is the new Run to the Hills on Drums. Welcome to the next Red-Pad/Yellow-Pad-swap-because-the-red-pad-is-the-only-one-with-a-repeat-rate-sensitivity-high-enough-to-roll-the-Hi-Hat Song. The thing is, Everlong is such an amazing sounding song, that I'm totally OK with this dumb-tarded hard drum part.

Also, I got the Ion Drumkit. Be jealous, because everyone should have one. It feels sooooooo good.

--------------------

If internal struggles were as enjoyable and glamorous as the self conflicted wars within video game characters, we would all be statues, reveling in perpetual self war. -Me

Play me on Rock Band 2, GH-WT, or any other Xbox GH!
Xbox Gamertag-MeanJerry

Quote (leilong @ 2nd October 2008 17:29)

Also, I got the Ion Drumkit. Be jealous, because everyone should have one. It feels sooooooo good.

You said that last sentence and all I could think about was this.

This game sold me the moment I saw 'Alive' in the songlist. I cannot wait to get my guitar/vocals on for that! This is the game that's finally gonna have me getting a PS3.

--------------------

Arts

Farts

Twarts

Everlong is deliciously awesome to play, though I wouldn't consider that to be the new Run to the Hills! Have you tried Abnormality's "Visions" yet, Leilong? The blast-beats alone are downright painful. Panic Attack is, as expected of Dream Theater, absurd.

Master Exploder makes this game. Singing it is hilarious and all sorts of fun, the guitar is just nonstop shred and the drumming, though only technically starts halfway through the song, allows you to rip some ball-dropping fills all through the beginning.

Speaking of the drums, I didn't spring for the Ion Drumkit as I would've liked, but I'm enjoying the new standard set. To be fair, I replaced the pad covers with the third party ones that I had for the first Rock Band, which seems to have completely fixed the sensitivity glitch. The steel-plated kick is a godsend, I can finally stop worrying about putting my foot through the damn thing.

I love the new guitar. The strum-bar is a lot more comfortable than the last game's and isn't nearly as glitchy when it comes to alternate strumming. I think I still prefer the guitar from Guitar Hero, but this is a great improvement.

I have to agree, they really did beef up the difficulty in the later tiers, but I'm glad for it. I think they went easy on us, save for a few songs and the bonus content, in the original Rock Band.

All in all, I love this game.

--------------------

Okay, but there was a goat!

I actually just bought the game outright, as I knew I'd be getting the new Ion drums, and I really love my Les Pauls.

I have not drummed Visions yet, DF, but I have guitared the hell out of it. Which also makes me think of one other thing that I didn't mention about the game: the Battle of the Bands mode. The challenges they come up with are retarded amazing, including one of the first shred challenges they came up with, which was a 3 song set of Painkiller, Panic Attack, and Visions that had to be done guitar alone, on expert, and all overdrives were disabled, they didn't even show up. It was madness, and probably the most fun I've ever had playing Rock Band. It makes me sad that we've moved, and don't have internet again yet, because it really cramps my ability to check out BotB mode...

But hey, in the mean time, I've FC'd Everlong and Next to You on guitar!


Everlong FTW!


Master Exploder is fun. It's fun in the same way Pinball Wizard is fun and in the same way that Ramblin' Man and Rock'n Me AREN'T fun. Yay for friggin swing beats on the guitar. They make me wish I was emo so I could cut something.

And speaking of new guitars, has anybody else seen the new basses? the strumbar is split down the middle so that you can pluck up notes with 2 fingers, and not have to worry about if finger A is still down to null out finger B's strum. I already got my 100% upstrum bass achievement anyway, but that would definitely make it easier if your cognition sucks.

Edit

Quote

You said that last sentence and all I could think about was this.

Feel good about that, as I had nose surgery 2 weeks ago, and my nose has been doing that for awhile...

This post has been edited by leilong on 6th October 2008 21:33

--------------------

If internal struggles were as enjoyable and glamorous as the self conflicted wars within video game characters, we would all be statues, reveling in perpetual self war. -Me

Play me on Rock Band 2, GH-WT, or any other Xbox GH!
Xbox Gamertag-MeanJerry

Epic bump so I could talk about how amusing the photo and merch generator are on rockband.com. After I changed my friend's name on his character (because, as lots of people already know, his real name triggered the "not classy" message and therefore wasn't available for online stuff), I just made this using their tools:

http://www.rockband.com/wallpaper/3455224/1

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?