Full album downloads will be available too. And just as the three-song packs, if you want to cherry pick the songs you want, you can do that (something you cannot do with Guitar Hero DLC.)
Band World Tour is quite deep, spanning 41 different venues in 17 cities across the globe. The game was built with DLC in mind, so this mode has the potential to last a very long time with hundreds of downloadable songs to play in the game.
Offline Multiplayer
Any combination of instruments can play in quick play co-op, or Band World Tour, of course. Solo Tour and Solo Quickplay are also available if you can't round anyone up. But if you have two of any instrument, you can play in Tug of War and Score Duel. Guitar Hero guitar controllers work, and any USB mic will work too, such as the Xbox Live headset.
Tug of War is similar to Face-off in Guitar Hero. Your goal is to hit more notes than your opponent, as you play a dueling guitar or bass track; you each can pick a different difficulty level. Score Duel is like Pro Face-off, as you both play the same guitar or base track, at the same difficulty. The highest score wins.
Rounding off the offline modes are tutorials and practice mode, similar to Guitar Hero. I think the tutorials found here to be a bit more helpful, however.
Online Multiplayer
As with the modes of offline multiplayer, there are a lot of ways to rock online as well. Both Ranked and Player matches are available for Tug of War and Score Duel. Band Quickplay allows you to invite others to play in your band, then search for others online to play with you.
Lag would kill a game like this, and Harmonix has worked hard to create lag-free online gaming. It seems to be working, because playing online has been quite smooth.
Rock Band.com has also been launched as an online community with forums, blogs, and much more planned (but not running yet, beyond a helpful forum).
Character Creation
In another major difference from Guitar Hero, the game leaves you in charge of creating your in-game avatar. The options are plentiful with many clothing and accessories choices, tattoos make-up, and a detailed face paint editor. The game's store has instruments to buy as well, from Fender guitars to Pearl drum sets. The game has a lot of name brands, but it works in this context, and is not overdone. Seeing your avatar on stage adds a bit more personality to the game.
Article comments