ROCKSMITH REVIEW

[Saijinn Maas]

ROCKSMITH REVIEW

I've never been much of a fan of the "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" games. I played them with friends occasionally, but always felt that it was a waste of time. I never understood why so many people had no problem practicing to prefect these games rather than using that time to play a real guitar. So, when Rocksmith was announced, I was immediately interested. This is understandable considering that I wrote and submitted a game document to my company with an idea similar to Rocksmith, which was meet with disinterest... But I digress. So I picked up ROcksmith yesterday morning and have approximately 8 hours into it. Below are my thoughts on the game.



Anyone familiar with GH or RB will recognize the general layout of the upcoming notes starting on top and "dropping" downward to an area that is sync'd with when you strum. What's different is that the bottom is a layout of a guitar neck as if you were looking at the back of your guitar with the neck being see-thru.



I hated this at first. It is was much too different from reading TAB or anything that you would use to learn guitar. Fortunately, there is a setting in the menu that allows you to invert it like TAB.

E---------------------------
B---------------------------
G---------------------------
D---------------------------
A---------------------------
E---------------------------

This made it much easier to read the notes falling down. This still takes a bit getting used to because the strings are color coded to a particular color, which still makes it difficult to tell what note is coming when things get fast.

I think they should have replicated exactly how you read TAB. Have the notes come in from the left and move right. This has the added benefit of actually teaching how to read TAB to those who may not be able to.


As some have noted, there is a bit of lag in the audio. Although it is not enough to make it unplayable, and you can get used to it, I find a bit perplexing. There have been multiple methods, available for awhile now, that allow people to hook a guitar up to a computer and record with virtually no lag at all. This can be rectified, they claim, by hooking your system up with regular rca cables for the audio as opposed to compostie and hdmi. I have none, and do not plan on buying any just for this.

Load times could be better. But I've seen worse.

It is worth pointing out that I had trouble setting up stratocaster guitars. I tried two and one I could not get past the audio set up, and the second one took me over half a dozen times. It is also worth noting that you are best off using a guitar that does not have a locking nut. You will need to be able to change tunings on the fly for certain songs. So far only standard tuning and drop D.

They have mini games to help with learning techniques. But I am a bit perplexed why they made all of them unlockable by playing when you could have used the training in them to play. They set it up so that you have to "try" to fumble thru the initial songs, only to have a technique unlocked that you should have practiced BEFORE you did the songs. Especially important since part of the trouble of playing is learning ROCKSMITH'S interface inself.

I can definitely see how the mini games are helpful to someone who is first learning or is still at the beginning stages of learning. The only problem with these is that other than trying to get a higher score, they put no aspect to push you to WANT to do better.

They do a nice job of detecting how well you are doing and increasing the difficulty to match. It remembers how well you played so that the nect time you repeat a song, it conitues where you left off. Though I can see this being almost too difficult for some people who have never touched a guitar before.

I am sure that the song list will leave much to be desired for most people. There is too much "obscure" stuff here. Part of this is due to the licensing problems Ubisoft had getting a lot of music. GH and RB have made music management fully aware of music games and what they can ask for to allow their songs on a game. I would have preferred more metal and straight up rock in there. But... I do have to admit that, with the exception of a few songs, even songs I didn't think I would like have been a lot of fun. Like most games, that feeling you get when you hit 97% knowing you are SO close to getting a perfect, is still in play here. A number of songs had me saying "one more time" due to almost getting it perfect.

Here is the list of songs available in the game immediately. DLC is coming, but nothin is available yet. DLC almost always takes time. And how long it takes will really be determined on how well the "game" does initially.


The Animals — House of the Rising Sun
Best Coast — When I'm With You
The Black Keys — Next Girl
The Black Keys — I Got Mine
Blur — Song 2
The Boxer Rebellion — Step Out The Car
Cream — Sunshine Of Your Love
The Cribs — We Share The Same Skies
The Cure — Boys Don't Cry
Dan Auerbach — I Want Some More
David Bowie — Rebel Rebel
The Dead Weather — I Can't Hear You
Eric Clapton — Run Back To Your Side
Franz Ferdinand — Take Me Out
The Horrors — Do You Remember
Incubus — I Miss You
Interpol — Slow Hands
Jarvis Cocker — Angela
Jenny O — Well OK Honey
Kings Of Leon — Use Somebody
Lenny Kravitz — Are You Gonna Go My Way
Little Barrie — Surf Hell
Lynyrd Skynyrd — Sweet Home Alabama
Muse — Unnatural Selection
Muse — Plug In Baby      Nirvana — In Bloom
Nirvana — Breed
The Pixies — Where Is My Mind
Queens of the Stone Age — Go With The Flow
Radiohead — High And Dry
The Rapscallions — California Brain
Red Fang — Number Thirteen
Red Hot Chili Peppers — Higher Ground
The Rolling Stones — The Spider And The Fly
The Rolling Stones — Play With Fire
The Rolling Stones — (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Sigur Ros — Gobbledigook
Silversun Pickups — Panic Switch
Soundgarden — Outshined
Spoon — Me And The Bean
Stone Temple Pilots — Between The Lines
Stone Temple Pilots — Vasoline
The Strokes — Under Cover Of Darkness
Taddy Porter — Mean Bitch
Titus Andronicus — A More Perfect Union
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers — Good Enough
Velvet Revolver — Slither
White Denim — Burnished
The White Stripes — Icky Thump
The xx — Islands
Yellow Moon Band — Chimney

One last thing... There is a gear set up aspect included. You are able to pick a guitar, an amp, cab, pedal, where the pedals are located in the chain, etc. But, like the complaint with the mini games, you have to score well enough on certain songs to unlock its "tone", which includes pedals and guitars.

Again... I am having a lot of fun so far. There is enough to challenge those who would not consider themselves beginners. Much more fun than GH or RB... though I wish they had added a bass component for some local multiplayer.

I give ROCKSMITH a solid

8/10

[Gnasty]

I`d rather hear your songs! Now pick up that ESP and start recording on your br-800!!

[Saijinn Maas]

That reminds me...

If you already know how to play guitar to any degree... it is not about learning these songs. The goal is to become a better guitar player by learning and practicing techniques. It teaches everything from bending, slides, hammer-ons, pull-off, harmonics, scales, palm-muting, etc.

[Oldrottenhead]

sounds braw

[Saijinn Maas]

Should have added something important...

If you have an Xbox360 or a PS3, then it is worth getting... If you do not have a game system, it is NOT worth getting one to play it.

You can wait until December of the PC version though.