“Rockband 3”
■ Rating | Teen
■ Grade | A
The plenty of clichés that go hand in hand with being in a band – sex, drugs, all-night parties in big cities where the girls are pretty – are easily accessed in front of one’s television screen thanks to the popular “Rockband” videogame series.
And the release of “Rockband 3” proves music can still get better with time.
Like many other videogame sequels, past kinks have been worked out and new, epic features are added to give the player the stadium show feel a true rockstar yearns for.
First of the just-added features is the new instruments now available. To be purchased separately, the third installment comes with a keyboard and a new version of the guitar (this time equipped with strings.)
The new instruments may be hard to grasp at first, but like a true rockstar, practice makes perfect. And once you get the hang of it, it gets even harder.
With the game’s new pro-mode, only the true masters of “Rockband” survive. For the keyboard, for example, with the regular mode, the player would only have to hit five keys. But with pro-mode, they would have to hit all 25 notes in the two-octave instrument while playing John Lennon’s “Imagine.” The same mode can be applied to the bass and guitar.
The pro-mode is more for experts, not for beginners, and will keep the best of the best still challenged for a little longer.
The career mode is a little different. The mode lays out different goals for the band and will allow them to collect points during their world tour. Points will allow for more clothes, accessories and instruments.
Another small, nice touch is the automatic rewind the game does by a few seconds when a player hits pause. It ensures no notes are missed when someone needs to take a bathroom break.
Finally, and maybe the best addition to the series, is the new songs available to rock out to. Some of the highlights include Bob Marley’s “Get Up Stand Up,” David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People” and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.”
Even popular artists of today make an appearance, like Metric’s “Combat Baby,” Paramore’s “Misery Business” and Tokio Hotel’s “Humanoid.”
And I dare someone to impressively play vocals to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the volume way up. When the neighbors complain or call the police, tell them the Pulse Editor told you to. It’s really the only true meaning of rock ‘n’ roll.
The old memorable features are still alive on the game as well, including the dressing of your own rockstar. Don your character in Joan Jett’s classic pink sports coat with black colored-eyeliner and jump on the stage if you really “love rock ‘n’ roll.”
The best part of the game is the unity it requires from friends by joining players together over one of life’s best luxuries: rock ‘n’ roll music.
Right in the middle of your living room, you can lead the soulful vocals of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” shred the guitar solo in “Freebird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and try your best at the famous keyboards in Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.”