Green Day Rockband
Score: 86% ESRB: Teen Publisher: EA Games Developer: Harmonix Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 4; 4 (Online) Genre: Rhythm
Graphics & Sound: Obviously, your enjoyment of Green Day Rock Band is based solely on how much you like Green Day. If you fall into either the "Love Them" or "Hate Them" camps, you can stop reading and either buy it or skip it entirely. If, like me, you're on the fence, keep reading because this review is for you. Green Day includes 47 songs (some are combined) covering the group's career from the mid-90's until present day. As with any release, there are songs that didn't make the cut, so hardcore fans will undoubtedly uncover some disappointment. As a casual fan, I liked the mix of songs I knew and those I really didn't. What really sticks out about the selection is how well they work within the context of Rock Band's gameplay. A lot of eyebrows were raised when the game was originally announced, but now I see why Harmonix went with the group. As a side-note, songs are exportable into Rock Band (and presumably Rock Band 3) for $10. Venues and visuals feel very light compared to the rest of the presentation. With The Beatles Rock Band, Harmonix showed a willingness to go beyond stage presentation. It's disappointing they didn't show the same willingness with Green Day. Considering the narrative structure of Green Day's recent albums, it seems like something could have been done. At the very least, Harmonix could have tried to lean on concepts from the Broadway show.
Gameplay: After Guitar Hero: Van Halen, I was ready to write-off band-centric music games. The idea sounds great on paper, but as Van Halen proved, it doesn't always work. True, The Beatles was fantastic, but that was a bit of an anomaly. I paid little attention to Green Day Rock Band ramping up to its release but jumped at the chance to review it. Despite my anti-single band bias, I like Green Day enough to give the concept another chance. Similar to The Beatles, Green Day offers a nice historic context for the group's career. However, the history is told through on-stage visuals and music rather than vignettes. Songs are presented as sets staged in three venues. Completing one set unlocks another. Structurally the two games are similar, except you can jump into any venue at any time. As a whole, Career is less personal than The Beatles. If a game is going to focus on one band, I want to come out of the experience with some gained knowledge about their history. The Beatles showed the band's journey and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the first band-centric music game, offered "Behind the Music"-styled interviews. Green Day features a few unlocks, such as concert footage and interviews. Hardcore fans will find value in the swag, but everyone else will probably just skip over them. Completing sets and venues unlocks Challenges where you need to earn a set number of songs. Most require you to play through three songs in a row, though more difficult ones require a play through of the entire album. Green Day offers all the normal trappings of a Rock Band game. Career is available in multiplayer and comes in both local and online varieties. By now Harmonix has got the system down, so no issues to report.
Difficulty: I enjoyed Challenge sets more than Career gigs. Career is still fun, but having to accrue a specific Star count really appealed to me. It adds just a little bit more pressure to playing through songs. Without it, I was able to complete 4- and 5-Star songs with little difficulty on Hard. Doing the same during Challenges was a little harder simply because I knew I had to hit a certain star count. There's a surprising amount of variety in the song list. I've never thought of it before, but Green Day's style has undergone some massive changes between their first album and current offerings. Regardless of style differences, noticeable patterns emerge between songs. Songs are fun, but can become routine after long periods of time. Later songs feature a little more variety, but most of the challenge comes from sustaining particular patterns for long periods of time.
Game Mechanics: At this point in the cycle, I'm fairly certain I don't need to go into the specifics of how Rock Band works. The song plays, colored bars scroll down the screen and you attempt to hit colored buttons on the controller in time with the music. You can also sing along with a meter as well, but usually that requires verbal, physical or liquid coaxing. Harmonies are big in Green Day Rock Band. The Beatles many have introduced the concept, but Green Day takes the ball and runs with it. Vocal harmonies are really fun, even without coaxing. I was surprised with how easily I jumped right in and started singing along - something I never did with The Beatles. Songs may be repetitive, but they are damn fun -- especially with a group. By now, you already know if you are going to run out and pick up Green Day Rock Band or not. Nothing I could ever say will change your decision. Unless you hate Green Day with the intensity of 1000 suns, it's worth a pick up. It lacks the same sense of soul as The Beatles, but the songs are fun and will mesh nicely with your current Rock Band catalog.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: Game Vortex's Review of The Beatles Rock Band on Xbox 360 Game Vortex's Review of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith on Xbox 360 Game Vortex's Review of Guitar Hero: Van Halen on Xbox 360 Game Vortex's Review of Rock Band 2 on Xbox 360
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