It seemed destined to be the winter without rhythm games, with Rock Band and Guitar Hero on the backburner. But with Rocksmith, publisher Ubisoft seems poised to take advantage of really fortuitous timing to unleash a different kind of guitar game on the world.
It's a surprisingly effective approach, and one that really makes you feel like you're playing the song – because, well, you actually are. Rocksmith's diverse soundtrack comes with 50+ tracks, including a wide selection of household names (Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie) and some surprises, such as Spoon, Titus Andronicus, and Best Coast. In addition to standard tutorials, the game also includes seven arcade-style mini-games that smartly build playing fundamentals, as well as a Customize sandbox mode that essentially turns your console or PC into an amplifier and lets you play with virtual gear and effects.
On one hand, the lack of colored buttons makes Rocksmith perhaps a tougher sell to players who just want to rock out to hit songs; but then again, considering that any old guitar will do, the game seems aimed at a pretty wide new market. Although opinions are mixed about the onscreen interface, the little bit we played was really smartly designed and seems flexible enough to appeal to total newcomers, adequate axe wielders, and shred legends alike – though if you fall into that final category, chances are you won't need a game to learn and play dozens of sweet rock tunes. But you could, and that’s the entire point.
Jun 16, 2011
