by Cat Sentz

Created on: May 21, 2008

If Guitar Hero made you feel like a rock star wait until you play the latest musical love fest from Harmonix: Rock Band. From the legendary Ramones and Rolling Stones to Weezer and Fall Out Boy, the range is exceptional.

If you've played Guitar Hero III and like the sort of challenge that makes your fingers bleed you won't find it here. That doesn't mean you will be picking up the drums on expert your first go around, or even that you won't run into difficulty, it's just that the game isn't made to leave you in a crumpled pile of defeated goo. For $166.99 you get a wireless guitar (dongle), wired mic (plenty of cord), wired drum kit and 45 licensed tracks plus an additional 13 bonus songs. While the higher initial cost may frighten the meek (and foolish, if I may), you get more bang for your buck on this game than most other titles out there.

The career mode is engaging (no bass career mode), however the multi-player is really where the beauty lies. Sure you can play online, but why do that when you can hand your friend a beer, the mic and get him to sing Mississippi Queen? For the Band World Tour component you'll need at least two players, and remember, you are only as good as your weakest link. If you have an expert guitarist and a rhythm-less monkey for a drummer you will only be scored on the drummer's level.

Unlike Guitar Hero, Rock Band is a cooperative effort competitive only with other bands. One facet of this is that each band member can accumulate star power - er, I mean "Overdrive" - which, when activated, causes a 2x multiplier. When activated at the same time as the rest of the band, the multiplier jumps to 8x. Overdrive can even restore a failed bandmate, though you'll get booed right offstage if the band member isn't saved or fails three times. One singular improved to the system is that energy can be accumulated even after Overdrive is activated.

Another teamwork element is the unison bit. During a song the guitarist(s) and drummer will have to nail a section for a bonus. Certain songs use the same idea at the end of the track: the guitarists, drummer and singer can freestyle but the former two have to hit the final notes of the song for a big finish. These seemingly small components all add up to a game that makes you feel more like a band, which is ultimately what makes Rock Band different from other music based games.

In BWT mode you will begin playing small clubs and limited sets. The number of fans accumulated springboards you to larger venues

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