Rock Band 3
| Rock Band 3 | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Harmonix |
| Publisher(s) | MTV Games |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii |
| Release | Q4 2010 |
| Genre(s) | Rhythm game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Rock Band 3 is the third main game in the Rock Band series. As with previous games in the series, Rock Band 3 allows players to simulate the playing of rock music and other genres using special instrument controllers mimicking lead and bass guitar, drums, and vocals. Rock Band 3 expands upon previous games by including three-part vocal harmonies, previously used in The Beatles: Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band, and support for a keyboard instrument; Harmonix will be providing a MIDI-compatible 25-key unit with the game. Rock Band 3 will also feature "pro" modes, utilizing stringed guitar controllers and requiring drumming to strike optional cymbal adapters when indicated.
Gameplay
Rock Band 3 allows for potentially up to seven players: lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, and three on vocal harmonies, to simulate playing music as presented by scrolling notes on screen. Notes that are hit correctly on the respective instruments will score points and improve the performance meter, while missing notes will cause the meter to drop; should a player's meter hit zero, they will drop out of the song until "saved" by another player using "Overdrive"; if the band's meter falls to zero, the song is failed and the group must start again. Overdrive, earned by hitting specific phrases correctly, can also be used to boost the band's multiplier and increase the band's score.
The keyboard controller to be shipped with the game is a 25-key MIDI-compatible unit. Players will need to strike notes and chords, marked to specific keys on the display, to score points.[1]
The game features a more in-depth career mode; players will be able to design more detailed characters, and will appear nearly at all points alongside the narrative, making the game "one story of your band", according to Harmonix senior designer Dan Teasdale. The career mode includes several goals, similar to Xbox 360 achievements, to help continue to urge the players to progress in the game. There is also a jump-in/jump-out mode allowing players to join in in the middle of a song and change the difficulty of their instrument. "Road challenges" combine features of the Tour mode of Rock Band and Rock Band 2 with Mario Party concepts, according to Teasdale, and is based on feedback from Rock Band players. Players will have better tools to sort though songs to help manage a song library that is expected to be larger than 2000 songs by the end of 2010.[1]
The game also includes a "Pro" mode, which is aimed to provide a more realistic playing experience by requiring more exacting playing of the instruments. For drummers, an optional 3-cymbal pack needs to be added to the drum kit, and notes on screen will be marked to indicate a cymbal hit instead of a drum hit. New guitars will take advantage of a pro mode; one will be a MadCatz controller that features additional buttons along each fret, while the other is a full-size Fender Stratocaster that is fully-functional as an electric guitar outside of the game. On screen, numbers alongside notes will indicate which fret button or string the player must hit in the correct color area. Pro mode players will be able to play alongside those using the standard method of playing Rock Band instruments.[1]
Soundtrack
The full soundtrack for Rock Band 3 will include 83 songs, most which will take advantage of the new keyboard controller.[2] Existing content for other Rock Band games, including on-disc songs and downloadable content, will be playable in Rock Band 3.[1]
| Song title | Artist | Decade |
|---|---|---|
| "Been Caught Stealing" | Jane's Addiction | 1990s |
| "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Queen | 1970s |
| "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" | The Doors | 1960s |
| "Combat Baby" | Metric | 2000s |
| "Crazy Train" | Ozzy Osbourne | 1980s |
| "Crosstown Traffic" | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1960s |
| "Dead End Friends" | Them Crooked Vultures | 2000s |
| "Get Free" | The Vines | 2000s |
| "Here I Go Again" | Whitesnake | 1980s |
| "I Love Rock and Roll" | Joan Jett | 1980s |
| "In the Meantime" | Spacehog | 1990s |
| "Just Like Heaven" | The Cure | 1980s |
| "Lasso" | Phoenix | 2000s |
| "Me Enamora" | Juanes | 2000s |
| "Oh My God" | Ida Maria | 2000s |
| "Plush" | Stone Temple Pilots | 1990s |
| "Portions of Foxes" | Rilo Kiley | 2000s |
| "Rainbow in the Dark" | Dio | 1980s |
| "Sister Christian" | Night Ranger | 1980s |
| "The Hardest Button to Button" | The White Stripes | 2000s |
| The Power of Love | Huey Lewis and the News | 1980s |
| "Walkin' on the Sun" | Smash Mouth | 1990s |
References
- ^ a b c d Snider, Mike (2010-06-09). "'Rock Band 3': What's new, what's notable". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
- ^ Snider, Mike (2010-06-09). "'Rock Band 3': the songs announced so far". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
| Main games | |
|---|---|
| Band-centric games | |
| Spin-offs | |
| Mobile games | |
| Additional songs | |
| Related articles | |
