ROCK BAND 3
Platforms: X360, PS3, Wii, DS
Rock Band 3 They've simulated nearly every instrument under the sun, covered music from just about every artist and genre we can think of, and given us more kooky single-player "story modes" than you can shake a drumstick at. So where does music gaming go from here? Can Rock Band 3 really be any more than a fancy song pack?
As it happens, yes, it most certainly can.
Combining superb polish with an awesome tracklist, a new keyboard controller and a revolutionary "Pro" mode that'll teach you to play for real, Rock Band 3 isn't just a great music game, but it stands a decent shot at being the best-reviewed game of 2010, period.
And Joystiq -- in one of the game's numerous perfect-score reviews -- sums up why.
"Rock Band 3 is the greatest rhythm game ever made, and quite possibly the only rhythm game you need to own," says writer Griffin McElroy.
"Video games -- not just rhythm games, but all video games -- rarely show this much ambition. Even more rare are occasions where developers manage to fulfill the impossibly lofty goals they set before themselves. Rock Band 3 manages both with ease, backing up brilliant ideas with flawless execution."
Games Radar, in another glowing write-up, got hands-on with the game's optional 102-button guitar controller.
"Unlike the classic Rock Band gameplay," says the site, "Pro Mode challenges you to play note-for-note accurate recreations of actual songs on a handful of surprisingly realistic plastic peripherals — including a Mad Catz guitar with 102 functioning buttons."
Master that beast, and you'll be able to take your skills to a real guitar, believe it or not. And the clear consensus from critics is that it's entirely realistic. It needs commitment, but, says GameTrailers, "for dedicated players willing to throw themselves to the speakers, Rock Band 3 offers an avenue of musical exploration that you may not have thought possible in a videogame."
Even the dissenters seem to dig it. In IGN's 85/100 review -- currently the lowest score out there -- reviewer Hillary Goldstein points out that "if you don't buy the new keyboard or Pro Guitar, well, then it's just more Rock Band." But he also applauds the new focus on solo play, praising the new Career mode and adding that "for the first time, the series is more satisfying alone than in a room packed with friends...you can spend 20 hours playing Pro Keys and never need anyone else in your band."
Looks like the music game genre got its groove back.
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Also Available This Week:
Star Wars Force Unleashed II
Platforms: X360, PS3, iPhone
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Sucking you in with all sorts of gorgeous, lighsaber-wielding mayhem, then satisfying
you with its surprisingly deep storyline, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was a
huge hit in 2008. Can this sequel deliver on its promise? Early reviews
indicate it's a bit of a disappointment, delivering the same old gameplay with
a significantly less epic storyline.
Get More Game Details | Buy from Amazon
Campfire Legends: The Babysitter
Platforms: Yahoo! Games
Campfire Legends: The Babysitter Taking its cues from the "OMG the call is coming
from inside the house!" urban legend, this horror-themed hidden-object game is
as much camp as it is campfire, and that's a good thing in our book. And it
couldn't be releasing at a better time. Coincidence? It's almost spooky.
Get More Game Details | Download from Yahoo! Games
Tony Hawk Shred
Platforms: X360, PS3, Wii
Tony Hawk Shred Featuring a crazy skateboard controller, the last entry in the Tony Hawk series, Ride,
was not met with universal acclaim, and that's putting it charitably. Hoping
for a 2010 comeback, publisher Activision is giving Shred a lighthearted,
exaggerated style and throwing in snowboarding for good measure. Will it
succeed? It's too early to tell, but we'd check out critics reactions later in
the week before ollying your way into your local game store.
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Fable III
Platforms: X360
Fable 3 If you've ever wanted noted humorist, actor, and Monty Pythoner John Cleese to be
your butler, you'll get your chance this week with the release of the latest in
Microsoft's unfeasibly popular Fable series. It'll task you with ruling a
medieval kingdom with an iron fist (or a velvet glove) according to your whim.
And John Cleese is your butler. Did we mention it has John Cleese?
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Vampire Brides: Love Over Death
Platforms: Yahoo! Games
Vampire Brides: Love Over Death Would you marry a mysterious immortal nobleman to save your
father's life? Would it help if you knew he was named "Vlad?" Do you think
hidden-object games are a pain in the neck? Part two of our horror
hidden-object double-bill this week will give you the chance to answer all
these questions for yourself.
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Monopoly Streets
Platforms: X360, PS3, Wii
Monopoly Streets EA's new Monopoly title is set to give you an entirely new perspective on the game's
familiar board by dropping you right down among the streets, stations, and
skyscrapers. Think of it as a sort of Grand Theft Auto: Boardwalk, but without
the rampant crime, theft, and prostitution. Depending on exactly which of the
rules options you choose.
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Lego Universe
Platforms: PC, Mac
Lego Universe You loved the Lego Star Wars games, making them multi-million-selling successes.
Now the biggest toy franchise in the world is tackling the massively-multiplayer
genre, rolling out this online world that'll let you build to your heart's content...in between taking on the usual forces of evil, of course.
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Hasbro Family Game Night 3
Platforms: X360, PS3, Wii
Game of Life. Clue. Twister. Mousetrap. Yahtzee.
The contents of a well-stocked game closet -- and also the contents of the
latest Hasbro Family Game Night, which hits streets this week. If nothing else,
buy it to find out exactly how one goes about playing Twister on a video games
console.
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The Sims 3 (consoles)
Platforms: X360, PS3, Wii, DS
The Sims 3 was a massive hit on the PC last summer,
but it had pretty high system requirements, and plenty of owners of older PCs
got left out in the cold. Not any longer: as of this week, assuming you have a
PS3 or Xbox 360 in the house, you can play it on that instead. Wii owners will
have their chance November 15th.
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WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011
Platforms: X360, PS3, Wii, PSP, iPhone, iPad, PS2
WWE vs Raw 2011 The
WWE series has sold over 50 million copies, and we're expecting this year's
edition to be yet another hit. Boasting an enhanced career mode, a new physics
engine and more than 70 of your favorite wrestlers, this ought to be another
cage-rattling good time.
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The Sims 3 Late Night Expansion Pack
Platforms: PC, Mac
Sims 3: Night Life Expansion Pack Where do your Sims go after dark? Nowhere, if you're running the vanilla version of
the PC game. So pick up this expansion pack -- the game's third -- and give them all sorts of new options like clubbing, all-night parties, headlining rock concerts, even turning into oh-so-hip-and-trendy vampires. Or if that's all too much for them, they can just go soak in the game's new hot tub.