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Rock Band Unplugged
Publisher: MTV Games / Electronic Arts
Developer: Backbone Entertainment / Harmonix
Genre: Music
Release Date: May 26, 2009
Platform: Playstation Portable
ESRB: T - Teen
Reviewer: Eric
Where can the Rock Band franchise go after the second game on the Xbox 360?
Instead of following the same path as Guitar Hero it seems like Rock Band is
going on the portable that is for hardcore games, the Sony PSP. With no
attachment for gameplay is Unplugged dead on arrival or do we have what could
very well be the beginning of music games on the PSP?
Unplugged takes the look of the Rock Band series and the gameplay and throws it
onto the Playstation Portable. The game plays like your typical music game that
uses buttons to play. This sort of gameplay is a few years old but without any
real attachment slot like the Nintendo DS has this is all you are going to get.
Even though Rock Band Unplugged has old style gameplay it does add upon it.
Instead of focusing on one instrument at a time you are taking control of
everything. That is the guitar, bass, vocals and drums. With the simple control
setup Unplugged offers you can switch between all of these instruments with the
press of one of the triggers. To actually play the notes all you need to do is
hit/hit-and-hold one of the buttons on the screen. It is just like DJ Max Fever
and Frequency. There is a very in-depth tutorial on how to play the game so you
don’t have to worry about failing a few dozen times before you understand the
gameplay.
Just like the other Rock Band games there are the power ups that score
multipliers that help boost your score. Backbone Entertainment really did add in
everything from the two other games for the portable version. There is even
downloadable content for the game and there will be downloadable content on the
first day. The Rock Band Store is also right on the games title screen so you
don’t have to stop the game to find tracks to download.
Tour mode is the main key to Unplugged. This is where you unlock new songs
(separate from downloadable content). You can either play using the default
settings for your band or you can actually create one. You’ll be able to
customize your bands looks, instruments and your bands logo. It is not as
detailed as the other Rock Band games but what is offered on this UMD you can’t
help but cheer.
Track Listing wise you have a nice collection of tracks that have been seen
before on past games and a few exclusives. There are 41 master recordings in
total. This number is no where near as one would expect. Unplugged is really
going for the whole downloadable content so be prepared to spend money.
The most challenging aspect of the game that will have you playing over and over
again is the difficult curve. Trying to earn a perfect score is hard. Even on
the easy setting it seems like the game is not on your side. There is no
multiplayer so don’t expect to play the game with friends. Just challenge
yourself by earning those five star ratings.
Graphically the game can not compare to Rock Band and Rock Band 2. As I said
before what you get is excellent. What I was upset about was the sound. Since
the PSP doesn’t have the best sound it would be smart to use headphones. Even at
the highest volume Rock Band Unplugged will not having your friends and family
flocking to hear a indoor concert.
Final Verdict
As a first attempt at bringing the Rock Band series to a portable I think
Unplugged is a success. With the Internet access the PSP has it will only be
time when the downloadable content will reach the double and triple digits. If
you are a fan of old school music games then Rock Band Unplugged is the perfect
game for you.
Rating Breakdown
Gameplay: 8.50 out of 10
+ Easy to learn, fun and addicting.
- Hard!!!
Graphics: 8.50 out of 10
+ Does a great job at emulating the console Rock Band games.
- Character designs don’t show too much detail.
Audio: 8 out of 10
+ Master recordings. Sound great with headphones.
- PSP speaker limitations will force you to use headphones.
Replay Value: 8 out of 10
+ Downloadable content will have you coming back for more.
- Lack of multiplayer is a huge let down.
Overall
8.25 out of 10
Rock Band Unplugged Trailer
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