Friday 14 December 2012

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Rocksmith - Ubisoft

Release Date: 28/09/12

SYNOPSIS:

Introducing the next stage in the evolution of the guitar game. Rocksmith is the first and only game where you can plug ANY real guitar into your console and actually LEARN while you PLAY.

Nothing plastic. Nothing fake. Just the most authentic guitar experience in music gaming. By plugging your electric guitar into your console, you’ll develop real skills and real styles while playing real music.

Featuring gameplay that automatically adjusts to your personal ability, and innovative game design that makes playing music visually intuitive, Rocksmith will engage experienced musicians as well as those who have never picked up a guitar before in their life.

You’ll unlock mini games to hone specific skills. You’ll be able to choose from a large catalogue of songs in different styles. And you’ll experience it all with an actual guitar. Nothing compares to playing a real guitar. Except playing Rocksmith.

The game will include the brand new Bass mode, offering players the opportunity to play bass guitar on all supported on-disc and downloadable songs.

Not only can players play the bass parts of songs, but bassists of all experience levels can also improve their skills with dedicated bass technique challenges and tutorial videos. Players can even use any 6-string guitar to emulate a 4-string bass. Tracking their learning has never been easier as bass progression is tracked separately from guitar progression.

Last but not least, all songs can be played in multiplayer with one person playing the bass part and the other the guitar part.

Key Features

When we say any guitar we mean any guitar: Whether it’s the guitar sitting in your attic that you have forgotten about up till now, or the guitar you are yet to buy, Rocksmith lets you plug any guitar into your console or computer. Electric guitar or electro-acoustic, as long as your guitar has a jack, you can play. And get plugged in right away as Rocksmith comes with a unique quarter-inch jack to USB cable!

Get Plugged In: Rocksmith will include a unique quarter-inch to USB cable that is the first of its kind, and will allow users to plug any real guitar with a quarter-inch jack directly into their Xbox 360®, PlayStation 3®, or PC. Developed exclusively for Rocksmith, this guitar cable is 11.25' and turns the guitar’s signal from analog to digital, allowing it to be recognised and played through video game consoles for the first time.

Real time adjustment levels: from beginner to rock god!: You love a challenge, but hate being overwhelmed. Rocksmith understands this, and knows exactly how far to push to keep you entertained. With addictive gameplay that adapts continuously to your personal skill level, you will automatically progress from single notes to complex chords at your own pace. Eventually you’ll be playing 100% of the actual guitar parts from the songs and the game will challenge you to step away from the notes on screen and play songs from memory. Imagine that. A video game that will get you stage-ready.

Bursting with Hits: One of the most satisfying moments for any guitar player is hearing yourself play your favourite song for the first time. Rocksmith has amassed an amazing library of songs from different music genres allowing players to experience those moments first hand. Whether you like classic rock bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Cure, Lynrd Skynrd or if you’re more into current chart-toppers such as The Strokes, Muse, Radiohead and The XX, we have you covered. And with our growing tracklist from metal to indie rock available for download, you will always find a song that suits your mood.

There’s always a way to develop your guitar skills and overcome your difficulties: Having troubles with the solo of your favourite song? The riff-repeater option is your saviour. It will isolate the song part of your choice, and let you repeat it over and over … until you eventually ace it! Want to improve your finger dexterity? Learn chords? Improve scales? For all of these and more, there’s a specific mini-game that will help you get it in Guitarcade. Rocksmith will turn your guitar into a controller, for instance, while shooting ducks in the Ducks mini-game you’ll actually be learning how to shift from fret to fret without even realising!

Turn your TV or computer into an amplifier: No need for an amplifier anymore, with Rocksmith your TV or your computer IS your amplifier and will let you try and play with loads of in-game pedals, amplifiers and cabinets. String pedals together with nearly infinite combinations and tweak your sound until you’re satisfied. Whether it’s a crunchy distortion, a vintage tremolo or a psychedelic reverb, we have it covered to make sure you can achieve the sound you’re looking for.

Play in multiplayer: Plug in a second guitar to go head-to-head with friends to see who can earn the highest score, or have fun playing cooperatively as lead and rhythm guitars. Also, all songs can be played in multiplayer with one person playing the bass part and the other the guitar part.

Brand new Bass mode: The game will include the brand new Bass mode, offering players the opportunity to play bass guitar on all supported on-disc and downloadable songs. Not only can players play the bass parts of songs, but bassists of all experience levels can also improve their skills with dedicated bass technique challenges and tutorial videos. Players can even use any 6-string guitar to emulate a 4-string bass. Tracking their learning has never been easier as bass progression is tracked separately from guitar progression.



REVIEW:

As a guitarist, I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills and whilst I play a folk style with fingerpicking, I’ve always wanted to learn how to rock out. What this game from Ubisoft does is allow the user to connect their electric guitar to their game console and learn everything from tuning to chord patterns as well as lead guitar.

Starting out with simple options, the game picks up and allows you to learn through repetition alongside giving you the chance to check out your skill with a “live” audience. It’s well done, has plenty of tunes to play with and with Ubisoft putting out updates for you to grab when you want, and really makes this something special. It’s a great game, and with the options available will be something that will keep you going for some time. Definitely a way to encourage young players to keep going rather than giving up so if you’ve bought an electric guitar and perhaps given up, get this to get you restarted you won’t regret it.

No comments: