Review of Rock Band 2 Special Edition for the PS3: What it Takes to Rock

Buying a video game is always exciting, and musical rhythm games let you have fun while listening to cool tunes. But turing on that P3, picking up an "instrument" and getting "into" the band with a Guitar, rather than a control pad, just makes it sweeter. Or maybe you prefer pounding the skins instead - then grab the sticks and hit that drum set for all you're worth, neighbors be damed. Of course you can go Celine Dion if you want 'cuz there's a Microphone too. But I'd rather be making loud noises from an instrument than from my throat any day!

Lets groove a bit about the game - #2 with a bullet! There's over 100 songs on the discs (and downloadable ones too if you want) - plenty for any rocker to get off on. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals are what you have to call (and duh, why there's those instruments included). I can get behind Elvis Costello's "Pump it Up" any time, but don't ask me to listen, much less play the tune by Kansas (hurl). Sure I know you have to be diverse and all, but can't we stick to hard rock and leave the wussies aside? I mean, that's why there are tutorials, right? So we can all rock harder. Graphics carry the look fine though they're not exactly photo-realistic but who cares? Frankly it's all about the music so as long as the graphics don't get in the way I'm jiggy with it (best attempt at being hip all day).

Okay, I'm all for battles of the bands going against others online (especially if they're playing junk like Kansas), but amidst local and global online modes I kind prefer the offline word of quick play so I can just customize a character and shoot him off with an axe and get rocking.