The Rock Band franchise has been one
of the most popular yet in the rhythm game genre, pioneering the
multi-instrument format and allowing up to four friends to jam together through
a bevy of licensed tracks on instrument peripherals. So, when it announced that
Harmonix would be developing a PSP game from the franchise without instruments,
fans of the series became fairly curious as to what the game would entail.
Luckily, the experiment paid off, as Rock Band Unplugged for the PSP is a solid
and fun portable iteration from the series.
Rock Band Unplugged takes the
familiar look from the Rock Band series and applies gameplay that is similar in
feel to the PS2 classics Frequency and Amplitude (also developed by Harmonix).
The result does a fine job of creating a fun and compelling rhythm game with
challenging gameplay.
Those who’ve played the
aforementioned Frequency or Amplitude will undoubtedly feel at home with Rock
Band Unplugged. Instead of focusing on one highway devoted to one instrument,
each song has you juggling between four, one each for bass, drums, vocals, and
guitar. By pressing the corresponding button on the screen at the right time,
you’ll be able to rack up streaks and get higher multipliers and more points.
However, falling behind on one track can cause the other ones to fall behind,
requiring you to be able to keep the rhythm and switch tracks on the fly in
order to complete each song. The game also utilizes Rock Band-specific gameplay
elements, like Overdrive, which allows you to bump up your score multipliers as
you play.
The game captures the essence of the
console versions quite well. The tour mode is pulled from the series, allowing
you to play through the game’s songs in order to unlock new ones. You’ll be able
to create an entire band, customizing their individual looks and styles, and buy
new customization features as you earn money and fans.
The game’s tracklist isn’t quite as
huge as the console brethren, but is still a pretty decent sized offering. The
41 licensed tracks are all master recordings, and represent a nice variety of
tracks from various genres, including rock, metal, punk, and even a little
Motown. While there are some cool exclusive tracks like “ABC” by the Jackson 5
and “Rock Your Socks” by Tenacious D, the majority of the songs here are
featured in other Rock Band titles, so fans of the franchise can expect to
retread some familiar territory. Fortunately, the game employs the use of
downloadable content, allowing players to buy and download new songs from the
Rock Band Store as they become added.
The gameplay is quite a compelling
enough reason for rhythm game fans to hop in regardless of the setlist. The game
can be quite challenging on Medium and Hard, while Expert is extremely difficult
compared to the console iterations. The toughest part is trying to get those
ever-elusive five-star scores, which requires near perfection and spot-on use of
Overdrive.
One of the biggest caveats in Rock
Band Unplugged’s gameplay is the lack of multiplayer. While the ability to sit
down with friends and jam is one of the console iterations’ strongest selling
points, there is no such feature in Unplugged, which could be a problem for some
gamers looking to extend the life of their playtime with the game.
Graphically, the game does a fine
job of emulating the look of the console versions of Rock Band. The presentation
is lifted from the original games, from the menus and the character modes to the
sound effects. The master recordings also sound great, and using headphones is
definitely preferred to the PSP’s somewhat tinny speakers.
The lack of multiplayer is a bummer,
and the majority of the setlist is familiar territory for fans of the Rock Band
franchise, but fans should still have a blast with this challenging entry to the
series.
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Gameplay: 8.5
The instrument peripherals have been replaced with a challenging and
addicting rhythm game feel, and the gamble pays off in a big way. While the
setlist may be familiar territory for fans, the inclusion of DLC is a great
touch to giving the game some longevity.
Graphics: 8.5
The game does a nice job of emulating the look of its console brethren.
Sound: 8.0
While the background sounds are a little muffled, the songs themselves sound
great.
Difficulty: Hard
Concept: 8.0
A solid entry to the series, the gameplay is very challenging and engaging.
Unfortunately, the lack of multiplayer is a minus.
Overall: 8.5
Rock Band Unplugged is a great addition to the Rock Band series, offering a
refreshing rhythm game mechanic that feels very comfortable on the PSP. Even
though the game lacks multiplayer, the DLC feature should help give this game
some legs in the future.
