Critical Hits

The Journal of Gamer Culture

I can't hold off any longer: Rock Band 2 is coming

Posted by on July 9, 2008 · 14 Comments 

Filed under Music, News, Video Games

I wanted to wait for some more concrete information to come out of E3 next week, but I can’t hold back any longer: Rock Band 2 is coming this September. (Well, Xbox 360 and PS2 is September, PS3 and Wii later in the year.) Presumably, this is to try and head off Guitar Hero 4‘s rock band-style setup. Kotaku published a huge amount of info about RB2 today. While there wasn’t anything all that thrilling in the features list (Drum Trainer doesn’t compare at all to making your own songs), it does sound like they’re taking all the things that made Rock Band good and refining them to deliver the best experience it can.

However, there are two crucial pieces to take note of:

Rock Band 2 offers backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable content- all previously purchased tracks will immediately load into your Rock Band 2 play list!

All Rock Band 2 instruments are fully compatible with the original Rock Band. Conversely, all Rock Band peripherals will be fully compatible with Rock Band 2.

That makes it a no-brainer for all us existing Rock Band addicts to pick it up. Also, the potential leaked set lists (that partially matches up to today’s preview list) offers some juicy tidbits too: System of a Down, Devo, Interpol, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Modest Mouse, Presidents of the United States, Talking Heads. Toss some TMBG and Soul Coughing in there, and that hits most of my favorites. And I’ve gotta say, no game is complete without Eye of the Tiger.

(As an aside, now they have the chance to implement a feature I really wanted to see in Rock Band‘s DLC: customized stages/scenarios for each song. For example, play a Talking Heads song, and automatically have your character dressed in a giant suit.)

EDIT: More details over at The Onion AV Club.

TheGame is Dave Chalker, a lifelong gamer, freelance game designer, Master of Arts, and son of Jack L. Chalker. Dave is the Editor-in-Chief of Critical Hits and so runs the place. He is the envy of geeks everywhere because he's dating e, the Geek's Dream Girl. (Email Dave or follow him on Twitter).

Comments

14 Responses to “I can't hold off any longer: Rock Band 2 is coming”
  1. TheMainEvent says:
    July 9, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    System of the Down: Chop Suey would be awesome, but hard.

  2. The Game says:
    July 9, 2008 at 2:19 pm

    Definitely. Singing would be awesome: “Wake up! somethingsomethingsomething Make up!”

  3. Asmor says:
    July 9, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    Wait, is TMBG a rumor, or are you just wishing?

    Because Rock Band totally needs a little birdhouse in its soul.

  4. The Game says:
    July 9, 2008 at 4:56 pm

    Wishful thinking only. (So far.)

    Might be easier if they came out with an Accordion peripheral. Then it would also support Weird Al.

  5. Reverend Mike says:
    July 9, 2008 at 5:27 pm

    HUGE Talking Heads Fan here…

    C’MON, PSYCHO KILLER!…

  6. GeorgeR says:
    July 9, 2008 at 6:06 pm

    I can’t wait to hear my friend matt doing Eye of the Tiger. I’m going to have to hold in the laughs for fear of getting beat up while trying to play Bass.

    GeorgeR’s last post: â€ĤA Robin Gets His Wings

  7. ScottM says:
    July 9, 2008 at 7:40 pm

    This sounds awesome. While I would have been the last person to pick me as a Rock band fan only a year ago, I’m really looking forward to the next version. [And keeping all the previously purchased songs is great!]

  8. Stephen says:
    July 9, 2008 at 7:44 pm

    I wonder if it’ll come out before or after Rock Band is released in Australia.

  9. The Game says:
    July 9, 2008 at 7:49 pm

    I dunno, maybe Harmonix got confused by the international date line. :)

  10. Bartoneus says:
    July 9, 2008 at 8:05 pm

    I second the Birdhouse in your Soul request, good god I’d never stop playing the game if TMBG was in.

  11. drscotto says:
    July 10, 2008 at 2:00 am

    I’d say that I will buy both Rockband AND GH4 – except I’m not sure I want to own that many fake instruments.

  12. drscotto says:
    July 10, 2008 at 2:00 am

    OMG…..

    Livin on a Prayer???!!!!

    Kansas ?????

    Offspring ??????

    Now we’re talking!

    It’s like I’ve said…. every song, at least every rock song, should be available for Rockband!!!

    drscotto’s last post: Winter Break Rox My Sox Off!

  13. The Main Event says:
    July 14, 2008 at 2:16 pm

    http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/888/888781p1.html

    The Main Event’s last post: Hit Him in the Knees

  14. The Game says:
    July 14, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    DING! Track selection: awesome, plus:

    All downloadable content will work with Rock Band 2 and gamers can export tracks from Rock Band 1 to RB2. That’s right — from day one you can bring all RB1 tracks into RB2 to compliment your DLC as long as you own a PS3 or an Xbox 360 with a hard drive.

    AND

    So this fall, MTV is releasing an additional 20 downloadable master tracks… for free. By year’s end this will mean RB fans will have access to more than 500 songs.