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Rock Revolution
No, that’s not an alien-spacecraft control panel — that’s the drum kit for Rock Revolution, Konami’s entry in the music-game genre. Despite its baffling looks, booming resonance, and asymmetrical layout, Rock Revolution’s controller is not actually the game’s biggest problem; it’s Rock Revolution’s note charts and the onscreen icons that make the game so joyless. The game shows you seven icons in a row, but your brain struggles to map those cues to the seven jumbled strike zones in front of you. And the 2D note chart that streams down the screen doesn’t give you enough time to feel prepared for what’s coming. This is about as counterintuitive as we’ve found a music-game experience to be.
What’s more, the game simply doesn’t feel like a music game; it feels like a game about pushing buttons that happens to have a 40-song soundtrack composed heavily of ’70s and ’80s hard rock/metal tunes (all covers) such as “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “Magic Man.” Whether you’re playing guitar, drums, or bass (no vocals, though — Konami wants you to buy Karaoke Revolution, too), there is no palpable connection between the screen, the controllers, and the material. It’s soulless; it’s math.
Rock Revolution’s scoring system puts a premium on perfect note streaks, which is actually authentic — isn’t that what you expect from a real band? — plus the cover songs sound pretty darn good and you can create your own tracks (though it’s a hassle). It’s also great that Rock Revolution works with existing guitars and drums, and vice versa. But the sloppy software and feeble note charts mean you simply won’t want to. Konami once boasted that it started the music genre; Rock Revolution threatens to end it.
On Xbox 360
+ Compatible with your existing instruments; game available with or without RR drumkit.
- Bad note charts = bad gameplay.
- Drums feel either confounding or boring.
? Why come in this late if you didn’t come to win?
4.0
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ill sue y4
October 16, 2008 at 3:19pm
ahh... some good song that were not on rock band 2 or guitar hero world tour are on here... ok, so holy wars and am i evil? are the only good song not on a guitar hero or rock band. > > > > > > > > if anyone needs help with hacking guitar hero 2 on the ps2, i can help!
wickedclowns95
October 16, 2008 at 1:59pm
I had no plans on buying it anyways. I've got Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour to keep me preoccupied. Plus, Fable 2, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, Legendary, Mirror's Edge, Gears of War 2, and Left For Dead are all going to put a huge hole in my wallet so I am kind of happy that I don't have to miss out on anything here... --------------------------- Inhale the damage smoothly Paradise isn't lost It was hiding all along.
Axe Argonian
October 15, 2008 at 3:00pm
Lord have mercy! I had a feeling that Rock Revolution would be an OKAY game, but wow. Well, Konami has decreased its game-development quality over the years. I never knew how bad a drum kit could be. Well, Konami just set the bar for how bad a rock game can be. At least they succeeded at doing something.
Allanon6666
October 15, 2008 at 12:56pm
As much as I hate to say, I'm really not surprised. I kind of figured this was either going to be a mediocre me too cash in, or fairly bad. It's still disaopointing to here that it failed. I also never new that the songs were all going to be covers. Seems kind of behind the pack imo.
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