Rock Band and Mass Effect

Rock Band

Platforms: PS2, PS3, Xbox 360
Publisher: MTV Games, Electronic Arts
Developers: Harmonix
Description: The splitting of the money press super-team made up of developer Harmonix and publisher Red Octane left many people - us included - in a state of acute distress about the future of our beloved Guitar Hero franchise. Little did we know that Guitar Hero would continue unabated under Activision’s watchful eye and that an all new gaming-music-fusion series would be born in the form of Rock Band. Electronic Arts’ entry into the two-horse race of music games takes the lessons learned from Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II, adds in a touch of SingStar, and rounds the whole package out with a complete drum package. I can say without hesitation that it is the ultimate music game.

Rock Band looks to take the successful Guitar Hero formula to a new, albeit more expensive, level.

The guitar and bass portions of Rock Band play almost exactly like Guitar Hero but with some visual and gameplay tweaks that set it apart. The singing and the drums are what will define the game and could make the difference when all the votes are counted. Rock Band drumming is a unique and exceptional experience that could surpass the immersive feel of the guitars but much of the draw could be that it’s the "new" instrument. With two games battling in what was otherwise a competition-free genre each game is forced to take it up a notch and Rock Band promises a wealth of downloadable content be it individual songs or entire albums. Rock Band will also feature a "Create a Rocker" feature that will let you customize the look of your musical avatar and sections of the songs that are open for "solo play" where there aren’t any set notes but the game will interpret your guitar playing or drumming as notes in key with the song. The gameplay is great but none of that will help if the set list sucks. Fortunately Harmonix and EA gathered an excellent collection of tracks. Rock Band features a song list that includes David Bowie’s "Suffragette City," The Ramones’ "Blitzkrieg Bop," Faith No More’s "Epic," and Metallica’s "Enter Sandman." There will be a total of 58 songs in the game and 51 of those are the original recordings. Gone are the days of cover band imitations. Rock Band and Guitar Hero III could be after the same audience but with the Christmas season upon us we expect both to be on a lot of Christmas lists.

Mass Effect

Platforms: Xbox 360
Publisher: Microsoft Games Studios
Developers: BioWare
Description: If there’s one complaint about BioWare’s upcoming role-playing game extravaganza Mass Effect, it’s that the title is not coming to the PC. Sadly, the science fiction-themed RPG, which is an Xbox 360 exclusive, seems like it was custom made for the PC gaming audience. Oh well, we can only hope that Microsoft comes to its senses at some point and releases a solid port for the PC. Other than its limited platform release, Mass Effect offers little room for criticism. The great minds at BioWare, which made the classic Star Wars RPG game Knights of the Old Republic, have created another rich, in-depth universe that RPG fans can truly sink their teeth in with glee.

An alien race from the new science fiction RPG Mass Effect.

The story, like most grand sci-fi operas, is pretty complex. Players assume the role of Commander Shephard (which can be customized and made either male or female), a human member of a military defence unit called Spectre. Shephard is charged with defending the galaxy from the forces of a rogue Spectre agent named Saren, who is using an android race known as the Geth to eliminate the human race. The storyline also deals with an ancient prophecy regarding a portal that exposes another realm populated by advanced artificial intelligence that will eventually conquer and wipe out all organic life in the known universe. The above synopsis doesn’t begin to cover the detailed, multi-layered universe BioWare has created for Mass Effect. The game features more than a dozen alien species, each with their own unique appearances, economic and political traits, as well as a wealth of planets and environments to explore throughout the galaxy. Mass Effect’s role-playing features are similar to the system used in Knights of the Old Republic; the game has six character classes (with more unlockable classes) with several talents and abilities that can be upgraded and customized. Vehicles and weapons can also be customized, and players can develop their own character back stories as well. The graphics for Mass Effect look brilliant, especially the detailed character designs. The game also looks to have quite a bit of action. The combat system for Mass Effect features real-time squad-based combat (although players can pause the game and given orders to squad mates). According to BioWare, players can also affect the course of the storyline and the outcome of the game with their actions and dialogue selections, with a morality points system (like KOTOR’s Light Side/Dark Side points). While Halo 3 was the blockbuster explosive for the Xbox 360 this Autumn, Mass Effect could be another huge win for the console.

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