Rajio
- edited
Last week we saw Rocksmith Guitar & Bass finally get released for PC. At it’s surface you might be excused for confusing it with games like Guitar Hero or Rockband that has players fiddle with toy plastic game controllers shaped like tiny musical instruments in rhythm with their favorite songs. Rocksmith is so much more than that. It really is the pinnacle of the genre, and possibly the best current example of educational video games on the market.
You easily think of this not as a game, but as a guitar tutor. It helps you learn to play along with popular songs, feeding you arrangements suited to your skill level to provide some challenge without becoming frustrating. It adjusts with you on the fly as your skills develop, or even if they degrade. The game teaches important techniques like fretboard memorization, chords, hammer-ons, pull-offs, sustains, shifting, bends, slides, harmonics, palm mutes, tremolo, power chords, double-stops, and even barre chords. For bass players there is also two-finger plucking, slapping, popping, 5ths, 8ths, and syncopation.
You can even use your guitar chord skills to shoot zombies. What more could anybody ask for?!
Another key difference is that you don’t play this game with a gamepad, a plastic toy controller shaped like a guitar, or anything like that. You play it with a guitar. Thats it. A real guitar. Any guitar with a 1/4” pickup will do. They’ve even partnered with Gibson to emphasise this point and offer a bundle that includes an Epiphone Les Paul Junior for those wanting everything in one convenient box. If that guitar doesn’t suit your fancy, feel free to use any other you like.
As you might be able to tell I’m a huge fan of this game. Seeing it make the transition to PC is fantastic, making it accessible to a whole new set of potential players. The menu controls still feel a little stiff and console-oriented but thats a negligible complaint really. Having the inclusion of the Bass Guitar expansion really adds to the overall experience. If you’re at all interested in learning to play the guitar or got frustrated trying to learn in the past with traditional methods then you owe it to yourself to check out Rocksmith.
Rocksmith Guitar and Bass is the first and only game that you can plug into any real guitar or bass.Featuring gameplay that automatically adjusts to your personal ability, Rocksmith engages experienced musicians as well as those who have never picked up a guitar in their life.
The Fender Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special replicates the iconic original while offering an easy-playing and great-sounding bass playing experience. It features an offset waist body, a slim and fast neck, and a powerful high output humbucking pickup.
You must be a registered user to add a comment here. If you've already registered, please log in. If you haven't registered yet, please register and log in.