Without ‘Pro Mode’ Rock Band 3 is yet another rhythm action title based on pushing the right buttons at the right time. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun. In fact, it’s far from it. What Harmonix have done is make it so you’ll never need another music game again. All of your previous downloaded and disc based tracks work here (except The Beatles), the visuals are great and the new career modes and goals make it even easier to get into.

The gameplay is relatively unchanged from past iterations. It’s all about those coloured buttons. However, there’s been a few tweaks as to what your button presses will get you. Rock Band 3 introduces ‘aces’; an additional way of unlocking new content. Before each set you’re told that doing a specific action will increase your ability to collect these, which adds another, albeit shallow, dimension to the, already shallow, gameplay. The game is still fun to play, but it’s not like you haven’t seen it before. Pro mode, however, turns everything on it’s head. All the tracks on the disc have an option to use ‘Pro Guitar’ or ‘Pro Drums’ and some have a ‘Pro Keys’ option. This would be all fine and well if Harmonix shipped a new controller with the game. However, they don’t. Meaning this reviewer hasn’t had chance to play it. Nor do I have a keyboard so…sorry. All tracks, included downloaded ones, have the option to play ‘Pro Drums’ and this is awesome. I’m not a drummer and barely have good enough coordination to play regular Rock Band drums, but playing along in Pro Mode was really cool.

The one new addition that really appealed to me was the fact your scores count across modes. In previous games I only wanted to play tracks during the career mode, because my scores would count towards something. In Rock Band 3 you earn money and fans throughout the modes, which makes life a little easier when it comes to party play. The ability to drop in and drop out mid song helps too, but isn’t the most important part.

Like all games of this ilk, the setlist is key. Thankfully, Harmonix provided another great bunch of songs for people of all tastes to play along with: Amy Winehouse, Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne and even, my beloved, Smiths have been included on the disc. It’s great to see a good variety of tracks. Whilst it will have it’s haters, this is undoubtedly the best of any on-disc setlist in a music game.

My hat goes off to Harmonix for this. The genre might be struggling, but they haven’t half-arsed it. They’ve really gone for it with this one, and even though not all of their features are accessible to anyone, it’s the best music game around by far.

8.5/10

The rhythm game developer had previously hinted that ‘Pro’ DLC would cost more, primarily due to the extra work. Speaking to IGN, MTV Games’ Paul DeGooyer clarified the new pricing structure:

“all DLC released for Rock Band 3 will be fully Rock Band 3-compatible, which means it’ll come with Pro Mode for keyboard and drums, harmony mode, etc…If you’re not interested in Pro Mode for guitar, you can still get the DLC that should conform to our current DLC pricing, and you get Pro Mode for all your other instruments.”

DeGooyer goes on to say that he doesn’t think it’d be “fair” for those who didn’t want to use the ‘Pro Guitar’ feature to pay extra. He also revealed that not all of the new content would support the additional mode. Taking a sly shot at some of the ‘weaker’ bands in the Rock Band back catalog. In the same interview DeGooyer stated that the company plans to add the new mode to existing songs, but has not found a suitable method thus far.

Check out the list below:

• The Smiths – ‘This Charming Man’
• Morrissey – ‘Irish Blood, English Heart’
• Dio – ‘Holy Diver’
• Dio ‘Stand Up & Shout’
• Julianna Hatfield – ‘Nirvana’
• Underoath – ‘Writing On The Walls’

All the tracks will be available on Tuesday Sept. 14th/Wednesday Sept. 15th for $1.99/£0.99 in North America and Europe, respectively. Rock Band 3 is released Oct. 26th.

Of course, this was all a ruse. The video clearly shows off all of the games tracks and it’s looking pretty awesome. With 2,000 songs available for players via on-disc stuff and downloadable content by the time the game launches, there’s going to be something in there for everyone. Finally, plastic axe wielders will be able to tap along to songs like John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Free Bird’ and The Smiths’ ‘Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before’.

That’s right, after years of waiting, wishing and hoping, it finally happened. The Smiths have made their way into Rock Band and I couldn’t be more excited. Sorry, I just thought I had to share that. Hit the jump for the full setlist and the accompanying ‘leak’ video.

The Complete Rock Band 3 Setlist

1. Amy Winehouse – “Rehab”
2. Anthrax – “Caught in a Mosh”
3. At the Drive-In – “One Armed Scissor”
4. Avenged Sevenfold – “Beast And The Harlot”
5. The B-52s – “Rock Lobster”
6. The Beach Boys – “Good Vibrations” (Live)
7. Big Country – “In a Big Country”
8. Blondie – “Heart of Glass”
9. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Get Up, Stand Up”
10. The Bronx – “False Alarm”
11. Chicago – “25 or 6 to 4″
12. The Cure – “Just Like Heaven”
13. David Bowie – “Space Oddity”
14. Deep Purple – “Smoke on the Water”
15. Def Leppard – “Foolin’”
16. Devo – “Whip It”
17. Dio – “Rainbow in the Dark”
18. Dire Straits – “Walk of Life”
19. The Doobie Brothers – “China Grove”
20. The Doors – “Break On Through (To the Other Side)”
21. Dover – “King George”
22. Echo & the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon”
23. Elton John – “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”
24. Faith No More – “Midlife Crisis”
25. Filter – “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
26. The Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1″
27. Foreigner – “Cold as Ice”
28. Golden Earring – “Radar Love”
29. HIM – “Killing Loneliness”
30. Huey Lewis and the News – “The Power of Love”
31. Hypernova – “Viva La Resistance”
32. Ida Maria – “Oh My God”
33. INXS – “Need You Tonight”
34. The J. Geils Band – “Centerfold”
35. James Brown – “I Got You (I Feel Good)”
36. Jane’s Addiction – “Been Caught Stealing”
37. The Jimi Hendrix Experience ˆ”Crosstown Traffic”
38. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”
39. John Lennon – “Imagine”
40. Juanes – “Me Enamora”
41. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
42. Maná – “Oye Mi Amor”
43. Marilyn Manson – “The Beautiful People”
44. Metric – “Combat Baby”
45. The Muffs – “Outer Space”
46. Night Ranger – “Sister Christian”
47. Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train”
48. Paramore – “Misery Business”
49. Phish – “Llama”
50. Phoenix – “Lasso”
51. The Police – “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
52. Poni Hoax – “Antibodies”
53. Pretty Girls Make Graves – “Something Bigger, Something Brighter”
54. Primus – “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”
55. Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
56. Queens of the Stone Age – “No One Knows”
57. Rammstein – “Du Hast”
58. Ramones – “I Wanna Be Sedated”
59. Raveonettes – “Last Dance”
60. Rilo Kiley – “Portions for Foxes”
61. Riverboat Gamblers – “Don’t Bury Me… I’m Still Not Dead”
62. Roxette – “The Look”
63. Slipknot – “Before I Forget”
64. Smash Mouth – “Walkin’ on the Sun”
65. The Smiths – “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before”
66. The Sounds – “Living in America”
67. Spacehog – “In the Meantime”
68. Steve Miller Band – “Fly Like an Eagle”
69. Stone Temple Pilots – “Plush”
70. Swingin’ Utters – “This Bastard’s Life”
71. T. Rex – “20th Century Boy”
72. Tears for Fears – “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
73. Tegan and Sara – “The Con”
74. Them Crooked Vultures – “Dead End Friends”
75. Tokio Hotel – “Humanoid”
76. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – “I Need to Know”
77. The Vines – “Get Free”
78. War – “Low Rider”
79. Warren Zevon – “Werewolves of London”
80. The White Stripes – “The Hardest Button to Button”
81. Whitesnake – “Here I Go Again”
82. The Who – “I Can See for Miles”
83. Yes – “Roundabout”

Rock Band 3 Setlist OFFICIAL Comment from Harmonix on Vimeo.

The official Rock Band Twitter has been a hive of activity and Harmonix gave fans clues as to which artists they were going to announce. Turns out Marilyn Manson, The B-52′s, Def Leppard and Tears For Fears will be on the Rock Band 3 disc and there’s more announcements to come throughout the con.

Personally, I was hoping for The Smiths. Then again, aren’t I always?

For many, Green Day can be considered a gateway band that opened up ears to the world of punk rock. Older fans with sight the pop-punk bible ‘Dookie’ whilst younger gamers might point to the rally-call of American Idiot, two pinnacles of Green Day’s career which Green Day: Rock Band is keen to highlight by giving both full lengths treatment.

Dookie can be relived in a unidentifiable tight knit location akin to the sort of venues the band were accustomed to playing prior to their breakout release whereas American Idiot can be played under the infamous lights of the Milton Keynes stage featured in the bands 2005 DVD Bullet in a Bible.

Perhaps the most interesting and more unfamiliar setting is the Fox Theatre in Oakland, the debut of Green Day’s latest album ‘21^st Century Breakdown’ which Green Day: Rock Band provides the filler whilst most of the killer tracks can only be obtained through previously released DLC.

Should you choose to plummet straight into the career mode then you’ll enjoy efforts of Green Day’s history starting with Dookie straight of the bat and working your way through to 21^st Century Breakdown. Other albums have been nitpicked for their singles overlooking some of the gems that older fans will be disappointed to see left out in favour of showing off what newly acquired fans might consider to be classics.

This scale of Green Day’s history also shows a rather interesting trend – the music starts out tough and gets easier. Dookie’s punchier songs pulsate with chunky riffs, winding bass lines and ‘catch up if you can’ drum beats whereas their previous efforts are more eclectic and overall much simpler riffs and patterns to play on every front even when faced with nine minute epics such as Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming.

The prize for your devotion, knocking each song out of the park comes in the form of a drip-feed of photos and video celebrating the bands decade spanning career. You’ll also unlock challenges asking you to perform an entire album in one performance or attain so many stars over a number of songs but when you’re tasked with unlocking challenges that simply recycle set lists it starts to feel a little cheap.

Should you want to hop straight into your favourite hits then the entire song list of Green Day: Rock Band is available in quickplay mode and all the features such as online play, no fail modes and a drum trainer expanded to feature some of Green Day drummer Tre Cool’s personalised fills and drum patterns is a nice touch.

However for all of these ‘nice touches’ there’s a strong absence of enthusiasm, the same enthusiasm that fuelled The Beatles: Rock Band before it. Aside from the 10 year gap between Dookie and American Idiot that has been skimmed over, the fact that only three venues made the final game which is a full priced release will have you feeling a little short changed.

Arguably considering the lack of content outside the set list, including a rather measly three venues, that price tag is hard to justify questioning why this couldn’t have been a DLC package with extra bells and whistles instead of an extra disc I have to fork out money to export into my existing Rock Band library.

Perhaps I’m just a Green Day veteran feeling a little jaded but Green Day: Rock Band is a game aimed at keeping those who came aboard during the American Idiot days happy. After all those who loved that album will no doubt be as enticed by the aspect of playing their latest album in its entirety as they are to play though Green Day’s rock opera. Meanwhile the rest of us are left a little in the dark. I’ll admit I enjoyed coursing through American Idiot and the chunk of 21^st Century Breakdown was certainly entertaining but I’d trade a number of their songs in favour of some variety in the form of Nimrod, Insomniac and Warning.

Green Day: Rock Band certainly packs a softer punch when compared to the red carpet treatment that The Beatles: Rock Band. When fans are so divided on the bands more recently choice in style, it’s clear that if you couldn’t stand the political angst of American Idiot, then this might be a tough sell. It’s an admirable attempt but gamers and Green Day fans could ask for a lot more.

Score :: 6.0/10

Unlike last year’s Beatles-based effort, fans will not be seeing any specific DLC for this game. However, Harmonix haven’t ruled out the possibility that the remainder of ‘Warning’, ‘Nimrod’ and the others that haven’t been included in their latest attempt at a band-centric title. Seeing as the tracks from the disc can be imported into the variety of Rock Band games out there now (except Beatles, obviously) I wouldn’t be surprised if we did see the entire Green Day discography make it’s way to the game sooner rather than later.

Green Day: Rock Band contains the entirety of ‘Dookie’, ‘American Idiot’, the remainder of the tracks from ’21st Century Breakdown’ (6 of them are available as DLC already) as well as select tracks from the band’s other works. Harmonix have stated that they have “sculpted experiences for every single song” which will be complete with animations. A world away from the dreamscapes from The Beatles: Rock Band.

Foster stated that the team decided to focus on completing ’21st Century…’ and making sure that the downloadable tracks fit into the game as well as the one’s on the disc. Not the best news for ‘old school’ fans like me. I can’t say I’m not going to buy it though.

I mean, come on, Dookie’s in there!

Source: 1UP

That’s right, all 13 tracks from one of the band’s worst albums (second behind their latest effort). The album features the tracks ‘American Idiot’, ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’ and…looks like I forgot the rest. Thank god. Being a fan of real music, I’d have rather seen the entirety of ‘Dookie’ or ‘Insomniac’ on there. Such good albums.

I know that ‘American Idiot’ is, most likely, Green Day’s most popular album. Surely the folks at Harmonix have some sense of good music? We can only hope.

Update – UK retailer Play.com seem to have confirmed that the album ‘Dookie’ will also be on there in all it’s glory. Thank god!

Up to six players (that’s three instruments and three mics) will be able to progress through the career of the, formerly awesome, punk trio. Like The Beatles: Rock Band, players will be able to unlock collectible images, as well as some “rare and unreleased” footage as you progress.

The disc comes loaded with 47 tracks including: ‘Brain Stew’, ‘Jaded’ and ‘American Idiot’ (which you can see in the trailer below). Rock Band fans will be happy to know that all of the tracks will be exportable to Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and, the recently announced, Rock Band 3. As per usual, there will be an ‘export fee’ of $9.99 if you want to play these songs elsewhere. The two Green Day track packs that have already been released will also get the vocal harmonizing features as well as some “unique” visuals and more “exclusive archival material”.

Green Day: Rock Band will be released as a standalone package for £39.99/$59.99 (RRP) on June 8th. Alongside this there’ll be a premium version of the game. Green Day: Rock Band Plus will cost an extra ten of your chosen currency. This version will have some extra special packaging and the export feature packed in and the six Green Day tracks that have already been released (presumably in download code form).

GameStop have announced that you’ll get the export code as a pre-order bonus, so if you want to add those tracks to Rock Band for free and you’re in North America, you know where to drop your cash.

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