Rock Band 2 is the second title in the Rock Band series. It features new songs, a new tour mode, and more customization options. Multiplayer has also gotten an overhaul, featuring massive band play online and enlongated tour modes.
It is currently out for the following systems: PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360.
Tour
In Rockband 2 there is no linear setlist for solo play like in its predecessor, it is more like the band play in that you get fans as well as money, and you play setlists as you go. Unlike Rock Band 1, you will get at least some fans if you play on a lower difficulty than usual instead of none at all. One person can play any instrument you want at any time. This can be single player or multiplayer.
The Endless Setlist 2
Main Article: Rock Band 2 Setlist
All 84 songs in the game at once*, in one gigantic setlist. After gaining 900 stars, over (?) fans, winning a worldwide promoter, and getting into the Rolling Stone Hall Of Fame, you will unlock this insane setlist. You cannot play on easy, so if that's what you're used to, maybe it's time you moved up a level. If you fail a song at any time during the setlist, you will not have to start it all over, you will just continue at the song you lost on. The number of fans you lose is not affected by how far along you are, it remains at a constant 71,000 or so. This setlist is the sequel to the first setlist on the game's predecessor, Rock Band 1. Completing the Endless Setlist 2 without pausing the game or failing a song will earn the player an Xbox 360 achievement or PS3 Trophy called 'The Bladder of Steel.' This is a reference to the player, who must endure over 6 hours of gameplay with very short breaks between songs.
If attempting the Bladder of Steel on Guitar, you are given a short break during AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock." You may be able to take a quick bathroom break, but you run the risk of failing the song if you don't return to the game on time.
Good luck, Rock Band maniacs.
- The songs you have downloaded are not played. It's only the on-disc songs.
Characters
Rock Band 2 boasts a great roster of well developed characters. The most notable is Moosejaw, who was born and raised in good old Ontario, Canada.
Moosejaw
Importing songs from Rock Band 1
On the back of your Rock Band manual as well as ingame, there is a code you are given to put in on the PSN. This will give you a patch to copy all of your Rock Band songs onto a flash drive/memory stick and be put into Rock Band 2. The cost for the patch is only $5 currently. There are only three songs on the setlist that are not transferred over, because the makers of RB2 do not have the copyrights to those songs anymore. All of your downloaded content will be transferred over free of charge.
Instruments
The Rock Band 2 instruments have a few faults that make them slightly less appealing, but there are quite a few good things, including: The drumset has a softer pad system that reacts to lighter hits and makes slightly less noise. There is also a small plate of metal over the foot pedal, which does not make it unbreakable, but makes it stronger at the least. The guitar is slightly shorter, and comes with a de-lagger built in, so HDTVs will no longer have trouble with it. The strum bar still does not click, but it has ben made sturdier and easier to strum. The way compatability works with this game is rediculously complex, but this is making it simple.
What works:
- Rock Band (for the same console you have RB2 on)
- Guitar Hero 3 (For the same console you have RB2 on)
- Most third parties (Though they have faults and aren't recommended)
- SOME GH: World Tour instruments (Not ALL, SOME)
- Guitar Hero 2 Gibson X-plorer.
- Guitar Hero 1 & 2 Gibson SG on PS2 version.
What doesn't work:
- Cross-Console instruments (PS3 drumset does not work with Xbox 360 Rock Band, though they both are USB. PS3 drums do work on PS2 and viceversa since they're the same hardware) However, the microphone does work on any platform.
The Leaderboards
As with Rock Band 1, the leaderboards have been added to online play. When you play a song in any mode, be it tour or a challenge, your score is submitted to the Leaderboards, which detail scores by player account, by band totals, or songs by band.
Not much has changed from Rock Band 1 besides a slightly easier to navigate menu and a tad faster loading time.
Battle of The Bands
In the game, a new feature that is updated every day is the new Battle of the Bands. When you pick a city with a trophy icon, or go to Battle of the Bands from the Practice Space, you will find several battles to play. In order to use these events, you must have online enabled, unfortunately. Some requirements for these battles could be any of the followning, including:
- (instrument) only
- Highest star rating
- Requires a (instrument) in your band
- Highest note streak
- No Overdrive
- (Difficulty) only
Once you complete the battle, you will be notified of your place in it on the Leaderboards. You will be listed by band name, not by palyer name. The Battle of the Bands events do not affect your Tour score or fans.
The New Rock Shop
Now that everything else has been covered, we may move on to the customization. The outfits are now seperated into categories like in the previous installment, with one new category. The instruments can also be purchased form here, as well as any acessories you may have come across. You can even change your hairstyle.