Rocksmith: Not much of a game, but still amazing
I have been tinkering around with playing guitar since I was in high school over a decade ago. I never got very good, but I picked up the basic cords, a few blues scales, and a few various techniques. I always wanted to get better at the guitar so when I heard about Rocksmith I was obviously intrigued.
Rocksmith uses a specially designed “tone cable” that lets your guitar interface with a USB port. This is where the game differentiates itself from the other rhythm games like Rockband or Guitar Hero. There are no plastic guitars here. Rather, you plug in your own guitar and start playing. The tone seems to be pretty good, and there is no noticeable signal delay. It is pretty remarkable the first time you plug in and hear your guitar coming through your PS3 or Xbobx360.
However, while the technology is remarkable Rocksmith isn’t really a game. That is not to say that there is not value in what it offers, but if you are looking for a way to kill 30 minutes and feel like a rock god with little effort, this isn’t for you. Rather, Rocksmith really is a learning tool. It is basically covering one on one guitar lessons for any range of expertise. This is a pretty awesome value since lessons tend to go for around fifty bucks an hour.
What I found interesting is that I plugged in, and in a few minutes the game was challenging me with difficult techniques and complicated riffs. When my wife, who has never so much as strummed and open cord before, plugged in her experience was very different. The notes came slower, and the riffs were very simple. It took her to technique lessons where it taught her the basics of things like palm muting with easy to use instructions. This all works because the game constantly measures your aptitude in real time, and adjusts on the fly based on how well you are preforming. So while a song might start off feeling easy, the game will have your fingers sore in no time.
The other part of Rocksmith that warrants mention is the built in amp and pedal system. The game will let you simulate a wide variety of amps and pedals, as well as giving you full control of the various aspects of the effects. It has a built in guitar tone simulator as well, so you can turn your eighty dollar squire into a two thousand dollar Les Paul. These do not sound quite on spot as the real thing, which should go without saying, but considering the money and space it saves you, it is still a really great feature.
All and all Rocksmith offers some incredible value for the eighty dollar price tag. It isn’t much of a game per say, but it is one of the best digital learning tools I have come across in years, and could potentially save you thousands of dollars in lessons and gear. Not a bad deal at all.
Rocksmith is available for xbox360 and Playstation 3 currently, and launches for PC in December.
