Not going to lie here: if there was one gaming trend I thought was dead, buried and laid to rest in a pasture, it was most definitely music video games.
Of course, I’m not talking about the cool break-it-down-in-the-living-room kind we have now thanks to the Kinect. I’m talking about a throwback to the days when being able to score that infamous 100% expert in Rockband practically made you a God. Or someone with too much free time. Or hands blessed by angels. Take your pick.
Rocksmith however, is not a game. For those who may have missed it, Rocksmith was Ubisoft’s first shot at actually trying to get this thing right, focusing on actual instruction instead of herp-derping your way through colors and tunes. Rocksmith isn’t about pretending to play, it aims to teach you how to play using a real guitar.
What sets Rocksmith apart from the other match-the-pretty-colors-and-buttons format of Rock Band or Guitar Hero, is that players can actually plug in a real guitar or bass with a standard ¼” jack directly into the gaming console, Mac, or PC.
It’s quite a unique approach! It also presents a pretty strong case for other instructional based games. So if you’ve always wanted to learn how to play an instrument (but are too broke for lessons), why not give it a try? If games can teach me rhythm (or not, but thanks anyway Dance Central and Zumba), how to fight like a UFC champion, and how to work out and look as fabulous as Jillian Michaels, then why can’t they teach me how to play? It’s about time if you ask me!
Check out some Rocksmith gameplay to see some of the features in action!
Rocksmith 2014 Edition drops on Tuesday October 18 in North America and October 25 in the UK on Mac, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
