THE REWARDS
Speaking of challenge, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the unlockables scattered throughout the game. Especially because there’s one thing about them that I think is my biggest disappointment with the game. See, as in the Beatles, you unlock photos as you beat songs with three stars, and another set when you beat them with five stars. And many of these photos are really great, interesting shots.
But unlike Beatles Rock Band, there’s no context for any of the photos. You don’t get that little nugget of history, of time and place, to teach you about the photo and the band. This really bummed me out, especially since some of the photos seem to demand a story. At the very least, I would have loved to have learned when and where the photos were taken — but we get nothing, aside from general sense of when they were taken in the band’s career based on what song unlocked them. And the name of the photographer.
Luckily, there’s also a suite of excellent videos, which are unlocked by completing challenges. Most of these challenges are collections of three songs; complete all three with a total of 13 stars or more and you get a video: several live performances, some interviews, that sort of thing. The other challenges task you with playing through each of the three complete albums in the game from start to finish; you also get videos for those, and I found each of those three to be particularly worth the effort. The one you get for playing through all of 21st Century Breakdown (including the six DLC tracks) is an especially epic live performance that’s just plain entertaining to watch — even though I’m not the biggest fan of the song being performed. And no, I won’t tell you what it is. You’ll have to find out on your own!
One other note about challenges: For multi-song challenges, Overdrive and score multipliers carry over from song to song. I’m not sure if this was the case in Beatles, but if it was I didn’t notice. It’s a nice way to ease up on the challenge of those long sets just a little bit, and add a small bit of strategy to the process.
THE BIG PICTURE
There are a few other little details worth mentioning: For one thing, when I heard about the “Tré’s Greatest Hits” drum trainer, I was expecting it to be something notably different from the basic drum trainer, but it really isn’t: Like in The Beatles, it’s the drum trainer with specific beats and fills from this particular drummer’s songs.
On the plus side in the drum column, though, it may be just my imagination, but it seems like there’s slightly less lag during drum fills. At least, I found it a lot easier than usual to stay in time through a fill section. (And if you’re wondering, yes, the game is calibrated the same as my other Rock Band titles.)
But you know, if you look back over this whole review, you’ll see that my complaints are all pretty nit-picky stuff. And conversely, the things I like about this game — well, I like them quite a lot. So here’s how I see it: If you’re a fan of Green Day and you enjoy music games, you’d be silly not to buy this. Yeah, it may hurt to shell out full retail price for something that perhaps could work as an expansion. But these songs are so very much fun to play that I really don’t think you’ll mind once you’ve actually played them.
For the rest of you, well, look: This is a Green Day game. If you know for certain you don’t like Green Day, I doubt that this game will change your mind. But if you’re on the fence — maybe you know just a small part of their catalog, or you like the band but aren’t sure you can take a whole game — I implore you to at least rent the game. (I didn’t find the demo terribly illuminating, alas.) If you like big chords, fast beats, and music that’s catchy as hell, well, I suspect you may find this to be right up your alley.
If you already know you’re picking this one up, you can help out Plastic Axe a bit by buying your copy from Amazon here
. (Remember, the “plus” version includes vouchers for all six previously-released 21st Century Breakdown tracks, as well as an export code to import all the songs — sans harmonies, of course — into your regular Rock Band library.) I’ll get a small commission and you’ll get a great game. It’s pretty much a win-win.
Good review. I, like you, have liked Green Day on and off since I was younger (I’m only 19 now). However, having Dookie playable in it’s entirety was enough to sell me.
I will be picking up my copy from Gamestop tomorrow morning.
Great review! I’ve been on the fence. I liked it on and off, and am currently on “off,” but listening to Dookie again really changed my mind. I think I’ll probably give it a rent and see if I like it, at the least, because harmonies sell me pretty quick.
Great review, I was really on the fence about picking this up but I’m definitely going to get this tomorrow. Should I pick up the Plus version of the game? I haven’t listened to 21st Century Breakdown so I’m curious to see if it’s worth the extra $10 for the code.
“For multi-song challenges, Overdrive and score multipliers carry over from song to song. I’m not sure if this was the case in Beatles, but if it was I didn’t notice.”
Yes, that was the same in Beatles. I recall noticing it and wondering if RB2 also did that (which it doesn’t). Anyway, great review. I’ll also be picking up my copy tomorrow at GameStop. Just out of curiosity, which game do you think you’ll end up enjoying more: Green Day or The Beatles?
Difficulty wise: Green Day
Overall song quality wise: The beatles
Content from entire career: The beatles
On disc full album wise: green day
this game is gonna be as sweet as the beatles
Thanks for the review!
May you tell me if the DLC of RB works within Green Day which is NOT from Green Day? eg Lady Gaga and whatnot?
No DLC from RB2 (Non-Green Day) will not work in this game.
Also if you like drumming you should be buying this game.
Arkk,
Speaking of the 6 tracks they’ve released from 21st Century Breakdown, I personally have enjoyed them. Some are super-easy (21 Guns), but others provide a real challenge.
And if you think you’d like to have everything, the game, the export to Rock Band/Rock Band 2, and the 6 tracks already released as DLC, then the “plus” version is the way to go.
For $10 more, you get $21-$22 worth of content (the export would normally cost $10, and each of the two 3-packs cost $5.50 on the 360 and PS3, and $6.00 on the Wii since there’s no multi-pack song discount available there).
I already grabbed the 6 songs from 21st Century when they came out, so I went with the cheaper option (and actually pre-ordered it from Gamestop and got a free export code).
Nice write-up, Joe. I agree with you regarding the relative pleasure of navigating chording sections versus noodly solos. I much prefer banging through a complex set of chord changes in time with the rest of the band. I’m sure that’s due to being a long-time drummer.
Thanks everyone for the kind words. I was a little concerned at the length, glad to know it wasn’t an issue. To answer a couple questions:
@Arkk, if you haven’t downloaded any of the 21CB songs, I’d go with the Plus version. Those are some of the more entertaining tracks from the album, and the game just doesn’t feel complete to me without them. Sucks that that kind of makes it a $70 game, though.
@Dry Country: On an intellectual level, I think I got more out of the Beatles; I didn’t really know much of their stuff beyond the super-popular songs, and it was really interesting to me to discover more about this legendary band. But in terms of actual entertainment value, Green Day wins for me, hands down. I just find these songs a lot more fun to play.
@Voegelchen, toymachine is correct: other DLC does not work in Green Day. In fact, you can’t even download the 6 21CB DLC songs in the game — you have to do it in one of the other games, or in the standalone RB Store “app” on 360.
I have it preordered, but I Cant pick it up til after work. I am looking forward to it. Great review Joe.
What’s your gamertag?
I got it, and was able to play it for a little over an hour. Finished the Dookie Set on Expert guitar, but the triple strums in between chord changes killed any chance of me scoring more than 3 stars on about 75 percent of them.
Moved on to Milton Keys, and based on the simplicity of the guitars on the first 3 songs, I decided to pull double duty and bust out the microphone. Thats probably the most fun I have had playing GD thus far, being able to sing along. I wish I could do it more often with RB2, but in order for me to pull it off, I really need to know the words by heart. Good thing I’ve been listening to Green Day relentlessly for years!
Had to stop playing in order for my lil one to get to bed and sleep, but I am itchin for the next chance for me to fire it up!
Grant – My GT is Astroburn. When I log in on here at my work computer it has me in as Nate. I need to change that…
When I played the demo, I was surprised by how difficult the drums were — and I’m one of those irritating people who only plays on Expert. I’m always up for a challenge, so I enjoyed replaying “Welcome to Paradise” (or whatever it was) a few times until I could get a decent “5 star” score.
But when it comes down to it, I can’t stand listening to Billie Joe or any other whiny, perpetually adolescent frontman sing. Good Charlotte, Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy — the singers from these bands all sound identically terrible.
The drumming may be fast and fun, but the music is such a turn off to the ear that I’m going to have to pass.
Great review, Joe. Thanks
I’ve been ripping through the game on the drums for the last couple of hours. Aside from many of the things I love about it, I must say that I’m extremely disappointed that they have not fixed the lag on the drum fills!
For some reason it seems worse on this game than Beatles or RB2, probably because of the difficulty of Tre’Cool’s rythms.
(I can’t get out of the fills without losing the rythm unless I can completely block it out)
My set up is calibrated perfectly, which makes the fills sound and feel like there’s another drummer joining in and jacking up the song. I used to love the fills when I played RB on my 25″ tube TV and I counld actually improvise within the song.
But the better your home theatre, the worse it plays. I really wish they would do away with the fills now, or give us an option to turn them OFF.
Anyone know where I can give this feedback that it might get through to the makers?