Product ReviewsRock Band 3 (Microsoft Xbox 360, 2010)

so far so good

I bought this as a family Christmas present. Mainly it is for my son who is 8. We got the drums connected and running right away with little fuss, and my son has already found the freestyle mode which is very fun because it's like he's just playing the drums like he would a "real" drum set. We then connected the microphone and played a couple of songs with drums and vocals - fun! Connecting the guitar was very frustrating because there were no instructions on how to do this in the box, the game, anything. Plus, one of the buttons on the guitar I believe is mislabeled: it says "seart" and I believe it should say "start." I finally found an ehow article on line explaining that the random little black box with a usb plug in the box needs to be plugged in the Xbox console in order for the guitar to talk to and synch with the game....would have been nice to have some instruction on that included in the box for people who have never used Rock Band and associated accessories.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: loothive

Good installment, but not a great improvement. 4/5

The main difference between Rock Band 3 and either 1 or 2 is that 3 has a more "streamlined" setup, for better or worse. The major differences I've seen so far are mainly to the story progression, venue, unlocks, and menu style. Once again, though, backwards compatibility for most songs makes this (and the previous versions, if not already owned) worth buying for the large number of songs available (around 220, plus the huge library of downloadable tracks) and smooth, enjoyable group gameplay.

Personally, I prefer the separation of story and quick play as designed in the older games. I do appreciate trying a new approach to this, though, and that the character select was changed to reflect it.

The loss of venue choice is disappointing, as it was one of the things I enjoyed about Harmonix' series as far back as Guitar Hero, before it changed hands. The improved graphics slightly make up for the lost background visuals, but only slightly.

The unlockable items are well done, as usual, but the sorting system that existed in the RB 2 store seemed more efficient if playing dress-up with the character is your thing.

The only thing that really bothers me is the menu flow of this game, even though Harmonix took several new steps, I don't think they were all in the right direction. I can see the company did what it set out to do in respect to a more cohesive environment in the RB 3, but removing the ability for drumpads to navigate menus, meshing quickplay with the "story" mode, again not adding much of an actual story, and making the song select less simplified holds this back from being a great improvement in the series.Read full review...

Very good game!

This is by far the greatest addition to the Rock Band franchise. It adds easy drop in and drop out features, the song list is amazing and there are cool party features that can easily be turned on at any point (Ex: No Fail mode). I would also highly recommend buying the other games that Rock Band has and getting those songs too. I currently have all the music exported from every rock band game on my rock band 3 music library, plus all of the downloadable content that I've purchased over time. In total I have a massive library of music for people to choose from. I recommend this game to anyone looking for a game with lots of replay value, great music selection and in general a great game to party to with friends or family.Read full review...

Fun game

Fun game, and at the time of this review still transfers over to rock band 4 on the xbox one which is nice. Just a heads up for those interested though, it does charge you 15 dollars to make that transfer which is less cool.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: carltonfactory

Rocks!!

The graphics and method of play are the same as all the precious Rock Band versions, which is to say the graphics are pretty lame but that's not significant to the game. We found this one slightly easier than Rock Band and Rock Band 2, but maybe it's just that we've been playing a lot more since starting those versions? Anyway, cool thing is the MASSIVE amount of songs which include a huge and excellent range including great ones from the 80s and 90s that are often overlooked. We are really enjoying this.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: dreambooks_co

Amazing Game

Absolutely love Rock Band 3. Its better than the first two in regards of graphics, song list and quality. The keytar is really neat too, but sometimes there is a little lag since it is a wireless instrument. Other than that its amazing.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: litebrytz

Neat new features, TERRIBLE new music!

Rock Band 3 has some great elements that have been a long time coming. However, the format for actually playing the music is the same as the old ones. In my opinion, just stick with what you have and download songs you actually want.

There are some very cool pros, though:
You can change difficulty, drop out, and even switch your options on the fly.
When you pause the game, it "rewinds" the track a bit so you don't jump right back into it and mess up.
You can already tell there is a load of new things to do and buy.
You can rate songs now.
The format of the game is different. You can go after goals, do the good old road tour, or do things in a myriad of different ways.
Pro mode seems very cool, although for hardcore folks who modded a digital kit, that's already been around.

Cons... BIG cons:
If you have a huge library and want to pay the $$ to get the few new features, then by all means it's a go. Truthfully though, I thought even Lego Rock Band was a better game. It had humor and creativity and some redeeming songs.

Another big problem... this is a music game... yet the music is GARBAGE!!!

!!!I REPEAT, THE MUSIC IS GARBAGE!!!

Before you buy this game, check out the music it comes with. The FULL set list. Listen to sample tracks online. Trust me... you will be playing twenty-to-thirty songs that are SO BAD they will make your EARS BLEED before you get to one decent song. The song selection in this game sounds like it was put together by some feces-sniffing monkeys with hearing problems and chemical dependency issues. My wife and I have been playing for a few days now and oh man... the majority of the songs on this game are nearly unbearable. Not only do they sound awful, but they are so dull and repetitive that they numb your fingers. Not from difficulty, but from repetition. Carpel Tunnel syndrome, anybody?

Think about it... why would they include more than a handful of decent songs when they know you're going to shell out extra cash on the RB store to get the songs you really want? So they give you a pile of bland, painful, gag-yourself-with-a-plastic-guitar "music" to slosh through.

I loved the first games so much I modded a Simmons SD7k to play Rock Band with. I was already playing "pro" mode... having to distinguish which blues were high-hat and which were mid tom, yellow for hat, etc. One big annoyance for RB3 is that you have to use the D-pad (on the Xbox 360, "D" stands for "Dysfunctional") on your drums to navigate now. I loved speeding through lists by just rat-tat-tat-ing on the blue tom. That is over now.

All-in-all, I give it a 1.5 out of 5, rounded down. The new features are very cool but they are long overdue. There is not enough new here to justify another buy... especially when you have a great library and RB 1 or 2. It is still a hassle to play with several people in one room. The gameplay is a discordant mess which will have you wondering, "What's the point of this mode?" Paying money to incorporate songs you already own is a low-brow money-grab. And finally the actual music. The "I'd rather ram dookie-laden drumsticks in my eardrums than listen to this song again" music.

Maybe a feature in the next Rock Band will be the option to completely delete tracks from the disc's library so you never have to hear them again? Ever. Ever... EVER!

I suggest sticking to the RB store and buying songs you actually enjoy for RB 1 and 2. Trust me.Read full review...

GREAT GAME IT MADE ME THE HAPPIEST MAN ON THE PLANET

I think this game is amazing the EA version is the best version you could get the black cats version is hot garbage. GET THE EA VERSION HAVE A GOOD DAY PEOPLE AND STAY SAFE.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: awalkintime

Total overhaul!

Best new music game out, hands down! Great fun, great new songs and very challenging. The use of blue and orange keys on easy is a great new feature! Not overwelming, just enough of a challenge. The adition of new Jimmy Hendrix and The Doors full albulms shows that Rock Band is headed in the right direction. New keyboards are a great new edition, also this new game can realy teach you to play instruments as aposed to just gaming! Very cool for the younger ones! Always good to learn at a young age, and it gives kids confidence big time! My son is really looking foward to the new guitar in the spring as am I! Keep Rockin! I want LED ZEPPLIN on Rock Band BAD!!!!Read full review...

Greatest Instrument Oriented Game to Date!

If you are a Rock Band fan, or if you're just getting into the game, then Rock Band 3 is sure a great start! Bringing friends and family together, Rock Band 3 can have 4 different instruments playing at one time plus vocals and 3 harmonic singers! This game really brings the Rock Band name to a new level as it brings in new graphics, more customization on characters and a ton of new songs!
Me and my friends always team up to play for fun or even break record scores and play passionately, but in the end the game is great either way. The online store features thousands of tracks available for purchase and download. If you're looking for a new experience or are just returning to the series, Rock Band 3 does it right!Read full review...