Reviews of Rocksmith 2014 Edition - Xbox 360 (Cable Included)

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This is really not a game. There is no career mode with tour buses and goals that typical games have. I think this is a good thing. The achievement that you earn is the ability to play guitar or bass. That's all I'm looking for. If you bought the first edition of Rocksmith and did not like it very much (I didn't like it), don't let that prevent you from getting this. This is like another planet.

Everyone is talking about Session Mode and I'm sure that will be a big selling point for people that already know how to play. For me, a beginning bassist, it's nice to have the band backing, but randomly hitting notes when you have no real idea of what you are doing is cool but I'm sure once I get the hang of playing, this part of the game will be much more enjoyable.

If you want to learn to play, get this. I am doing bass only but I am sure the guitar play works the same way. I am using the Lessons and here is how they are laid out:

You first choose your instrument and click Lessons if you are a noob like me. The first couple show you how to hold the instrument and things like that. Then you start getting videos of different techniques and each of those lessons comes with a practice track. Here is where Rocksmith shines! Using the Riff Repeater feature, you can adjust the difficulty level from 0-100 using a slider: the lower the difficulty, the fewer notes that will scroll on by. If you start at say, 30, you can play that difficulty until you nail all of the notes and then move up to 40 and so on until you reach 100 which is all of the notes.

But that is not all. In addition to choosing the difficulty level, you can also use a slider to increase/decrease the speed. So if you want all notes but really slow, you can have that. If you want fast but fewer notes to play, then you can have that and everything in between. You can also loop the tracks so you play it a couple of times instead of just one, or you can have an infinite loop and the track will rewind and begin again until you stop it. You can pause and ramp up the difficulty and go right back into the track. If you overstep your ability, just pause, open Riff Repeater and readjust as you need to.

This is really an educational package for the Xbox rather than a game but it's amazing. I received it on launch day from Amazon and have been strictly using the Practice tracks in the Lessons and working on the Walking Bass lines in there at slow speed with fewer notes. I've inched up the meters a few times but need to master the level that I'm at now before moving on. Playing the track in an infinite loop has me playing it over and over and over and over again and I can feel my fingers beginning to stretch out and get more comfortable moving around the fingerboard.

The idea that you can plug in that guitar that's collecting dust rather than having to purchase special instruments to play with this game makes it such a worthwhile buy. It will be frustrating in the beginning if you've never played before (I know the feeling very well) but you really do find yourself saying "I'll never get this" and then all of a sudden you nail it and get such a rush. Then you add a few more notes, up the speed a little and get that too and you can't pull yourself away from playing because you realize that you can do it.

I have had DVD tutorials for bass and while good, they don't provide the instant feedback that Rocksmith does. The presentation in this game is lightyears ahead of the original. Loading times are fast and the options were created to accommodate learners of all kinds and proficient players as well.

I just can't say enough about this "game." It's just amazing, fun, and really teaches you to play. While there is no substitute for a real teacher and learning theory and the like, if you are just a hobbyist looking to learn to play some songs and jam out on a real guitar, this is definitely for you.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program My 10 year old son and 39 year old self are having a blast with this game. Neither of us has ever played a "real" guitar before. We have played guitar hero, but there is just one strum bar and five buttons for frets on those guitars. For Rocksmith we have a 6 string guitar with 22 frets. That was (and still is) extremely intimidating to us.

Rocksmith came with

USB plug from guitar to my 360

6 ft HDMI cable

An audio adapter for the 360

An audio cable

Lucky for me my 360 is plugged into a receiver via HDMI so the only cable I needed to use was the USB plug from guitar to XBox.

First thing I had to do was tune my guitar. Rocksmith walked me through it and checked the tones for me (good thing for a tone deaf guy). The cool thing (for me at least) was that the software knew the problem before I did. If I hit the wrong string, it knew and told me to check which string I hit.

So I went through about 5 tutorials and tried to 100% them. The tutorials are excellent. It starts easy...if you can't get it, then it slows it down to get you used to moving across the frets and strings in time. For a noob like me, this was great. The game amazed me when it told me exactly what I was doing wrong in the tutorials (ie: wrong string, wrong fret...it knew). After you get through the first test, it does the same riff with more notes and complexities. It allowed me to practice and have a sense of success before it upped the level.

You can choose to play lead guitar, rhythm, or bass. You can use your electric guitar for bass, but I have not tried yet. I have only tried lead guitar so far but plan on trying the others.

There are 20 or so more lessons to do, but I was interested in trying a song (knowing I would fail). Low and behold, they actually up the level of play on each song as you improve. So the first time through the easier songs was not impossible even for me to achieve some success. I felt like "I can actually do this with some practice".

The part I recently tried was the guitarcade which is awesome. Retro style arcade games that work on your guitar technique. The first game is similar to jet pack joyride, but based solely on how loud you strum the strings and control the volume. The next game is like the old Root Beer Tapper game but you have to hit the right string to "shoot" down the right area. I had trouble with volume and finding strings and these were fantastic ways to practice. It includes high scores, mini achievements, and online rankings. I also tried the slide arcade and a duck shooting game that helps practice slides, frets and strings. There are many more arcade games that I have not tried because I don't know the concept (ie: bending) yet. Some games are more fun than others, but the fun and rewarding way to practice is top notch.

The main thing this does not do is teach you to play guitar by reading sheet music. That was not important to me, but worth noting.

We try and limit video game play for our kids, but this game is so educational that we bend the rules and let our kids play Rocksmith at times when they normally are not allowed to play games.

I highly recommend this game for anyone who wants to learn to play a real guitar for fun. It provides learning, fun, and a sense of accomplishment. It will provide our family many hours of fun time together.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program To be clear, you MUST own, or have one on its way, either an electric guitar or an electric bass. One or the other is required to learn using Rocksmith. Those old plastic instruments we all came to love and adore, then ignore, do NOT work with Rocksmith.

Also, be sure you get what you need. If you have a previous version of the program, and already bought the guitar/bass to USB cable, you don't need to buy the cable included edition again. The old cable works just fine.

Why does Rocksmit seem to work where DVDs and books fail? It teaches you actual SONGS, real songs, not wimpy, silly lullabies or children's songs. You want to learn Slayer? You can. This is the goal of pretty much every guitar player (not to play Slayer necessarily, but play a son in general!) you want to play like your rock heroes. The books and DVDs are good with teaching basics, getting you started, but they tend to just whet your appetite, not get you on the fret like Rocksmith does.

This being said, Rocksmith isn't easy. You won't likely be playing like Randy Rhodes after an hour or two. It will take practice, REAL practice, but... this is again where Rocksmith shines. You play games that help you practice. They can be fun, to the point that you don't really realize you are actually practicing. It's brilliant.

You can adjust the difficulty to suit your needs. If you've ever played, I recommend starting in the 10-20 range, if you've never played, hit the bottom and work your way up. And the most important part: DON'T FEEL BAD STARTING LOW! You WILL get better if you stick with this crazy "game."

Where the game excels at teaching you is the "riff repeater." If you have a part in a song that you absolutely just cannot get, fire up the riff repeater. This thing just adds to the brilliance! It lets you choose the speed and difficulty of the section ramp up the difficulty as you seem to start learning the sections.

Session mode, when I am good enough at actually playing, will definitely be fun. It's OK right now, but I don't feel like I know enough to really enjoy having a band backing up my playing. And it's cool because it tries to match how you are playing with a level of randomness it's not just the same beat and riffs over and over.

And it really does start at the beginning. Really, the beginning. How to hold a pick, tune your axe and so on. I say it again it shines the brilliance of the entire package.

AND THEN there is the option to use a TON of equipment, really expensive equipment in the real world, using just the 360 to simulate the tones and so on that only certain amps and equipment can lend the guitar.

A note on configuration. When the pamphlet included tells you not to include your TV in the mix, and they tell you not to plug your system in w/ HDMI or optical, they mean it. I tried it and the lag really did kill the fun and the lessons. Please make sure you have this configured for the best option to "win" at it before playing, or you will be disappointed.

Bottom line if you've ever wanted to learn the guitar and not have to pay for a lesson every day, this is the best $60 (or $80 if you need the cable) you will ever spend. But like anything, you really only get what you put into it, so make sure to leave your mind open and give the program a chance to teach you. They say 60 days on Ubi's website, and if you stick with it I'm sure 60 days is more than enough to make you quite a few levels better than where you are. Well, unless you are a Randy Rhodes naturally.

Honest reviews on Rocksmith 2014 Edition - Xbox 360 (Cable Included)

If you are a beginner or an advanced player this game is for you. No matter what skill you are the game adapts to you and now rocksmith 2014 has new integrated features that will blow you away. I preordered this game and received it the day it was released. Right after work I turned on my console and started playing it. I have to say it was the best moment ever. I was waiting to play session mode and this new mode is so awesome because the virtual band plays along with you. If you stop they stop, and if you play loud also the instruments play louder. If you are thinking of getting this game, don't hesitate to get it, because on the long run you will become a better guitarist or base player. I will play this game with family and friends and finally. Thank you Ubisoft for making the greatest games ever. I am loving rocksmith 2014 so far and can't wait for the new one to come out.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program To start, here's who I am and what I hoped to get out of Rocksmith. I'm a drummer. I think all drummers are frustrated guitarists and all guitarists would like to play drums. I've owned guitars, still own a couple, but never found the time, or really, was willing to dedicate the time to lessons. Rocksmith came to my rescue. Like many people, I love to play video games, and enjoy things like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, although I always found them to be games, and not realistic, since what you do to "win" on screen has little to do with how you'd play an instrument live.

Rocksmith is a great game and so much more than a game. It comes in three flavors for Xbox: Just the game, the game with the cable, and the game, cable and a guitar. I got the version with a cable included and am using my own guitar, so that is what I am reviewing. If you do need a guitar, the Rocksmith version which includes one presently comes with an Epiphone Les Paul Junior. It isn't a bad deal if you need a starter guitar. A Jr. usually sells for about $130, and this game costs $80 withouta guitar, so a combo selling for $190 is a decent deal. That said, keep in mind typically you aren't going to want to play a gig with a Junior.

So what's in the box?

* Rocksmith 2014

* ¼" audio-jack cable

You might assume, at first glance, that the game is similar in concept to other Guitar hero/Rock Band type games. But it goes way beyond that. Rather than "just hitting colors" to emulate playing an instrument, Rocksmith takes you down the path of learning to play guitar. You may see familiar style screens, a huge fretboard scrolling at you, lyrics, etc. but this is not Guitar Hero. Don't mistake what I am saying the mini-games are present and they are a lot of fun but they are not the primary focus. I did not play Rocksmith 2013, but by all accounts the 2014 version keeps the "guitar lessons" intact while adding much more fun/games. You choose what instrument you will be learning/playing, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, or bass guitar.

You must use a real guitar or bass with this game. For example, You CANNOT use the plastic guitars that come with Guitar Hero. The included cable is a standard guitar cable with an Xbox adapter on one side, so you can disconnect that if you wanted to use this as a straight ¼" guitar cable.

Those expecting all game play, different gaming modes, may be disappointed. There are some "missions" you will play out, but the goal here is really to learn to play guitar. You start off with very basic tasks, how to hold the guitar and pick, tuning the guitar. In the game play, you progress from notes to chords to songs. Of course, if you already know some things, you can skip ahead to what you want to play/try.

There are different modes which allow you to change the speed so you can master a technique. As you progress, Rocksmith adapts to your skill. Once you've mastered notes and chords, you will achieve a level where they aren't displayed, fading off the screen. As you make mistakes, they will fade back in to assist you.

I know kids today will often be self-taught by using gutar tabs. While that works, something like Rocksmith is a more realistic way to learn how to play guitar. Guitar tabs teach you only how to duplicate a song, not to freely play guitar. On the other hand, Rocksmith helps you progress through the steps of actually learning to play guitar.

I found the playing from what is happening on the screen to be a realistic approach. There are a few different modes:

Session Mode: A chance to play freestyle, but stay within the confines of what is on the screen (the right key, etc.). This is a jam session, so to speak.

Virtual Band Mode: Allows you to play and create music, selecting what instruments accompany you, and in what genre, tempo, etc. This is fun, but not something anyone will probably sit and do for hours on end.

Master Mode: more challenging, but also more fun with "Guitarcade" minigames. These are fun to play while improving you bending, sliding and picking skills. My favorite was Return to Castle Chordead, combining guitar practice with a arcade shooter game.

If you must play this like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, you can switch to Score Attack mode, which follows the tried and true formula of different skill levels, and an arrangement for each level.

Rocksmith does track your progress, so it will adjust levels to how it assesses your current skill-set.

There are a few limitations. Remember, the focus is learning how to play guitar, but the game takes you in one direction at a time. So, for example, you cannot switch "on the fly" from rhythm guitar to lead guitar. If you pick one of those, those are the parts you will see and be expected to play. You have to pause and choose the other guitar role. Once you do that, you are now in that role (say, lead) and the role you formerly were playing (rhythm, for example) is the one not displayed. I would have preferred the freedom to jump as you choose.

The song library is pretty good. There is a good mix of music, so the playlist should appear to a rock fan of most ages. I won't list the whole thing here, but to give you an idea, there are 3 songs from the `60's, 7 songs from the `70's, 6 from the `80's, 13 from the `90's, 7 from the first decade of this century, and 24 from 2010 to now. So, clearly someone who listens to today's rock artists may have more they recognize than someone who prefers classic rock of the 70's. The artist range is excellent, from Aerosmith to Kiss to Alice Cooper, The Police to Nirvana, Weezer to System Of A Down, and more current artists, with works from Arctic Monkeys and Alice In Chains. If you are a lover of classic and mainstream rock bands, you may find there is not enough of that and too much Indie music.

Overall, this is an excellent game, and if you want to have fun while becoming a little better at guitar, it is great. Novices will surely like it, if they are truly interested in learning guitar, but even an accomplished guitarist will have some fun. The advanced player probably won't gain anything skill-wise, but will have fun with some of the challenges. I've been using the game for a few weeks. It has kept me entertained enough to learn a little more about playing guitar, while making the chore of a lesson more fun.