The reviews are slowly trickling in for Ubisoft’s “learn to play real guitar n00b,” and, according to MetaCritic, the response has been pretty positive! The 84/100 score places it just behind Dance Central 2‘s 86/100, and far behind Arkham City’s stellar 95/100 for the top games of last week.
Check out what the critics are saying about Rocksmith below, and get ready for our review, which will go live over the next couple weeks. If you still can’t get over the fact that we’re covering Rocksmith news, you can check out the critic reviews of the DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
*Note: All of the following scores are adjusted to a 10-point scale
Critic Reactions:
GameShark – 10/10
There’s something to be said about offering a real challenge with a tangible, physical skill gained from surmounting it. In games we often talk about the joys of tearing through a particularly tough boss or getting all of the well-hidden collectibles, but at the end of those grueling experiences all we walk away with is memories. Rocksmith is the first time I’ve put in effort and gained real skills that exist outside of the artificial world of games and can be put into practice in my real life.
Gaming Excellence – 9.8/10
It’s rare to find a game that encompasses a teaching tool as effective as Rocksmith, with virtually no negatives to observe, while still being enjoyable to play. Though for the first day or two you’ll feel some pain in the tips of your fingers as your new guitarist callous’ begin to form, it’s a small trade for the skills, abilities, and pride you’ll feel as you level-up as a genuine musician.
Video Game Writers – 9/10
Don’t concern yourself with the monetary investment that Rocksmith entails; instead, ask yourself if you are willing to invest the time. If the answer is yes, you can expect a rewarding, inspired experience that will either amplify your love of music, or make you appreciate it in a much more personal way than was ever possible with a fake plastic guitar.
Extreme Gamer – 9/10
Rocksmith feels like a present from the rock gods themselves. This little slice of the future is the perfect tool/game to teach all skill levels a thing or two about rocking out on the six-strings.
Playstation Universe – 8.5/10
This is the most complete music game I have ever played, and with the prospects of playing real bass guitar, vocals, and drums (someday), this could turn home consoles into home studios.
GameSpot – 8/10
There’s definitely room for improvement down the road, but Rocksmith’s debut has one thing going for it above all else: it’s the real deal. This ambitious guitar game delivers on its promise of intense rhythm gaming action tied to the act of actual guitar playing.
IGN – 8/10
Rocksmith is not perfect, and comes with a few design foibles and caveats that keep it from excellence. However, as a new IP and a ballsy take on the floundering music genre, Rocksmith is an awesome first step.
Reader Reactions (via Twitter and Facebook):
Kristopher (via Twitter: @KarioDude)
I love Rocksmith. I’ve already learned some really simple stuff and am completely confident that I will learn lots more.
Shann (via Facebook)
I quite enjoy Rocksmith. I’ve been playing guitar for years now and actually having the chance to use my skills in a video game are amazing instead of having to smash buttons on a plastic guitar. The setlist is decent but could use some upgrades. I’d personally like newer songs and artists in the setlist, but all in all it is great.
Fernando (via Facebook)
It’s a pretty good game [because of] the fact that your real guitar feels different, but Guitar Hero setlists are a lot better than theirs.
Jason (via Facebook)
Bought a guitar last Christmas, but never really got into it. Picked up Rocksmith last week and my fingers are killing me. Have yet to miss a day playing it. Load times are a pain, but the game itself it great and will definitely keep me interested in continuing to learn the guitar.
Ben (via Facebook)
It’s pretty much the best thing ever…yea.
What’s your opinion on Rocksmith?
Greatest game ever produced.
Greatest game ever MADE is probably the correct term. 😀
Really wish Ubisoft was more open about discussing this product. Everyone I've shown it to has been impressed, and I know I've personally inspired 3 additional sales. But… what's going on with DLC? And will there be a bass add-on?
The answers to your questions are "coming soon" and "yes", respectively. 🙂
https://twitter.com/#!/Rocksmithgame/status/12997…
DLC is coming very soon, and they did mention prior to release somewhere I'm positive that they are adding bass support eventually. There will be some kind of bass upgrade pack available for something like $10 that will add bass support for all the songs on the disc. They had enough to worry about getting guitar working properly, so they didn't want to focus on bass for the main release until they could get it right, supposedly.
For what it's worth, this game has really impressed me so far. It's not perfect, and the interface could use a bit of improvement, but it's more polished than I thought it would be. Most importantly, it actually works. They promised something never seen in a video game before and they delivered. Kudos to Ubisoft for a strong first showing of this new IP, and hopefully not the last!
I'm quite liking Rocksmith, there's something pretty cool about being able to play along to scrolling tabliture instead of having to read it off a website and play with an MP3.
That said they've made a few glaring gameplay and design errors that annoy the crap out of me. The biggest is the '5 lives' thing they give you in the riff repeater, that is SOOOO not the place to introduce gaming elements to the show.
Also, having to unlock the guitarcade is kinda stupid. I wanna practice my scales on scale runner but I have to go though a bunch of songs and events to unlock it…annoying.
That said, what I have playing in the guitarcade is fantastic! What a great way to make learning the fundamentals fun! Dawn of the Chordead is awesome, I've played for several years and know a boatload of chords but it taught me some new ones and has already helped with fingering and transitions.
You don't have to "go through a bunch of songs and events to unlock it". You just have to do the technique challenge.
At $79.99 with a cable included that usually costs $30 I don't see them dropping the price. It is most likely a loss product with the DLC making the profit in the end.
I want to get this game, but the price will have to come down for me.