Addictive and innovative gameplay, if you can swallow the $170 price tag. A great game that's a not so great value.
The Bad: $170 price tag is a really tough pill to swallow; drums are too small; grainy graphics aren't ideal.
Rock Band is a great game but at $170 for the bundle (game, guitar, drums, and mic) it's not a great value. The instruments are not the highest quality either - my instruments all work all right, but they are not the calibre I would expect for this price. The mic has no buttons on it, so the singer needs to use a controller plus a mic (a hassle they could have, and should have, avoided). The guitar has response problems when I'm trying to go into overdrive, plus the strummer feels "flimsy" compared to other guitar controllers. And the drums are just too small - it's too easy to accidentally hit the edge of the drum rendering your note unplayed, because of the small size.
On the other hand, at least you can get a lot of gameplay hours out of it. There are a lot of great tracks included, and many more scheduled for Marketplace release. You can play solo on 3 separate careers for guitar, drums, and singing. You can play multiplayer online or off. You can even try to sing AND play an instrument at the same time, if you have a mic stand or use the Xbox Live Headset to sing into.
I don't like the way the game "looks" compared to Guitar Hero III. There is a "grainy" look to the video that is intentional but I don't think it was a good idea. Sometimes the colors will change and other effects almost making it look like a music video, which is cool. But I prefer the grain-free slick presentation on Guitar Hero III. This is a matter of personal preference, though.
The customization in the game is off the hook! There are tons, and tons, and tons of looks for your character's appearance and clothing, as well as instruments, and you can accumulate a wardrobe and change anytime you want. You earn money for clothes by playing tracks.
Being able to play different instruments is innovative and the game's biggest strength. I especially enjoy belting it out on the mic. (If you're going to get Rock Band at all, don't just buy the game and play on a guitar controller if you can help it , get the bundle instead. You will be missing out on some serious fun and an innovative experience without the mic and drums!) The "pitch detector" for singing works really well. If you don't know the song at all it's hard to get the pitch right because you don't know what it's supposed to be, so on some songs you may find yourself doing a "cold run" to get familiar with the song. When you know a song though it is truly a blast. The guitar is similar to the Guitar Hero experience, and is a little easier than the harder levels of Guitar Hero III. This is a good thing, since hard and expert on Guitar Hero III are maddening. The drums are a little trickier, requiring more coordination since you're actively using both hands plus one foot on the kick pedal. This takes some getting used to, but it is fun. I just wish the drums were bigger though, because while you are frantically going at it it's too easy to accidentally hit the edge of the drum and not get credit for playing the note. These are much smaller than real drums.
Some people might be wondering if it's worth owning both Guitar Hero III and Rock Band and I would say yes. Although a few of the songs are on both games, they have different soundtracks (both great) and look and feel a little different. Each has gameplay modes that the other doesn't. The guitar from either game will work on the other, so you don't need to buy 2 guitars. There aren't many music/rhythm games out there amidst all the third person shooters, sports titles, etc... so what's one more for your library? It's a great genre that is especially fun to play with friends.
Rock Band is great fun if you are able and willing to shell out the big bucks. This is probably a purchase for hardcore gamers for whom price is less of an object. Casual gamers who don't buy many games might rather just pick up Guitar Hero III and two other games instead of this one bundle at the same price. I fall into that "hardcore gamer" category and I don't regret the purchase at all, because I was determined to have this innovative experience. But I also think they are charging too much for what's in the box.