Rocksmith – Rockin’ All Over The Xbox
Everyone knows that the most fundamental lesson in bass guitar is learning to get your axe as low as you possibly can and still play it – preferably on the same level as your slightly bent knees – and perfecting your sneer. Ideally it’s the “Sid Vicious” look that you are aiming for, with one side of your top lip arching up to almost nostril level, but anything more eye-catching than “Billy Idol’s” limp affair is acceptable. Having previously mastered both of these elements, I was intrigued as to what the latest version of Ubisoft’s Rocksmith might teach me. “Intrigued” is my middle name – well, it would be if it wasn’t Roger – so I procured a copy of it to see if there was actually more to strumming my banjo than I had previously imagined.
The game requires you to have a real instrument and luckily, despite being bruised and abused by my inquisitive children, my “Fender Precision Bass” still falls into that category. I had to connect the output jack to the Xbox via the supplied USB connector so, I had to make sure that my console had a spare one to plug into. Once done, it’s into the game where I was presented with the option to tune my guitar. This was a useful addition as, being mostly tone deaf, I’m never entirely sure if my “Precision” is actually in tune and I had to admit that it sounded better after tuning in Rocksmith, just reinforcing how out of shape my ear really is. I had played Guitar Hero before so felt completely comfortable with the interface. In fact it was so familiar that if I was on the board at Ubisoft, I’d be half-expecting something nasty to turn up from the tame lawyers of Harmonix, concerned that their IP had been infringed!
Following the tune-up session, I was launched into the basics where the program taught me the fundamentals. This section is part of an intuitive program that monitors how well you do at lessons before opening up new sections of the game as my skill broadened so that I was really sure of getting a full tutorial. But this is fundamentally where Rocksmith falls down; it is a program aimed squarely at the novice or learner and a pro-user trying it will find it frustrating as they cannot just move onto working their way through the extensive song list without completing the basics first. In truth, a seasoned guitarist would work through the lessons and games quicker than the casual user, but it would be an exercise in frustration; a bit like having a Ferrari but only a small area to drive it in. Apart from that, the only other complaint that I had was that I couldn’t turn the in-program amplifier up to 11, but you can’t have everything.
Like masturbation, Rocksmith is essentially a solo endeavour but is also ultimately satisfying. I completed the lessons in order and found that I had actually picked up a few new and slick moves, concentrating on perfecting my slap-bass, ‘cos it’s just so sexy and looks great and, as far as I’m concerned, image with bass guitar is way better than trying to play it right.
If Santa has just left you your first guitar in your stocking, then I urge you to dash out to get Rocksmith and work through it; if you are already a pro with your axe, don’t bother!!