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" Also available on: PS3, Wii, DS Publisher: MTV Games Developer: Harmonix Genre: Rhythm Action It&amp;#039;s interesting to see the different routes Harmonix and Neversoft have taken in this year&amp;#039;s battle of the rhythm action blockbusters. Neversoft and Guitar Hero have gone back to basics, opting for a title rich on rock mythology and heavy metal tunes. Ever the innovator in this particular genre, Harmonix has decided to take things to the next level by introducing a brand new instrument and upping the ante with Pro guitars and drum kits. By adding an educational element to the series, their aim is to make Rock Band more authentic and appealing than ever. But can Harmonix succeed in launching the ailing rhythm action genre back to the top of the charts? The answer is a resounding yes. Rock Band 3 sets a new benchmark for excellence and, despite the cost associated with the package, contains an impressive amount of features and offers relatively good value for money. Whether or not a new plastic instrument was necessary or desired is debatable, but the addition of the keyboard is fairly logical and is certainly more enjoyable to play than the bass guitar (well, most of the time anyway). The peripheral itself is extremely well built, owing to the fact that it is a genuine MIDI keyboard which can be used outside of the game. It features 25 full-sized keys, which are pressure sensitive, as well as a handle and strap for players craving some &amp;#039;80s keytar action - keyboard ties, shoulder pads and big hair are optional, however. There are two different modes of play for the keyboard - regular or Pro. Regular mode has players use a mere five of the keys on the instrument and in terms of gameplay is very similar to playing the guitar or bass. The keys are colour coded (green through to orange) and match the notes scrolling down the screen. In order to score points and gain multipliers, players must hit the correct keys at the right time. There&amp;#039;s a touch sensitive whammy bar of sorts on the handle, as well as the overdrive button which can be activated upon nailing whole sections of glowing notes. Unless playing one-handed - which is possible - or as a keytar, the overdrive can be quite tricky to activate without losing your place on the keyboard. This shouldn&amp;#039;t be a problem for keyboard maestros, but the number of idle keys in the regular mode can make it easy to lose your position in fast-paced sections.  The reason why there are so many keys is because of the Pro mode, which gives players the opportunity to learn how to play the keyboard for real - although it doesn&amp;#039;t come easy, that&amp;#039;s for sure. In Pro mode, players must master every single note and chord in each song, making it a wonderful challenge for those already skilled in the instrument and a satisfying and rewarding quest for those who don&amp;#039;t know their quavers from their QWERTY. Thankfully, there&amp;#039;s an excellent and comprehensive tutorial on hand to aid the learning process. The tutorial, which is split into countless individual lessons, teaches players all of the technical terms associated with playing the keyboard as well as offering handy tips such as which fingers should be used to play each section. Due to the number of notes that appear on screen, the biggest challenge facing players initially will be identifying where the keys are on the keyboard. There&amp;#039;s only so much colour coding that can help players with this challenge, meaning that practice really does make perfect.  The fun doesn&amp;#039;t stop with Pro keyboards thanks to Harmonix and MadCatz\u2019s new range of Pro guitars and drums, meaning that players have an excellent opportunity to pick up a new skill which can be used outside of the video game medium. Unfortunately, this doesn&amp;#039;t come cheap, and it is unlikely that anybody will be able to afford to master the full range of instruments any time soon. However, if like me you fancy learning to play guitar, Rock Band 3 offers a fun and fairly comprehensive way to master the axe in the comfort of your own home at a convenient pace. It works in much the same way as the keyboard, with countless buttons to memorise (more than 100 for the Pro guitar) and numerous lessons to help players get accustomed to the ins and outs of the six-string. It is extremely difficult, however, and will take quite some time to become even remotely accomplished.  If playing the keyboard isn&amp;#039;t your thing and the Pro instruments are a little too pricey and problematic, never fear: Rock Band 3 still utilises all of the equipment from the original games (as well as the instruments from Guitar Hero) and retains the series&amp;#039;s excellent gameplay and presentation. Unlike Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock, which features a full-on fantasy storyline involving gods and demons, Rock Band 3 is more traditional in its approach and tasks players with hitting the road and winning over legions of fans in countless venues across the world. The characters are a little more lifelike than their cartoonish GH counterparts and there are plenty of brief, humorous animated scenes depicting life on the road. There is also plenty of scope to customise characters to make them larger-than-life rock gods with hundreds of items to unlock in career mode.  What&amp;#039;s so great about Rock Band 3&amp;#039;s career mode is that it encourages players to replay tunes countless times, but makes it interesting by adding a bonus scoring system which sees higher ratings earned if certain criteria are met. Even when playing something fairly simple like Blondie&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;Heart Of Glass&amp;#039; for the umpteenth time, it remains exciting because the latest stipulation means that bonuses can only be earned if overdrive is activated half a dozen times, for example. Miss one or two overdrive sections and suddenly it&amp;#039;s touch-and-go whether you&amp;#039;ll earn the best grade despite nailing every other section. The game also gives players the chance to customise their setlists at regular intervals, or it can pick the songs for you if you prefer. Speaking of songs, Rock Band 3&amp;#039;s soundtrack is second to none. Almost every song - whether previously heard of or not - manages to justify its selection by being extremely enjoyable to play on at least one of the instruments. Bands such as The Muffs and King George may not have been on your radar before, but their catchy, punchy numbers will ensure that you sit up and pay attention to them after playing the game. The only downside to the setlist is that some of the easier keyboard songs - such as INXS&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;I Need You Tonight&amp;#039; - are mind-numbingly dull to play and too many of the songs will appear familiar to those with past Guitar Hero titles in their collections.  Rock Band 3 is the definitive music game thanks to its excellent soundtrack, wonderful gameplay and its added educational appeal. Its biggest drawback is that in order to get the most out of the game, players will need to fork out some serious cash in order to pick up the new Pro instruments and keyboard. However, even without the new additions, the game is still highly enjoyable thanks to its deep career mode and vast array of customisable features. Considering the demise of the rhythm action genre, it&amp;#039;s great to see that Harmonix isn&amp;#039;t prepared to go down without a fight.  &amp;gt; What do you think of the game? Share your views "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a288458/rock-band-3-xbox-360/>