If you've never played any of the Rock Band games before then you should definately give them a try. Rock Band is like Guitar Hero a bit and this number 2 in the series and is great fun.

Rock Band is played using plastic instruments. The songs are all realy songs that you hear every day on the radio when out and about. The screen features the animated video playing. In addition, it has red, yellow, blue and green chords that scroll down the screen during songs that show notes for users at home. The objective of the game is to hit the beat and notes correctly on your plastic instrument as much as you can.

If you've ever played Rock Band 1 then you will know how to play by now so your learning curve will be less. Rock Band 2 is similar to Rock Band 1 except you can choose from more song selections which increases your desire to play it and there are improvements to instruments and an improved online experience.

One of the best improvements to come out of this game is that you can learn a song by breaking it down into sections. The speed can be slowed down so that you are able to learn the pattern. Then gradually as you get used to it you can increase the speed again. You have the option to play one part of the song over and over again continuously until you get it right, or just play the whole song in one go. The practice mode is also equally good where you will learn patterns.

There is another new feature in this game in that Rock Band 2 has something called a 'no-fail' option for anyone new to the game. If you are new and haven't mastered the instrument yet then you don't have to play on the same level as the rest of the members of the band. They can all play whatever level of difficulty they want but the newcomer can play this no-fail. This means that you are safe from ruining a song while you are learning. It makes it more fun to start with and means you can learn the controls at your leisure. The only thing is that a band doesn't gain points when they have one band member who is playing with this option turned on.

I found the fact that you can change the appearance of the band very interesting when playing it. You are allowed to change clothes of the band, jewelry, tatoos and even hair cuts. Plus, there other great features you can customise for your band. If you want to pick a great name and logo you can also do this too so it becomes very personalised.

There are other bands that are competition to yours as is the case in real life with any band out there battling it out in the charts for popularity. You can check the score boards after song performances and see how you compare with your rivals. You will need skill to make it to the top..

The band can even go on tour and while they are on tour you will have option to hire and fire staff. This option to tour is great if you are after more money or even more fans. In addition if you got a perfect score while playing as an expert you also get a trophy.

To keep the interest going and make things a little more challenigng, like other games in this genre, you can unlock songs as you go along. Unlocked games are bit harder so makes the learning curve work out well.

I personally like the 'battle of the bands' feature too. You may have seen the programme 'Battle of the bands'. Well this is just that on the console. You play other bands live on your PS3. You have to show your talent up there on the stage and showcase your attributes. It is very exciting, this part of the game as you battle it out for superiority.

After you have been playing for a while I found that you are expected to progress from easy to medium and then on to hard difficulty level. It is hard to rack up the points when members of your band are on different skill levels.

The guitar is plastic and has buttons instead of strings. The band can have 2 guitarists playing so it could be a good idea to purchase a second guitar for anyone else playing. This version of the guitar is better than it used to be.

The drums are great fun. You can purchase them on their own for about £40 or get them as part of the set. The drum is simply a case of wooden sticks hitting plastic. They can be pretty noisy but if your band is to be successful then you will need these to accompany it.

The microphone is the same one that was included in the original Rock Band game. I found that I could stand almost anywhere in the room and still use it.

So you can play the drums and guitar and sing as well. Can you become famous?

If you're worried about costs then this some of the information you may need. Rock Band 2 is sold in a bundle($189) or you can just buy the game iself which will set you back $60 approximately.

The one thing that is bad is that you will need a lot of AA batteries to play this game. You will need to start off with 12 batteries but as the week goes on you will find they decrease rapidly as they use up alot of energy. Overall I liked Rock Band 2 and was great to perform against other bands and improve.