"Rock Band VR" will be available on Oculus Rift on March 23. (Photo : YouTube/Rockband)
"Rock Band VR," the virtual reality version of the popular video game series is coming to Oculus Rift on March 23, developer Harmonix announced on Feb. 7, Friday. Along with the announcement, Harmonix also released a gameplay video of the upcoming title.
"Rock Band VR" is different from the normal "Rock Band" games. In the virtual reality take on the long-running rhythm game franchise, gamers are free to experiment with chords, notes and strum speeds that are not in sync with the actual soundtrack. Harmonix says this feature was included in the game in order to allow players to experience the free-flowing nature of a live music performance and encourage creativity.
Pre-orders for the "Rock Band VR" PlayStation 4 or Xbox One bundles that come equipped with a guitar controller and a digital copy of the game, are now available through Amazon for $70, according to Polygon. "Rock Band VR" requires Oculus Rift and the Oculus Touch controllers, in addition to a PC powerful enough to support Rift.
"Underpinning the gameplay is an amazing sense of presence you can only get in VR," Harmonix said in a statement on its official blog. "From the moment the player takes the stage, they'll experience what it's like to perform in front of sold out crowds--sweaty palms and all. To deliver this fantasy, 'Rock Band VR' focused on the details--from working effects pedals to interacting with your bandmates to the ability to use your guitar to bang on the drummer's hi-hat cymbal."
"Rock Band VR" will feature two game modes; classic mode and performance mode. In the classic mode, players need to aim for a note-perfect performance of each song's studio recording and in the performance mode, gamers can enjoy the creative freedom of performing at a live concert, with no two performances sounding alike.
The first three songs that have been confirmed for "Rock Band VR" are Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," The Killers' "When You Were Young" and Paramore's "Ain't It Fun." The game will feature more than 60 songs ranging from legendary singers to up and coming artists.
Check out the gameplay video of "Rock Band VR" below:
