@ www.theotherpress.ca The authentic guitar game ‘Rocksmith’ is the biggest step in the rhythm genre to date By Tyler McColl ho hasn’t fantasized about being a rock star? Performing incredible music feats amid stacks of amps, lights, and explosions, while thousands roar their approval? It’s a dream many of us share, but until now most have had to live out those fantasies through games like Rock Band or Guitar Hero. Learning to play a real guitar has always been a daunting concept. There's a steep learning curve, requiring hours upon hours of tedious practice, expensive lessons, and endless frustration. Enter Rocksmith, the “authentic guitar game.” In many ways it’s very similar to Guitar Hero: there’s a track of notes that scroll towards you, a set list with songs of variable quality, high scores, unlockables, and multiplayer, but the similarities end there. Replace those five buttons with 22 frets, the strum bar with six strings, and that plastic controller with a real guitar, and you have Rocksmith. Sounds awesome, but also a little labourious, right? It sure did to me, but the game breaks things specific guitar skills. Another learning tool in Rocksmith is the ‘Guitarcade,’ a collection of retro- style arcade games that use your guitar like a controller; these mini- games are a ton of fun, but also hone your skills while you play. All this adds up to a really fun way to practice guitar. You'll never feel like learning guitar is work, and that’s one of Rocksmith’s greatest achievements. This game isn’t just for beginners though; a big draw for more experienced players is amp mode, which is basically a free play mode. Throughout the game you unlock various tones, amps, and effects pedals, which can be combined to create a limitless variety of sounds. I’ve learned from experience that it’s very easy to lose yourself in this mode. The game isn’t perfect though, as it does have its drawbacks. For me, there’s way to much 2000s alternative music in the set list compared to 70s classic rock, but DLC can fix that over time. Some have claimed that audio lag ruins this game, but I’ve played through three separate setups and if you calibrate it properly you'll experience no lag at all. Another ‘drawback,’ and maybe this should “In many ways it’s very similar to Guitar Hero... replace those five buttons with 22 frets, the strum bar with six strings, and that plastic controller with a real guitar, and you have Rocksmith.” down nicely. You start out with a few videos on guitar terminology, how to hold your guitar and your pick, etc. You’re then introduced to the game’s built-in tuner. Once you're in tune, you’re thrown directly into the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” (which I can now play 100%!). It starts you off playing maybe a tenth of the actual notes; hit them consistently and you'll be fed a few more, have trouble and you'll be fed less. The game calls this the dynamic difficulty system, and it keeps you always challenged without being overwhelmed. If the game notices there’s one thing you really suck at (for me it was bar chords), it will suggest certain technique challenges. These challenges are a great way to teach be obvious, is that you need a real guitar to play this game. You can buy a really crappy guitar for about $100, but for $200 you can get yourself a decent beginner guitar (which is what I did—check out the Epiphone Special if you’re interested). Add in the $80 game, which includes the cord you'll need for the guitar, and the entry price is pretty high. Still, if you’re seriously interested in learning to play guitar, this is an excellent learning tool. There are more modes and options than what I’ve mentioned here, many of which I haven't even fully explored yet. Maybe you've never touched a guitar in your life, or maybe playing guitar is your life— either way, my advice is check out Rocksmith; I’m glad I did. Arts Adding fuel to the lyrical Bonfire Childish Gambino’s commercial debut burns bright ae By Jacey Gibb, Opinions Editor ot counting the period in N grade nine when I hated the world and worshipped Eminem for being “the only one who says it like it is,” I’ve never been much of a rap guy. Sombre acoustic guitars and harmonizing vocals are just more appealing to me than baggy pants and using the word “bitch” 68 times over the course of a single album (I’m looking at you Tyler, the Creator). But from the first time that my ears were graced with the that are more about embracing solitude (“Backpackers,” “You See Me”). This frequent change of pace works though, primarily due to the subtlety lurking within Gambino’s lyrics. Unfortunately, like most things I enjoy, the majority of my favourite lines aren’t necessarily “appropriate” for replication in a school newspaper. Still, | encourage anyone to analyze the lyrics of a Gambino song and witness the brilliance for themselves: songs that are so heavily condensed with pop culture references that no matter how many times you listen to them, you'll uncover a new nugget of lyrical gold every time. Personal favourites off of “While Childish Gambino may have started off as something I'd play for friends simply for the shock value, Camp reveals there’s more layers to this actor/rapper than a three-tier wedding cake.” presence of Childish Gambino’s “Freaks and Geeks,” I knew this was different. Now, over a year later, the Community actor-turned- rapper’s first commercial release has confirmed my suspicions of greatness—and then some. “Outside” fulfills its duty as opening track perfectly, welcoming the listener into the world of Gambino, one that’s still reeling from the transition from difficult childhood to raging success. It’s the sort of backstory that’s almost expected of rappers, to the point where you start to wonder how many are being authentic and how _ many are just playing the role. Still, the insecurities revealed here are necessary for the rest of the album to gel. Camp takes this established theme and runs with it for its entire duration, alternating between songs that seem like Gambino is pleading for a personal connection (“Firefly,” “L.E.S.”) and tracks Camp would undoubtedly be “Heartbeat,” an infectious track destined for popularity, reminiscent of something you'd find off of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and “Bonfire,” the album’s first single, which coincidentally contains one of the most cringe-worthy verses on the album: “Make a beat then murder it/Casey Anthony.” Of course it’s too soon to be making jokes about child murder, but then again, if you’re someone that’s easily offended, Camp likely isn’t for you. While Childish Gambino may have started off as something I'd play for friends simply for the shock value, Camp reveals there’s more layers to this actor /rapper than a three-tier wedding cake. Contagious beats, offensive couplets, and a touch of vulnerability all work together to introduce us to who will undoubtedly be rap’s next golden child.