ith Rock Band, Harmonix says it has the time, budget and resources to make the game it’s always wanted to create. Basically, Rock Band is like a mega-expanded version of its most popular release, Guitar Hero. After parting ways with Activision, the developer is moving away from catering only to that instrument, instead expanding its scope to include an entire musical ensemble. A rock band, if you will.

In Rock Band, players have access to guitar, bass, vocal and drum sections, each with specialized hardware. The guitar and bass portions play much like they did in Guitar Hero, with color-coded notes dropping down the screen, which correspond to buttons on the instrument-shaped controller. Singers have a familiar karaoke-style interface, with lyrics scrolling past on the screen. The biggest innovation in Rock Band, however, is its drum kit. Players use real wooden drum sticks to bang away at the four color-coded pads, while the bass-drum pedal keeps at least one foot occupied. At lower levels of gameplay, it’s much like the guitar portions—there’s not necessarily an exact relationship between what you hit and what you hear. When you increase the difficulty, though, Harmonix says you’re essentially playing the drum part. Even more, they say that people will actually learn how to play the drums by playing Rock Band. After pounding my way through a session of Weezer’s “Say it Ain’t So” on easy, I’m excited to hone my skills. The drums feel solid and responsive, and even though the screen was a little laggier than what I’m used to (yeah, yeah, blame it on lag), it really did feel like I was playing along with the music.

There’s more of an emphasis on story and character this time around, with solo players engaging in a rags to rocker story. Players start out in a hometown, working their way through a worldwide tour. Harmonix says the story is tied to gameplay in some pretty clever ways, too. As an example, your band’s bus may break down in a small town. To make the money you need for repairs, you’re going to have to hustle a little bit. Why not earn some cash by playing a heavy-metal set in a biker bar? This kind of gameplay sounds like a great way to break up the action a bit—while it’s always a blast to rock out on a make-believe guitar, a little context never hurt anyone. You’ll also be able to customize your character through a variety of interchangeable themed outfits as well as customized tattoos and patches.

Of course, this solo action is all fine, but where the game really shines is in its multiplayer. The game supports one player on each instrument simultaneously, both online and offline or any combination of the two. While it seems as though cramming all this action onscreen could make for a pretty claustrophobic interface, Harmonix has done a pretty good job maximizing screen space while attractively presenting the all-important music information. Vocals are on the top of the screen, while the other instruments’ note patterns run along the screen side by side. Harmonix is going for a grittier, more realistic look this time around, with a focus on trying to replicate the look and feel of a concert video.

Harmonix sees Rock Band as more than just a game, but as a new platform for experiencing music. It’s certainly a lofty goal, but if their success with other music games is any indication, they may be just the guys to pull it off.