Why couldn’t have this been downloadable content? That’s right, due to AC/DC’s backwards policy of not allowing individual song sales (no singles, no iTunes, no downloadable content for Rock Band), AC/DC fans who want to rock out have two choices: Overpay, or don’t play.
AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack contains all 18 tracks from AC/DC’s concert album, Live at Donington. Rock Band usually charges $2 per song, but offers discounts for track pack and full album downloads. Yet AC/DC Live, available only in Wal-Mart stores, was priced at $40 upon release. That’s $2.22 per song. We’re already off to a bad start.
The game itself is barebones, offering little of the functionality that the standalone Rock Band games feature for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. No character customization or creation. No World Tour mode. Not even animated versions of Brian Johnson and Angus Young.
So why would anybody buy this?
The music kicks ass. Despite the songs being live recordings, the quality is pristine, and stays true to the studio versions. And who hasn’t dreamed of belting out “You Shook Me All Night Long” in Rock Band?
Equally kickass is the export code that comes with the game. Upon buying AC/DC Live, you are entitled to a one-time download of the songs, for use in Rock Band or Rock Band 2. So once you unlock all the achievements in AC/DC Live, you can ditch the disc and play the songs through Rock Band.
Is the game worth your money? It helps that Wal-Mart recently dropped the price to $30 ( a more reasonable $1.67 per song). But it all depends on how much you value AC/DC. If you’re into buying a lot of downloadable content for Rock Band to begin with, and you’re dying to play songs like “Highway to Hell,” and “Back In Black,” you probably won’t go wrong.
But if this is your first jump into Rock Band or music games in general, stay away. AC/DC Live is for die-hards only.
Adrian Ruhi 