Everyone loves music/rhythm games. From plastic guitar and drums to DJ scratching and even teaching you to play a real instrument, they’re a ton of fun. See our picks for the best of the genre on Xbox 360.
As far as the Xbox One goes, check out Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4.
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is really two games in one. On one hand, it is the same plastic instrument music/rhythm game we’ve been playing for years now, and also introduces a new keyboard peripheral for even more fun. On the other hand, it can actually teach you how to really play a real guitar and also features more realistic modes for drums and keyboard as well. Either way, you want to play it, Rock Band 3 is easily the best music/rhythm game on the market.
Helps you learn to play the guitar.
Drums and keyboard are more realistic.
New challenges and career mode.
Game can be expensive when purchasing instruments and peripherals.
Crowd no longer sings along when you’re performing well.
Rocksmith 2014
Please note: all of the other games on this list use plastic fake peripherals. Rocksmith, on the other hand, uses a real full-sized guitar. This is real guitar and real music, not just playing pretend. Rocksmith 2014 easily tops everything the original Rocksmith did with a much better song list and even better methods to really teach you to play guitar. We cannot recommend Rocksmith enough.
Improved song list and teaching methods over predecessor.
Uses a real guitar.
Games and unlockables make learning enjoyable.
Requires pricey Rocksmith Real Tone Cable, purchased separately.
Latency between hitting notes and hearing them.
Guitar Hero: Metallica
Rock Band definitely has a wide range of songs to choose from, but it is sort of lacking in two areas – real heavy metal (not fake pop-metal garbage) and challenge. Guitar Hero: Metallica is the answer to both of those problems. If you are a fan of Metallica or old school metal in general, this game has an amazingly great song list. Plus, these songs aren’t stuck on perpetual baby-mode difficulty. They have tons of notes and can be hard to play, but are as rewarding and enjoyable as any song you’ll ever play in a music/rhythm game.
Great song list for metal and Metallica fans.
Challenging gameplay.
Only one DLC available.
Not much for those who are not Metallica fans.
The Beatles: Rock Band
The biggest rock band in the world also has one of the best music/rhythm games ever. It is hard not to like The Beatles, and no matter what genre of music you claim to prefer, The Beatles offer clean sounding, catchy, fun music that everyone will recognize and enjoy. With that said, the songs aren’t exactly complex, so gamers looking for more of a challenge should try one of the other games on this list. If, however, you’re looking for a game for the whole family to play together, with casual difficulty and songs that everyone will like, The Beatles: Rock Band is a perfect fit.
Contains well-known songs by The Beatles.
Faithful to the band’s different phases and styles.
New vocal harmonies gameplay.
Songs don’t present significant challenges.
If you’re not a fan of The Beatles, best to look elsewhere.
DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero was the surprise hit of 2009, so you shouldn’t be shocked that Activision is back just a year later with a sequel. This isn’t some quick smash and grab where they are just trying to crank out sequels (insert Bobby Kotick is evil picture here), though, as DJ Hero 2 features a lot of improvements that make it even better than the original. This is a fantastic music game all around.
Offers improvements over the original.
Battle against big-name DJs.
Vocals are weak.
Song list is for broad appeal, so mostly Top 40 hits.
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is right up there with The Beatles: Rock Band in terms of family friendliness. It offers a ton of difficulty modes, lets players all play the same instrument if they want (choose from bass, guitar, vocals, drums), and has more gameplay modes than any other title in the genre. There is a lot of stuff in this game that will appeal to players of all skill levels. It doesn’t have the strongest song list and, we have to admit, the gameplay feels kind of lifeless and too easy, but depending on your interest level and what you want to do with the game (like play with your family), GH5 is a solid pick up.
Family friendly fun.
Choose from many gameplay modes.
Easy to navigate through the game.
Less impressive song list compared to other games in the genre.
Gameplay can feel a bit too easy.
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