Rock Band‘s got a new instrument, if you haven’t guessed by the title. It’s a keyboard – with twenty-five keys.

USA Today’s Game Hunters has up a completely new preview of the game. They take a look at the new keyboard, pro mode, and everything else that’s “new” and “notable”. Oh, the game has full backwards-functionality and won’t require you to purchase new hardware if you already own a guitar, drum kit, or microphone – unless you want the new keyboard, that is.

There’s a separate preview up for the keyboard. Turns out you can use it as a MIDI keyboard, too, for those who want to connect it to their computer and use it for real music production.

Apparently, they’re working on a new guitar for the game that has strings, too. “It can tell where your fingers are based on technology in the neck and the bridge of the guitar. No buttons,” public relations gurus John Drake of Harmonix told the site. “While you’re playing it, it feels exactly like playing a real guitar,” because you are.

The game will be at E3 this year. It’ll have 83 new songs. Should be big. The third game in a franchise is always big.