The Beatles: Rock Band Review Page 2

19 Sep 2009 at 07:56:33 by Tim McDonald
Systems used to review this title: (360)

The other major addition is that of the harmonised vocals. If you have three microphones – and don't forget that Lips microphones will now work – then, assuming you can rig them up with mic stands (impromptu or otherwise), up to three players can sing at a time. Amazingly, the UI for this isn't too complicated; if the song in question supports three vocalists then three different-coloured bars appear on the vocal window, with lyrics for the solo underneath and the harmony above. Playing guitar and singing to a song you know is joyous, and I've Got a Feeling that a lot of people are going to be happy that this ability is so heavily illuminated.

All of the old features are still there, though. If I Needed Someone then the full internet options are present, as are friend leaderboards at the end of each song telling you how you compare with your friends Back in the USSR, but – even moreso with the addition of harmonised vocals – local multiplayer is where it's at. If you and the Boys decide to Come Together to give it a go, it's unlikely anyone will be disappointed with the instruments as let's face it: barring one or two exceptions, the majority are enjoyable to guitar or drum along to, there are plenty of good basslines (which, I admit, I've been caught playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps), And Your Bird Can Sing.

It feels like almost every design decision is correct, right down to the 45 song tracklisting. While that might seem a bit short these days, with even the first Rock Band title sporting over 60 in Europe, it feels to me more like a welcome return to form. There aren't many dud songs on there, and it means that there's plenty to occupy you until the DLC comes out while not overwhelming you in music. You'll play everything at least once and you'll find your favourites. That said – considering the involvement and support of the surviving Beatles and the clear desire to create a product for the fans - it's disappointing that McCartney and Starr didn't take more of an active role in the game itself. Would it have been too much to ask for the pair to perhaps voice the tutorials? As it is, there isn't so much as a Hello Goodbye, and once you notice this it's a tad disconcerting. Hm.

Anyway, to Get Back to it: when you heard about The Beatles: Rock Band, did you perhaps wail “Don't Let Me Down?” You needn't have worried. I've been playing Eight Days a Week, even relaxing with it after A Hard Day's Night, and I Feel Fine. While it's not necessarily the Revolution of the genre that was promised (as early interviews and reveals had Harmonix claiming it'd be quite different to Rock Band), it's still a Helter Skelter of superb songs and stunning dreamscapes, with perfectly rendered Beatles and an Octopus' Garden of genuinely fascinating rewards for the time you spend with it.

It's a genuinely loving tribute to the band and I find it hard to believe that even someone who only listens to the odd song could fail to be enthralled. If you don't like any Beatles songs then you're probably not going to get too much out of it, sure, but anyone past that – whether a die-hard Beatlemaniac who knows how to Dig a Pony, or simply a Day Tripper who wants to sing along to I Am the Walrus – is going to find Something to love here. It's a Ticket to Ride a roaring train of Beatles experiences, and in The End, that sums it up: as good a game as this is, it's really an experience that should be undertaken by anyone with an interest in the band.

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