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The Beatles: Rock Band
Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Price: $59.99 (Software only
PS3
,
Xbox 360
,
Wii
), $159.99 (special value bundle
PS3
,
Xbox 360
,
Wii
), $249.99 (Limited Edition Premium Bundle
PS3
,
Xbox 360
,
Wii
)
After playing through a few of the early songs in The Beatles: Rock Band, a thought occurred to me that should have been
obvious before but had eluded me until now... The Beatles were the N'Sync or Backstreet Boys of their generation... they
were a boy band. Sure, it's better music (well, at least in my opinion) and they had a long enough career to become more
than a boy band, but all the accoutrements of their boy band status are there.
That's really where playing through The Beatles: Rock Band differs from listening to your favorite Beatles albums. The
game includes 45 songs (playable through 43 tracks... a couple of the songs are coupled up) that span the band's career
(though not their entire catalog) from their early days at the Cavern Club through Abbey Road to their final live
performance on the Apple Records rooftop. Its part game, part documentary and that combination lets you experience the
Beatles music in a new way. Gameplay is exactly what you'd expect from a game that has "Rock Band" somewhere in the title.
Each of the tracks is split into four different parts, guitar, bass, drums and vocals. The one addition to the normal Rock
Band gameplay is the vocal harmonies in most of the songs. Now, up to three players can sing the different parts... or, if
you're anything like an average Rock Band singer, butcher three different parts.
What really struck me the first time I played the game is the presentation of it. Everything is much cleaner and brighter,
which is in line with the Beatles aesthetic. In fact, anything that would have been a distraction from the original music
has been stripped away or replaced with something more muted. To activate Beatlemania on the drums(or Overdrive/Star Power
for those of you more familiar with the Rock Band/Guitar Hero terms), all you need to hit is a single special crash cymbal
when it appears. Gone are the extemporaneous fill sections from the game's predecessors. If you listen really closely,
you can hear the slightest "ding" that happens when you achieve another star rating during the game... but you really have
to listen for it. It all adds up to as pure an aural presentation of the music as you can get with the clacking away of
two fake guitars, the thwacking of plastic drums and potentially three slightly off-key singers.
For the casual videogame players, all of the songs are unlocked as soon as you pop in the game disc but there is incentive
to play through the story (campaign) mode. If you're a hardcore videogame player or a hardcore Beatles fan, you can unlock
photos and videos that are artifacts of the Beatles journey through achieving higher star rankings on each song. The
Beatles weren't really known for their intricate and complex guitar or drum parts, so the more experienced Rock Band or
Guitar Hero player can probably pass each song with little difficulty. However, because the songs in the story mode are
presented in chronological order and not ordered by difficulty, some players may find themselves easily passing one song
and in over their head on the next on the same difficulty setting.
Since the Beatles catalog is limited (for obvious reasons), it's a little disappointing but understandable that there are
only 45 songs in the game. There are plans to release new songs through downloadable content, but it will probably take a
long time and a mountain of money (from both the licensing and consumer perspective) to get the entire catalog in the game.
As it stands, you can play through all of the songs in a few hours.
Rating
So the rating for the Beatles: Rock Band is an interesting dilemma. Because like all music rhythm games, your enjoyment of
the game is directly proportional to how much you like the music. Your enjoyment of the game is directly proportional to
how much you like the Beatles. I mean, I've heard that there are people out there who don't like the Beatles... I've never
met one personally, but I'm sure they exist out there somewhere. So here's my rather unorthodox rating for the game:
"Buy" if you're a huge Beatles fan. This game was made for you. Though chances are if you're a huge Beatles fan,
you already bought the game and are reading this review to see if I agree with you.
"Rent" if you've heard a few of the Beatles songs or if you're curious about the Beatles. The Beatles have had such
a different sound throughout their career that while you might be familiar with "I want to hold your hand" this game is a
good way to experience some of the Beatles songs you haven't heard in tv or movies.
"Pass" if you don't like the Beatles. If you've already made up your mind about the Beatles and their songs, this
game won't change your mind. You're better off not playing the game than playing through it like a chore.
Recommendations
The entire remastered
Beatles
catalog
- As if you didn't already own all these albums before.
Rock
Band
2
- It doesn't have the vocal harmonies but on the flip side, you can play songs by bands other than the Beatles.
Player Two
After the resurgence of multiplayer co-op, GameBizCo Inc. hired Player Two to be the Goose to someone else's Maverick. His workload isn't quite as heavy as most of the other people working at GameBizCo Inc. and as a result, he spends a lot of time in the break room or playing computer solitaire.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction
Player One
Player One is top dog at GameBizCo Inc. Nearly every game, from Pong to Mario Bros to Grand Theft Auto, requires Player One's expertise. His cocksure and sometimes inappropriate attitude is an annoyance to his coworkers but seeing as every game needs a first player, they make due.
First Appearance: Bonus Stage! Here comes Player One!
Damsel I. Distress
Whether it be a castle, a dungeon or mystical island, Damsel always needs to be saved... and she hates it. Damsel longs for the day when she's given the role of a strong female lead character who doesn't have huge breasts with hyper accurate physics.
First Appearance: LittleBIGPlanet
Final Boss
Underneath the huge brute that is Final Boss lies a timid creature who wouldn't hurt a fly. He puts on his "angry face" when throwing barrels down ramps or breathing fire but deep down he feels sorry for doing so. He's been known to throw a game or two in the player's favor.
First Appearance: World Record
John Minion
John Minion, or Min for short, is the hardest working employee at GameBizCo Inc. Playing everything from Goombas to no name thugs, Min gets beat up on a daily basis but loves every minute of it. He always wanted to work in the gaming industry and was originally hired as an intern. After years of getting coffee, his big break came when someone called in sick... and the rest is history.
First Appearance: Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Middle Manager
Middle Manager works in the Human Resources department. He runs staff meetings and interviews prospective employees. The other 90% of his time is spent playing Freecell on his computer.
First Appearance: Another Videogame Webcomic?!? An Introduction
