‘The Beatles: Rock Band’ Reviewed
The Beatles are one of the most successful and well known bands in the history of music. They have given us some of the best and most memorable songs ever. There is almost no one I know that doesn’t know a least one of the Beatles’ songs and can probably hum a few verses of it if asked on the spot. So when the announcement was made that the Beatles would be getting their own video game, I was like a kid in a candy shop and immediately ready to pick it up without a second thought.
Working with the remaining members of the Beatles and their family members during its creation, Harmonix set out to bring Beatles music into the video-game world and into a new realm that has never been done before with any of their works. On September 9, “The Beatles: Rock Band” was released to the world coinciding with the release of the new and completely re-mastered CD versions of their complete catalog of albums. The game consists of 45 songs spanning their entire career, along with virtual creations of the band members performing the songs in the various venues that they once played so long ago.
So how is it? Is this game worth picking up? Did Harmonix do the Beatles justice and create a game worth playing that holds true to everything the Beatles created for the world during their career? Well I am glad to say that they most definitely created a winner. Now, while the game has a few things that could be better and is lacking a couple things, overall this is a solid title and worth a look by all.
The Good:
The Music and Sound Effects - This is Beatles music, in a video game!!! This is the first time ever that the world has gotten a chance to not only hear but also play the music of the Beatles in a video game, and man does it sound good. From “Twist and Shout” to “Get Back,” the songs have never sounded better. The tracks in the game are high-fidelity re-mastered tracks and the level of clarity is outstanding. It makes me want to run out and pick up all of the new CD re-masters of their albums. It is that good. On top of that is some of the new audio material added to the game that has never been released or heard by anyone; some of the new material includes band chatter and instrument tunes taken from recorded performances. This audio plays during the loading screens or bookends certain songs or is used as background noise during cut scenes. The adding of these extra effects is just awesome to hear since it has never been heard by anyone before.
The Artwork/Visuals - Not only were the Beatles known for their unbelievable music but also for their eccentric and quite creative artwork and imagery. This game not only wants us to have the ability to listen and play Beatles music but also to see and feel the complete experience that made the Beatles stand out from the rest of the musical world. From the heavily stylized opening sequence to the cut scenes between songs, you get a real sense of how the music of the Beatles had life to it and a real feeling. The songs have a real depth to them and the visuals of the game truly help you get that point. Each stage of their career is set in a different location, recreated in insane detail that it is just amazing to see, such as The Cavern Club from the very beginning of their career to The Rooftop Performance right near the end of it. Each song has unique and vivid animation and detail that helps make this game pop and stand out from all the others.
I absolutely loved the animations and artwork that are used while playing the song “Yellow Submarine.” The developers decided to not only have the visuals in the background from the movie, but also they dressed the characters in the same clothing. It was a nice touch and was very cool to see, especially since the game is displayed in beautiful HD resolution.
Game play – Like previous versions of the Rock Band games, the game play style has not changed that much and remains quite fluid and smooth. Players simulate the performance of rock music by using their controllers to play scrolling onscreen notes by hitting the correct color-coded button or singing the correct phrase of a song in a similar pitch. A new addition to the game-play mechanics that I really like is the inclusion of harmonies. The Beatles were well known for having harmonies in their songs and it is very nice to see that it has been included in this game. For songs with multipart vocals, players need only to stay in tone with the lead singer to score points and keep their performance meter up, but players earn additional scoring bonuses when they successfully complete phrases in harmony. The inclusion of this new feature works quite well and gives the game even more depth. I hope they include this in future games.
New Instrument Controllers – While this really doesn’t have much to do with the game itself – in the sense of changing how it is played or functions – I still think they are awesome. Four new instrument peripherals modeled after those used by Beatles members have been introduced alongside the release of the game. These include a Rickenbacker 325 guitar, a Gretsch Duo Jet guitar, a Höfner bass and a Ludwig drums set. These new instrument controllers function similarly to the controllers designed for “Rock Band 2,” with most alterations being purely aesthetic. I absolutely love the look and feel of the new instruments, and, due to their iconic nature, it is totally worth picking them up if you’re a fan.
Extras/ Bonus Content – This game is packed with a ton of extras. Not only do you have an outstanding audio and visual experience while playing, but you unlock some of the coolest stuff from the Beatles’ career. You will unlock never-before-seen pictures, videos and memorabilia, as well as some audio clips that only a select few have ever heard, such as a recording from a Christmas record with greetings from the band that had been sent only to members of the Beatles fan club. Another cool feature is in the options menu, called Realistic Mode. Turning this mode on cranks up the volume of the crowd to the point you can barely hear the lyrics, recreating the feeling of all the screaming teenage fans at the concerts. The extras in the game are very cool, and, for a fan, something that makes this game a must-have item to add to the collection.
The Bad:
Song List – Only 45 songs. A bit disappointing, seeing that the total number of songs made by the Beatles is around 300 or so. Now, while there may be contractual or other unknown reasons why they didn’t have more songs in the game, I still feel as if they could have at least had more, especially since most other “Rock Band” games average around 85 songs. Yes, they will be doing future downloadable content to expand the list, such as the soon-to-be-released complete “Abbey Road” album, but still it is disappointing. If anything, at least they could have added songs from bands that either influenced the Beatles or from bands that they enjoyed. It would have been neat to see what songs perhaps inspired the Beatles to write some of their hits, or even songs that they listened to while on the road. Oh well – perhaps in the future a downloadable add-on will make this happen.
Difficulty – While I am most definitely not a wiz at “Rock Band” or “Guitar Hero” and normally stick to Medium difficulty when I play, I found myself able to play through this game on expert level with the guitar and actually survive the most difficult of songs all the way through. While this did give me a bit of a sense of accomplishment for doing something I normally cannot, I was a bit disappointed on just how easy this game really is. Now, I know that the Beatles were not the most technically inclined musicians and most of their songs stick to a basic tempo or note style, but it would have been nice to perhaps have a bit more of a challenge, especially since the set list is so short. I will add, though, that the drumming is still the same as previous games and very hard to do even on a medium setting. I give serious credit to anyone who is able to play through the game on any setting higher than easy. Bravo to you!!! I will say one thing, though, for the rookie players of these games: This is a game to learn how to play and works well as a first step for those who are “video-game challenged.”
Player Options – The Beatles consisted of two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer, all of who also were singers, so you would think that this game would match this setup. Unfortunately this is not the case and is very disappointing. Unlike “Guitar Hero 5” (I’ll be reviewing in the coming weeks), which allows for you to play any number of instrument configurations you want, whether it is four guitarists or four drummers, this game restricts you to only two guitar players at one time. And to add to that, you only have a choice of either guitar or bass, so you can’t even truly do two guitarists at one time. I was very disappointed in this fact since clearly it is something that has been proven to work with other games. Perhaps it’s a hardware issue or coding issue or even something that was overlooked, but I am really hoping they’ll put out a patch to fix this issue.
Historical Inaccuracy – One thing that this game has – while most won’t notice or really care – is inaccuracy in songs the Beatles played at certain venues. A good example of this is during the Budokan stage, when it shows the band performing "Taxman" and "And Your Bird Can Sing" even though those songs hadn't been released at that point in their career and thus could never have been played. Another instance of this is Ringo Starr playing drums for "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence" – it was Paul McCartney playing on both of those songs, as Ringo Starr had briefly quit the band at that point. Like I said, its little things like that, that unless you’re looking for them, you would never even notice. And really it doesn’t even matter since the game is just about the music and having a good time.
The Bottom Line:
While the game might be missing a few things that could have made it way better than it is, and the set list is definitely shorter and a tad easier than all the other music games out nowadays, all around this game is great and worth every penny.
With all the extras and never-before-seen or heard material, and all the wondrous visuals and animations, this game really sets it self apart and does the Beatles justice. Not only will you play through and enjoy some of the most creative and influential music of all time, but also you will experience it in a way that really shows you the true depth and life that the Beatles have put into their songs and the feelings they wanted to portray when they created them.
Perhaps it’s due to the pure iconic nature of the Beatles and the music that they gave the world, or even because this game tries to do things a bit differently than the others by adding a few new elements like harmonies, but I have to say this is a must-have item and you should run out and pick it up as soon as you have the chance.
This is a great game for fans of the Beatles, as well as for those hearing their music for the first time. Beatlemania is alive and well and you most definitely need to join in the fun!!
Til next time, keep on gaming!!
The Good:
The Music and Sound Effects - This is Beatles music, in a video game!!! This is the first time ever that the world has gotten a chance to not only hear but also play the music of the Beatles in a video game, and man does it sound good. From “Twist and Shout” to “Get Back,” the songs have never sounded better. The tracks in the game are high-fidelity re-mastered tracks and the level of clarity is outstanding. It makes me want to run out and pick up all of the new CD re-masters of their albums. It is that good. On top of that is some of the new audio material added to the game that has never been released or heard by anyone; some of the new material includes band chatter and instrument tunes taken from recorded performances. This audio plays during the loading screens or bookends certain songs or is used as background noise during cut scenes. The adding of these extra effects is just awesome to hear since it has never been heard by anyone before.
The Artwork/Visuals - Not only were the Beatles known for their unbelievable music but also for their eccentric and quite creative artwork and imagery. This game not only wants us to have the ability to listen and play Beatles music but also to see and feel the complete experience that made the Beatles stand out from the rest of the musical world. From the heavily stylized opening sequence to the cut scenes between songs, you get a real sense of how the music of the Beatles had life to it and a real feeling. The songs have a real depth to them and the visuals of the game truly help you get that point. Each stage of their career is set in a different location, recreated in insane detail that it is just amazing to see, such as The Cavern Club from the very beginning of their career to The Rooftop Performance right near the end of it. Each song has unique and vivid animation and detail that helps make this game pop and stand out from all the others.
I absolutely loved the animations and artwork that are used while playing the song “Yellow Submarine.” The developers decided to not only have the visuals in the background from the movie, but also they dressed the characters in the same clothing. It was a nice touch and was very cool to see, especially since the game is displayed in beautiful HD resolution.
Game play – Like previous versions of the Rock Band games, the game play style has not changed that much and remains quite fluid and smooth. Players simulate the performance of rock music by using their controllers to play scrolling onscreen notes by hitting the correct color-coded button or singing the correct phrase of a song in a similar pitch. A new addition to the game-play mechanics that I really like is the inclusion of harmonies. The Beatles were well known for having harmonies in their songs and it is very nice to see that it has been included in this game. For songs with multipart vocals, players need only to stay in tone with the lead singer to score points and keep their performance meter up, but players earn additional scoring bonuses when they successfully complete phrases in harmony. The inclusion of this new feature works quite well and gives the game even more depth. I hope they include this in future games.
New Instrument Controllers – While this really doesn’t have much to do with the game itself – in the sense of changing how it is played or functions – I still think they are awesome. Four new instrument peripherals modeled after those used by Beatles members have been introduced alongside the release of the game. These include a Rickenbacker 325 guitar, a Gretsch Duo Jet guitar, a Höfner bass and a Ludwig drums set. These new instrument controllers function similarly to the controllers designed for “Rock Band 2,” with most alterations being purely aesthetic. I absolutely love the look and feel of the new instruments, and, due to their iconic nature, it is totally worth picking them up if you’re a fan.
Extras/ Bonus Content – This game is packed with a ton of extras. Not only do you have an outstanding audio and visual experience while playing, but you unlock some of the coolest stuff from the Beatles’ career. You will unlock never-before-seen pictures, videos and memorabilia, as well as some audio clips that only a select few have ever heard, such as a recording from a Christmas record with greetings from the band that had been sent only to members of the Beatles fan club. Another cool feature is in the options menu, called Realistic Mode. Turning this mode on cranks up the volume of the crowd to the point you can barely hear the lyrics, recreating the feeling of all the screaming teenage fans at the concerts. The extras in the game are very cool, and, for a fan, something that makes this game a must-have item to add to the collection.
The Bad:
Song List – Only 45 songs. A bit disappointing, seeing that the total number of songs made by the Beatles is around 300 or so. Now, while there may be contractual or other unknown reasons why they didn’t have more songs in the game, I still feel as if they could have at least had more, especially since most other “Rock Band” games average around 85 songs. Yes, they will be doing future downloadable content to expand the list, such as the soon-to-be-released complete “Abbey Road” album, but still it is disappointing. If anything, at least they could have added songs from bands that either influenced the Beatles or from bands that they enjoyed. It would have been neat to see what songs perhaps inspired the Beatles to write some of their hits, or even songs that they listened to while on the road. Oh well – perhaps in the future a downloadable add-on will make this happen.
Difficulty – While I am most definitely not a wiz at “Rock Band” or “Guitar Hero” and normally stick to Medium difficulty when I play, I found myself able to play through this game on expert level with the guitar and actually survive the most difficult of songs all the way through. While this did give me a bit of a sense of accomplishment for doing something I normally cannot, I was a bit disappointed on just how easy this game really is. Now, I know that the Beatles were not the most technically inclined musicians and most of their songs stick to a basic tempo or note style, but it would have been nice to perhaps have a bit more of a challenge, especially since the set list is so short. I will add, though, that the drumming is still the same as previous games and very hard to do even on a medium setting. I give serious credit to anyone who is able to play through the game on any setting higher than easy. Bravo to you!!! I will say one thing, though, for the rookie players of these games: This is a game to learn how to play and works well as a first step for those who are “video-game challenged.”
Player Options – The Beatles consisted of two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer, all of who also were singers, so you would think that this game would match this setup. Unfortunately this is not the case and is very disappointing. Unlike “Guitar Hero 5” (I’ll be reviewing in the coming weeks), which allows for you to play any number of instrument configurations you want, whether it is four guitarists or four drummers, this game restricts you to only two guitar players at one time. And to add to that, you only have a choice of either guitar or bass, so you can’t even truly do two guitarists at one time. I was very disappointed in this fact since clearly it is something that has been proven to work with other games. Perhaps it’s a hardware issue or coding issue or even something that was overlooked, but I am really hoping they’ll put out a patch to fix this issue.
Historical Inaccuracy – One thing that this game has – while most won’t notice or really care – is inaccuracy in songs the Beatles played at certain venues. A good example of this is during the Budokan stage, when it shows the band performing "Taxman" and "And Your Bird Can Sing" even though those songs hadn't been released at that point in their career and thus could never have been played. Another instance of this is Ringo Starr playing drums for "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence" – it was Paul McCartney playing on both of those songs, as Ringo Starr had briefly quit the band at that point. Like I said, its little things like that, that unless you’re looking for them, you would never even notice. And really it doesn’t even matter since the game is just about the music and having a good time.
The Bottom Line:
While the game might be missing a few things that could have made it way better than it is, and the set list is definitely shorter and a tad easier than all the other music games out nowadays, all around this game is great and worth every penny.
With all the extras and never-before-seen or heard material, and all the wondrous visuals and animations, this game really sets it self apart and does the Beatles justice. Not only will you play through and enjoy some of the most creative and influential music of all time, but also you will experience it in a way that really shows you the true depth and life that the Beatles have put into their songs and the feelings they wanted to portray when they created them.
Perhaps it’s due to the pure iconic nature of the Beatles and the music that they gave the world, or even because this game tries to do things a bit differently than the others by adding a few new elements like harmonies, but I have to say this is a must-have item and you should run out and pick it up as soon as you have the chance.
This is a great game for fans of the Beatles, as well as for those hearing their music for the first time. Beatlemania is alive and well and you most definitely need to join in the fun!!
Til next time, keep on gaming!!
Labels: Beatles, Games, New, Review, Rock Band
This entry was posted by James Dumas, on Monday, October 19, 2009. You can
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