GRADE: A
To be honest, the best thing that can be said about “The Beatles: Rock Band” is that it delivers exactly what you’d expect from the title. It features a stellar instrument-imitating videogame combined with some of the best cuts from the catalogue of the cornerstone band of modern music.
For those unfamiliar with the game, the concept behind “Rock Band” is quite simple. Players use special guitar-shaped controllers with just five fret buttons and a strum bar to follow prompts that appear on-screen during songs, simulating the actual guitar or guitars heard during the song.
There’s also a microphone for karaoke-style singing, and a “drum kit” with four pads and a kick pedal for simulating percussion.
The game scores you depending on how closely you match the prompts, and it’s most fun when you have multiple players — one on every instrument — simulating a full band experience.
“The Beatles: Rock Band” doesn’t deviate from this formula. The game highlights the fact that while the “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero: World Tour” franchises can do an excellent job of making players feel like they’re actually playing instruments, they’re most fun when they simulate songs players actually like. And with the exception of those with particularly austere or hardcore tastes, most people will undoubtedly find something to like in the representative sampling of the Beatles’ catalogue.
It’s a testament to the power and timelessness of the Beatles that so much of their music has sunk into the public consciousness decades later, making the game much more accessible than its predecessors despite only having one band. No more scrolling through massive track lists to find the few songs everyone playing will agree on; most of the songs are well known, even to people who think they only know a few Beatles songs.
In terms of features, the biggest addition is the vocal harmonies option.
Now, up to three people can sing into one microphone, following along with different harmonies as they scroll across the screen. It’s a feature that will probably only be really appreciated by people who can sing well enough to harmonize, but it’s still fun and immersive when it works.
Though visuals usually end up being almost totally superfluous in these games, “The Beatles: Rock Band” is a stunning exception. The backdrops during songs replicate various famous Beatles performances like Shea Stadium and the Ed Sullivan Show.
The songs recorded after the band stopped touring are accompanied by abstract “visualizations,” such as seeing “Sgt. Pepper” performed in the cover uniforms. These backdrops provide a sense of the scale and scope of the Beatles’ career, and make the game almost as entertaining to watch as it is to listen to.
While the Beatles’ music has always been great, the game utilizes the newly re-mastered tracks, making the music sound better than ever. The music sounds more crisp, the arrangements sound fuller and if you’re listening to the game on anything better than generic TV speakers, you’ll really be able to enjoy how the old music sounds fresh and new.
“The Beatles: Rock Band” goes beyond any music game before it, proving a truly interactive musical experience that falls just short of learning the instruments and starting a tribute band. Though it doesn’t add much depth or addition to the “Rock Band” formula, it’s worth its price for any Beatles aficionado looking to live out a fantasy or just as a casual party game.
You can reach this staff writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
