Review - The Beatles: Rock Band (Wii)

Band-specific music games aren’t new, but the arrival of The Beatles: Rock Band on consoles (and the Wii, in particular) gives the stagnating genre a much needed lift. Strangely, the game doesn’t really bring anything significantly new to the table, but it can’t be denied that what The Beatles: Rock Band does, it does with flair. Like the quartet this music game is based on, The Beatles: Rock Band is nothing short of fantastic. Today, we tell you why.

The Beatles: Rock Band is very similar to last year’s Rock Band 2, save for a few new tweaks. Since this is a music game, it’s all about playing the notes shown onscreen by way of a plastic controller in the shape of an instrument. The more consecutive notes you play correctly, the more points you earn. If you mess up your act, your performance meter drops. Once the meter is empty, it’s game over. The difference here is that if you do fail, there won’t be any boos—heaven forbid the Beatles get booed. Instead, the screen would just display “song failed.” The freestyle jam sessions, character creation, and band customization options are gone too, because it’s all about The Beatles. The major addition comes in the form of vocal harmonies, a style the Fab Four is known for. All the songs have up to three vocal parts, so you can use up to three microphones. If sung correctly, the results are awesome.

Of course, not everything is peachy. The biggest disappointment is the number of tracks in the game–there are only 45 of them. Naturally, you have to consider that band-specific music games usually feature other performers in addition to the featured group. Then again, this number is merely half of Rock Band 2’s catalog. Here’s another minor hiccup: if you’re looking to get your digits deformed by sheer difficulty, you might be disappointed. The Beatles: Rock Band is quite easy, but that’s because the group’s music isn’t terribly complex to play. Think of the game as a short and sweet journey through the Beatles’ musical career. An incomplete journey, that is.

Presentation is where The Beatles: Rock Band truly shines. From the jaw-dropping intro cartoon to each lovingly-designed menu, the game reeks of an artistic style that evokes the band. The caricatures of each Beatle is eerily similar, particularly the gesticulations that they make when performing. What’s more, the blank stare prevalent among avatars in previous Rock Band games isn’t here. The kicker in The Beatles: Rock Band is its music. The selection of songs is a bit eclectic, but like I said earlier, not all the classics are here. Where’s the iconic “Help,” or “Hey Jude”? Well, there’s always DLC if you want more. While all the timeless favorites aren’t here, the lineup is great nonetheless. Fans would buy this game for the music, and they won’t be disappointed.

The Beatles: Rock Band presents us a rose-tinted overview of the group’s history. That alone should convince you to own a copy of the game. Additionally, the music is topnotch while the visuals are a cut above “typical” music games—what other reason do you need? If you must have one music game this holiday season, you MUST own The Beatles: Rock Band.

9/10

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!