Animations and visuals really are strikingly brilliant.
The Beatles music for me represents shining beacon of excellence in musical achievement. Having grown up in the 90s, I was subjected to the swarming plagues of boy bands and numerous forms of the same spice girls; as well as the expansion out into the absurd metal and trance/dance music in more recent times. For years, I just went with the idea that I didn’t really like any music. But then I heard the Beatles and, it was revealed to me that truly, the music of our fathers was the greatest. Beatles music to me isn’t simply good, they are the single band I keep going back to remind myself that for every crazy frog anthem that hits number one, or generic rock single released by ‘Kings of Leon’; at least one point in time music truly was great, and is still worthy of defence even with today scene. As a band, you could say the Beatles are the corner stone of my musical sanity.
If there is one brand of music I can bear through the clattering of plastic guitars, missed notes and drunken singing, it’s the Beatles. So with all that slavouring in the first paragraph, it won’t come as a surprise to hear I had to buy new jeans when ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’ was announced.
Even those unfamiliar with the video gaming world would probably heard of the ‘rhythm’ genre or the recent boom of video games which incorporate it, most popular of which are the ‘Guitar Hero’ series, or my personal favourite, the ‘Rock Band’ series. Rhythm Games involve the player or players hitting buttons in time with the music, usually on controllers shaped like guitars or drums or pick up the microphone and attempt to match the pitch of the note in singing, and with regards to that, The Beatles Rock Band is no exception. Proving popular among hardcore gamers and casual alike, the genre of game is most well known for their heavy advertisement, and appeal, mostly as party games.
With overall feel and presentation of the game, it would be fair to say that like it’s title; ‘The Beatles Rock Band’ truly is a Beatles Game first, Rock Band game second. Up to four can choose to pick up either guitar, bass, drums, or vocals and follow the Beatles through their musical career. All the way from their first appearances in the infamous ‘Cavern’ rock and rock and roll club in their home town of Liverpool, to the windy rooftops of Apple studios. All the great music minus the women, lsd, and annoying Asian artists. Actually, Yoko was apparently very helpful in the creative process of the game as well was McCartney and Ringo which just demonstrates my point of how dedicated the game really is.
All though this game structure is effective for staying true to the Beatles career, because the career mode follows the band in chronological order rather then the traditional method of following difficulty; the curve with regard to difficulty can become a bit eratic at times with game demanding that at one minute you be hastily strumming away to the tune of ‘Boys’ in the beginning only to encounter the calm, and relaxing notes of ‘I am the Walrus’ nearer the end. Of course, it gets to difficult to complete there are multiple difficulties to play on and even a quickplay mode with all songs minus one, unlocked.
However, Fans and veterans of the genre won’t find much challenge in most of the songs. The Beatles were never known for their rocking, metallic guitar solos or inane drum beats and so I went through the game swiftly 5- staring the vast majority of the song list on expert like a true nerd.
The Beatles Rock Band also isn’t much in the way of a party game. Although it features all songs in ‘quickplay’ mode right from the start a feature much missed in previous titles; at today’s ‘banging’ parties you’ll find there to be multiple ranges of people, all of different ages, ethnicities and the most relative difference- musical tastes. So you are bound to find there are people who don’t want to play The Beatles music, no matter how genre spanning and all round amazing their musical career really was. These of course will be the people drinking beer out of the toilets and wearing pants on their heads.
For Beatles fans out there though, and there’s bound to be a lot of them still, The Beatles Rock Band is an absolute treat simply for the fact that it’s the closest you’ll ever come to being one of the Beatles, or touching Lennon. The level of detail truly is astounding. The menus are vibrant and colourful and the presentation in the introduction and outro cinematics are truly astounding and successfully capture the epic effect of the Beatles and the very essence of their musical career. Though previous negative comments of the game still apply it shouldn’t be thought of as a videogame in the traditional sense of the term, but an extension of the Beatles music- a way to enjoy it on a new plane of experience.
Sgt Peppers whimsical Dreamscape
When actually playing tracks, video cinematics act as the background ranging from small, packed cavern, to the bustling and overflowing stadiums of their global tours. They are a crafted with superb attention to detail unseen in a rock band game which adds to all round quality feel of the game; and I feel, successfully encapsulate the essence of the Beatles music to the extent that I may just break down in tears in the middle of ‘Dear Prudence’. The ‘dreamscapes’ in the later levels are to be given special commemoration for creativity. As the walls of the Abbey Road studio( the place in which the band spent most of their later years after they stopped touring) melt away, the player, is transported to a surreal and psychedelic plane of pure beauty which changes with the music crescendos and tones. If this is what the Beatles saw in their minds eye when writing this music I may just pass out in disbelief.
A treasure trove of rarely seen or heard Beatles material can be unlocked throughout the game from photos of the band with captions detailing their significance in the Beatles Career to videos such as shorts from documentaries and interviews. From a fans point of view, the dedication truly is a treat. The game even makes headway, small, in terms of gameplay itself. Though admittedly small players of the previous Rock Band games will certainly appreciate the introduction of a countdown after pausing the game mid track- a missing feature it’s rival Guitar Hero have flaunted since the very first release of world tour.
In terms of the track list, it’s all Beatles and so there’s not much issue with what’s there. What is a bit of a kick in the teeth is the criminally short stature of the track list and the fact that genuiely good tracks; tracks that could be said to be more symbolic of the Beatles career are not in included and are in was neglected. From a discography spanning 12 studio recorded albums, 13 Eps, and 22 singles to include only 45 tracks in the game is a bit of an insult, and fans will be disappointed to learn there’s no ‘Help’, no ‘Eleanor Rigby’; not even ‘Hey Jude’ (a song now admittedly ruined for me by ‘Pink’ and that T mobile television advert).
Publisher Ea have promised three albums as downloadable content for the game including the rest of the Abbey Road album, Sgt Peppers and Rubber soul; but such a move I feel to be hollow and is unappreciated by me. Again in terms of quality, it’s the Beatles and I can’t really complain. What I can dispute is the price of them. Songs prices are 160 Microsoft points, or in plain English, around £2 each; and since half of each album is already included in the game, as much as I love ‘A Day in the Life’ I can’t help but get the sense that I’m being ripped off.
I’d urge everyone to buy the Beatles Rock Band, but then again being a fan I would. I’d also urge everyone to cast off those ridiculous skinny jeans I’ve seen them wearing and just listen to the Beatles. In the End, the love you take is equal to the love you make; and also The Beatles Rock Band is necessary only for the fans of The Beatles music. Those used to regular Rock Band or Guitar Hero may find the difficulty perhaps a bit too easy going and mildly repetitive, and it’s a shame because in terms of quality and presentation, regardless of the level of your Beatles fandom, The Beatles Rock Band really has to be respected for it’s effort and dedication. It’s to be thought of as video game per say, but as a new way of enjoying the Beatles music: As something to be enjoyed among a select group of friends with similar tastes in music just as the Beatles themselves were.
