Amazing. That was the first thought through our head as we stepped off the stage. Looking back on what we've done, we've seen it all. We've been through a lot together, the Beatles and I. We've played on the rooftop of the Apple Corps headquarters, we jammed in the Shea Stadium, and we rocked out the Ed Sullivan Show. Everywhere the Beatles went, we went too. And all this, without even leaving the comfort of our own home.
From Ringo's nose, to Paul McCartney's clueless look, the Beatles are brilliantly recreated.
This is The Beatles: Rock Band, a rhythm action game that puts you in the shoes of one of the fab four. Letting you play the guitar, bass, drums, or sing, you can step into the shoes of John, Paul, Ringo or George (so long as you have the required controller), and follow the story of their success - from small time local band in Liverpool, to international superstars. Admittedly, the Beatles played a guitar that had strings, rather than simply pressing buttons and strumming in time as the notes come down the track - but on the harder difficulties, the two are remarkably similar. But we'll have more on that later.
Even with six people playing, the screen never gets too crowded - though we can't promise the same for your living room.
Regardless of your opinions on their talent (yes, we know you think the Kinks were better), there's little doubting the effect the group, and their music has had on the world. Ask anyone to name a Beatles song, and they'll name you three - such is the fab four's appeal, even now, forty years after their break up - and that's a strong part of the game's appeal.
Featuring forty five tracks, taken from throughout the Beatles career, the soundtrack benefits greatly from the sheer amount of variety that's present in the Beatles' music. If you can name three Beatles songs, chances are, two of them will be in here. The only real songs that are notable by their absence are Yesterday, and Hey Jude, with the rest of the soundtrack filled with Beatles classics (She's So Heavy and Within You Without You notwithstanding). From Here Comes the Sun to Octopuses Garden, and from Yellow Submarine to Eight Days a Week, there's bound to be plenty of songs in here that you'll like to play - and each song is radically different to the others.
Never before has there been such attention to detail in a music game. The songs have been divided up into sections of the Beatles' career, and as you progress through the "Story" mode, you'll move through the major moments in the Beatles' history, from the aforementioned small club in Liverpool, to the Shea Stadium, Bukodan Hall, and the Ed Sullivan show. And although these venues have all been brilliantly modelled, nothing really comes close to what the game's creators Harmonix have done with the later Beatles stuff, which comes from when they stopped touring.
The dreamscapes are vivid, wild, and wonderful - even if you do find yourself trying to watch them rather than concentrating on playing the game.
Because there are no live shows to put them in, Harmonix have created "dreamscapes" for each song. Giving every song a sort of semi-music video, the backgrounds are almost as entertaining to watch as playing the game itself. It's not often we go on about how great a game looks, because we know it doesn't really matter, but in this case, it really adds to the overall *shudder* experience. See what we're doing now? We're becoming pretentious. Words can't do these things justice
Each of the songs has been taken from the newly mastered Abbey Road recordings, and the key charts that the game asks you to play seem pretty much perfect. There are very, very few times where it feels like the game's asking you to play something that isn't accurate - and with four difficulty levels to choose from, you're bound to find something that'll let you play - whether you're a novice, or the next George Harrison.
It's even interesting seeing how the Beatles changed as they aged, and rode the rocket of success. God, we never thought we'd be so sad.
Even better - if you're feeling particularly creative, is that you can now have up to six players playing at once, as the game has full support for vocal harmonies. The Beatles were famous for their harmonisation, and now you can give it a go too - but with three pitches to follow on the vocal track, you'll have to make sure you and your friends pick a colour, and stick to it - or else you'll find yourself sounding more like Destiny's Child.
In terms of variety, presentation, innovation, or sheer fun factor, The Beatles: Rock Band comes out on top on all levels. If we had to criticise something, it'd be the way that the game throws some pretty tricky songs at you very early on in the career - which doesn't exactly give you time to settle into the game and find your bearings. Of course, it isn't really that much of a problem, as every song's unlocked from the start - something that's bound to please those amongst us who just feel like dipping into a song every now and then, without having to "earn" them first - which will give you chance to cut your teeth on songs you know, and like.
Lennon rocking out, McCartney looking like he's wandered into the wrong room, and Ringo "Don't call me by my stage name" Starr (sorry Ringo - oops, damn!), sporting an immense tash. We're just jealous, really.
In all honesty, there are really only two other problems with the game - the first is that there are two duff songs in here (She's So Heavy - but only because it goes on for so long, and Within You Without You, because it's crap. But at least it's mercifully short), and that there are a few Beatles greats that were missed out - but we guess that was always bound to happen, and is mostly down to personal opinion. You can't please everyone. And the second, is that sometimes, due to the more pastel-y shades on the notes in the note track, sometimes, they have a tendency to blend in with the background. This would have been fairly simple to fix, and does seem like an oversight in a game that's obviously had so much attention lavished on it.
Despite the only real innovation being the vocal harmonies, the Beatles: Rock Band still feels like a huge step forward. The amount of time, effort, and money that's gone into this shines through every second you play it - and most importantly, it doesn't just look good, or sound good. It plays well, too. Compared to other games in the genre, whether it be Guitar Hero: Van Halen, or even Rock Band 2 itself, The Beatles: Rock Band noses out in front.
If you've never played a rhythm action game before, and are put off by the heavier, more aggressive songs in games like Rock Band, this is the perfect place to start. Even if you don't like the Beatles, like we didn't, you will find something you like here.Like the Mary Poppins of games - practically perfect in every way.
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
