The Beatles: Rock Band Review

“Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something, I think you’ll understand,” The Beatles: Rock Band is phenomenal. It was E3 when we had out first experience with The Beatles: Rock Band, and we already knew that the game was going to be great. But with the full version now in our hand, we can say that this is a must-have for any Beatles fan, and will also be enjoyed by Rock Band fans.

As you load the game up for the first time, we have to first recommend watching the opening cinematic, as it is nothing short of spectacular. It sets the mood, and lets you know exactly what to expect from the game. As for the game, it walks you through the entire history of The Beatles, while unlocking photos and and video/audio segments depending on how well you perform on each song.

One of our favorite parts of the game is the Theatre, which allows you to unlock rare footage of The Beatles. The first piece of footage we unlocked was the original Christmas record that was sent out to the original Beatles fan club members. We won’t ruin any of the awesomeness of the unlockable presents, but is a nice addition for those attempting 5 stars on all the songs, which is the only way you can unlock these prizes.

The game starts you off in 1963 at The Cavern, and gives you the chance to sing songs such as Twist And Shout and I Saw Her Standing There, before continuing the career on the Ed Sullivan show. As great as the songs are, the backdrops and animations are equally impressive, taking you from the recording studio to the fantastic imagination that The Beatles possessed. The true Beatles fan will also take note of the commentary that takes place before and after a majority of the songs, with “My fingers have blisters,” being yelled out by Ringo following one of the more difficult drum solos.

The Beatles Rockin’ Out

You need to watch the backdrops and the background while playing the game, watching as The Beatles age, the different locations they play at, and of course the Dreamscapes. I especially enjoyed playing Yellow Submarine which features an underwater backdrop, and also makes an awesome party song to rock out to. Equally impressive is Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends, which merges two great songs together.

As of this writing, the multiplayer, the store and online functions of the game haven’t been turned on yet, but we already know that you will be able to download the entire “Abbey Road” album beginning on October 20 for 1360 MSPoints for the full album, or 160 for each song, along with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Rubber Soul” following in November and December respectively.

All You Need Is Love

The game itself does have a few small annoyances including the difficulty of hitting Harmonies, the special mode that allows up to three players to jump onto a controller and sing the different vocal options. But, with one player hitting the bottom blue key, it makes it somewhat difficult to the higher orange and red keys. Best of luck to those attempting the Double and Triple Fabs, the game’s way of saying “Perfect,” which also increases the multiplier.

This game is a must own for any fan of The Beatles, and may also be entertaining for those who have never really heard The Beatles music. It released on 9/9/09 and is a wonderful tribute to The Beatles. Harmonix and Apple Corps did a great job at bringing The Beatles to life, and now have to wonder what they plan on bringing to future Rock Band games. Can we finally be able to get a Pink Floyd game? Here is to hoping!

Post Review Notes: The game features 45 songs on disk. “All You Need Is Love” will be available on DLC  September 9, 2009 with the proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. For 160 MSPoints, we recommend getting this great song, and supporting the charity.