Review: 'The Beatles Rock Band'

Leading up to the release of The Beatles Rock Band, Dhani Harrison, one of the game's designers and son of George Harrison, talked about how the experience of the game led some testers to tears. The game was a tribute so touching, that even veterans of the music industry began to tear up. Me, the cynic, didn't buy it. I love The Beatles, but come on. It's a video game. It can't be that emotional.

And then I played it.



OK, let's get the technicals out of the way, first. There's nothing innovative as far as the basic instruments go. If you've ever played Rock Band or Guitar Hero, you'll know what to do. The harmonies are certainly a nice addition, especially if you're like me and switch between singing Paul's part and John's part in the middle of the song. Also, if you've got some friends who can really harmonize, you're set.

The game takes you through the career of The Beatles, from the Cavern Club to the Ed Sullivan Theatre to the studio and, finally, to the roof. Unlike previous Rock Band games, there's no flexibility in the game's animated sequences. There's no room for a guy with a mohawk and mustache wearing flannel to sing "Yellow Submarine." That's Ringo's job.

Every song, likeness, and animated sequence is treated with guarded reverence. As a matter of fact, the game is so peaceful and smiley that it's hard to imagine John Lennon ever frowning or any of the four of them ever having an unpleasant moment.

But aside from mild deification, the game's bias leans toward a message that The Beatles were always in favor of: love. The game isn't, "You, the rock star, sky rocket to success." This is a game where you study the various eras of The Beatles. Meanwhile, the entire experience is blanketed by love.

There are enough extras to give any Beatles fanatic an excuse to buy the game, and the achievements really push you to get the most out of the game. And, of course, there's the promise of fully downloadable albums in the future, with Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper's, and Rubber Soul already announced, so the replay value is excellent.

I mentioned that I, too, found this game emotional. It's hard to describe, really, but all throughout "Dear Prudence," a smile was inexplicably plastered on my face. As the song ended, I sighed a breath of wistfulness, as though I was there when The Beatles broke up.



It's a beautifully designed game and a wonderful experience. I'm already itching for DLC. Hopefully, they'll let us have a turn at some of those solo albums (I'm looking at you, Ram).

'The Beatles: Rock Band' eve!

Hey there readers (who I have neglected severely). Do you know what this day is? It's the ever elusive 9/8/09, which means we're mere hours away from the release of 'The Beatles: Rock Band.'



So here's my question for you, dear reader. Are you for or against the virtual Beatles?

I'll be picking it up soon, so expect a review at some point this month.

New 'Beatles Rock Band' videos

There are a few games coming out this year that I'm excited about. But honestly, perhaps the most exciting game of the year is The Beatles Rock Band. Sure, it's just another Rock Band game in a way, but it adds the option of singing harmonies, it has a lot of great animations and, well come on, it's The Beatles.

A few new videos of songs from the game. Each one demonstrates the "dreamscapes" from the game. Check them out right here:

The Beatles: The Video Game

Every important musician has had their own video game: Michael Jackson, Shaquille O'Neil, C+C Music Factory - everybody! So it's about time that the most important band of all time jumped on board.

With a blessing from Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, Apple Corps., MTV and Harmonix have all joined forces to create a Beatles based music game. It'll be ready for the holidays in 2009. A few details are known about the game

- It samples The Beatles entire catalog, from the first album to the last.
- It is absolutely not a Rock Band title.
- But it will be compatible with Rock Band peripherals.
- No specifics on it, but "visual imagery" is a big part of the title.
- Tracks are based on UK releases (nerd translation: the US releases of some Beatles albums omitted songs or remixed them to better fit the album, meaning these are the un-tampered versions).
- No set console...yet.

This could feasibly be a Rock Band sized game dedicated entirely to The Beatles. Wow. And you were excited about Rock Band: AC/DC.