A Magical Mystery Tour You Don't Want To Miss
Music. It moves us, molds us, makes us who we are. It brings out emotions within us and floods our brains with distant memories of days long gone. For almost 5 years now, music video games have tried to incorporate all of those things successfully, but none of them have succeeded the way The Beatles: Rock Band has. This glorious look back at the most popular band in history is filled with wonderment and marvel and is, simply put, awesome.
As soon as you jump into The Beatles: Rock Band, you are greeted with a gorgeous opening cinematic which sets the tone for the game. It is a good example of the time and effort Harmonix put into it, and a terrific precursor of things to come. There are two gameplay modes to choose from here: Quickplay and Story. Quickplay lets you jump right into the action, as 44 out of the 45 songs are already unlocked and ready to play. This is also where future downloadable songs and albums will be. Then, there's the remarkable Story mode. Here, you'll follow the Fab Four throughout their career, from their humble beginnings playing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, to their improvised rooftop concert atop the Apple Corps building. Of course, you'll make other stops along the way, such as their memorable performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, along with the legendary introduction from the man himself, their live concerts at Shea Stadium in New York and The Budokan in Japan, as well as Abbey Road Studios. Each of these moments are divided into chapters, which include their own selection of songs from that era.
While the live performances from the band feature them in front of an often hysterical audience, the studio sequences will transition into "dreamscapes", which are exploding with color and imagery while being absolutely breathtaking. There is even an option where you can disable the note highways and just take in the exquisite scenes. The rest of the graphics are also very well done, from The Beatles themselves, to the audience, to the different areas in which The Fab Four perform. The cut-scenes in between each chapter are also noteworthy, as they help bridge the gap between them. As you progress through the story, you'll unlock photos and videos featuring the band. Apple Corps have dug deep into their archives to provide even the most die-hard Beatlemaniac with some memorabilia they've probably never had the chance to see before. Once again, this proves the immense lengths Harmonix went through and it makes the game that much more special as a stirring homage to the greatest band of all time.
When you conclude a chapter, you'll also unlock a challenge, which is basically all of the songs from the chapter combined into a set list. Speaking of songs, aside from some questionable picks (Boys immediately comes to mind here), there is something for everyone here, as the list is pretty varied. Some might argue that, at 45 songs, it is rather limited, but with three full-fledged albums available as downloadable content before the end of the year, and All You Need Is Love already available for download, that list won't stay thin for very long.
Gameplay wise, The Beatles: Rock Band plays just like previous entries in the series, albeit one exception. Known for their distinctive harmonizing, The Beatles often sang their songs together as a band, and this game allows you to do just that. So now, aside from the main vocalist, you can have up to two other people singing background vocals. Although this can be quite confusing at first, it doesn't take much time to get used to, and the game does an excellent job in adjusting the vocal track if it notices you're having problems with certain parts in a song. This new gameplay mechanic also adds another layer of authenticity to the entire Beatles experience.
However, while we're on the subject of singing, there is one thing I must point out here. The Beatles: Rock Band does not support headsets as being microphones, which means that if you're like me and that you used your headset to sing, you're flat out of luck. I had to go out and purchase another game–namely Lips–which had compatible wireless microphones, just so I could sing within the game. I find it quite disappointing and very surprising that Harmonix decided to take this route and annoy its fans this way. Hopefully, they will come to their senses and release a patch which will remedy the situation. However, I'm afraid it will be too late in most cases.
Aside from some questionable song selections and neglect for those who still use their headsets to sing, Harmonix have once again set the bar very high as far as music games go with The Beatles: Rock Band. The intoxicating sense of nostalgia is omnipresent throughout this exquisite game, with mind-blowing imagery and sweet, sweet melodies which will keep even the casual Beatles fan coming back for more. In fact, if this video game served as an introductory audiovisual document to the timeless music of The Beatles, it would serve its purpose extraordinarily well. Beatles fan or not, you owe it to yourself at least a couple of magical mystery moments with this game.
