I played Beatles Rock Band at a family party today. I am smitten. I wonder if others are enjoying this game as much as I did.
I’m a novice at the guitar hero thing, so a lot of what I enjoyed about the game is probably old news for many people. (IMO it’s intuitive and feels surprisingly realistic – and I play a few instruments in real life.) I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t tried this game yet, so I’ll keep my comments pretty general.
We played with a largish group. I love that the game allows multiple singers, for unison or harmony (yay!). The no-fail mode was great, esp for the kids.
I think the graphics are really creative and quite beautiful – they enhance playing along with the songs and make the game fun for those who are just watching others play.
We were generally satisfied with the song choices, but found ourselves wishing for songs that aren’t included in the game, and aren’t on the current list for download at a later date (e.g., Hey Jude, Eleanor Rigby, We Can Work it Out, Penny Lane, She Loves You, Please Please Me, All My Loving.)
Some of these songs may have been excluded because they don’t translate well to a guitar-based format. Personally, I think these songs would be fun in a non-traditional format, with guitar line tracking the piano or string parts or even the melody.
I don’t have a gaming system, but I am considering buying one so that I can play this game and other Guitar Hero titles.
I was surprised how much more fun than regular Rock Band it was. I thought, being limited to one band, it’d be less fun, but the opposite was true. I never exactly forgot, but it sort of “reminded” me how much I love The Beatles.
It’s the sheer quality of the songs. Rock Band may ship with 85 songs, but there might be half a dozen that even approach the level of quality of the songs in the Beatles Rock Band. So the playability factor is sky-high.
Also, forcing the creators to use Beatles material prevented them from indulging their gamer side and putting insanely difficult thrash-rock songs into the game to ‘challenge’ people. The Beatles Rock Band is more laid back, and more immersive.
Plus, Ringo is sure an entertaining drummer to play along with. Not too hard, but with lots of interesting beats and almost never boring.
I’m a Rock Band 2 player as well (vocals), and I absolutely love the Beatles version. It’s just so fun, and I have to keep myself from watching the background action instead of the vocal lines skimming along the screen.
Thanks for letting me know that the other Rock Band title(s) are fun, but not quite as much fun as The Beatles: Rock Band.
I am embarrassed to admit that until I read these replies, I had failed to notice that they were The Beatles, not the Beatles. I was born after The Beatles broke up, but I still think that’s no excuse.
Also, I now realize that Rock Band and Guitar Hero are different games (again, duh). Apparently, yesterday we were using Guitar Hero “instruments” to play The Beatles: Rock Band, which contributed to my confusion. I think I’ve got my mind right now, and am ready to research and purchase a system.
I’m not a Beatles fan, but Rock Band has introduced me to a ton of music I would have never listened too otherwise so I picked it up hoping to feel the magic.
I played through the entire thing in one “session” and heard some good music I wasn’t aware of, but it didn’t make a fan of me. The production of the game is fantastic (those Abbey Road visuals are stunning!) and it’s still good rhythm game fun but I didn’t feel compelled to replay but a handful and that wasn’t justification for keeping the game.
I did pass it along to a Beatles fan friend and he’s busily unlocking and enjoying every scrap of extras in the game. For him, it’s the complete package and I appreciate what Harmonix did versus Guitar Hero: Metallica in making it more than just a track pack. I think if you’re a fan of the band and not even a big game player The Beatles might be a good buy for you. However, if you’re meh on the Fab Four this won’t do anything to change things. Still, I’m glad I tried it out.
I’d be all over a Rock Band: Rolling Stones if it got The Beatles treatment, though.
