You may not be able to buy love, but it seems you can buy a franchise. On Wednesday, after three years of courtship, technical challenges and many, many legal issues, MTV Games is releasing "The Beatles: Rock Band."
It marks the first time Beatles tunes will be legally available in a digital format. The game will include 45 tracks to kick things off, followed by additional releases for purchase via MTV's download-to-console service.
This is a multiplayer game spanning the group's entire career. It tells an accurate, if simplified, account of several major events in the band's history. Players first join the Beatles at the Cavern Club, the small Liverpool venue where they played nearly 300 times in the early '60s. "The Ed Sullivan Show" serves as the next major game location. Others include Shea Stadium, the Budokan arena in Japan and the Abbey Road Studios. The game ends with their last live performance, on the rooftop of the Apple building in London.
In some respects, this game will be familiar to anyone who has played ''Rock Band'' or "Guitar Hero." You play notes in rhythm to the music. Hitting the right notes will entertain the crowds and advance you to later stages. But this is not just a reskinned version of "Rock Band 2." The game progression has been retooled and several other major changes help make it worth the purchase price.
The biggest new feature is vocal harmonization. The Beatles' lush harmonies are something "Rock Band" worked hard to capture. The feature allows up to three singers at one time.
Some other changes adjust small elements of the interface and gameplay components. "Lefty flip" and "no fail" modes have been added to the beginning menu, making it easier to navigate. The gameplay is spot-on and the navigation works well for all levels of players.
The real star of the show — besides the actual music — is the visual presentation. The venues are highly detailed and well thought out, and the Beatles are presented in a nice balance between actual likeness and cartoon representation.
Many song recordings in the later years are illustrated with unusual dreamscapes depicting the band on trippy journeys beneath the sea and through psychedelic fields of flowers, paisley prints and bright, saturated colors. The effect is dazzling.
BRAVO !!
No comments:
Post a Comment