Archive for October, 2009

So I’ve had this game for a few weeks now. It’s one of those games that I have consistently played since it’s release. Then again, aside from the games I bought from a Burger King promotion a few years ago, this is the only game I currently own for the XBox360. The game is visually stunning and colorful. The animated breaks between levels are thoughtfully done. The music is awesome if you’re a Beatles fan, and if you’re an exclusive Rolling Stones fan, the music is lame — according to one of my colleagues who is a hard core Stones fan. Anyway, the music is awesome. Whether you’re in “Quickplay” or “Story” mode, the instrument you choose (in a single player game) stands out in the music. For instance, if you’re an awesome Rock Band bass player like myself, the bass sounds pop out a little more. It’s the same for the other instruments. This means you can hear how awesome you’re doing in the game, or failing miserably like I do when I play the guitar on Expert mode.

Speaking of modes… For Bass guitar, easy is way too easy, and can be quite boring. Medium is still too easy, and a little less boring. Hard mode can be challenging, but still too easy. Expert mode is just right if you have at least 10 previous hours of Rock Band time. I noticed a few songs in Expert mode were way too hard, but when I bump it down to Hard mode, it was way too easy. The Guitar and Drum modes are a bit more challenging in the Hard and Expert modes. As far as the Vocal mode goes, as long as you’re singing in the range of the right frequency, you’re all good.

I finished the game playing Bass guitar on Expert mode in two weekends. I haven’t unlocked everything yet, but the beauty of this game is the replay value. So, when I’m in-between playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Forza (thanks in advance Miles for letting me borrow your game), I’ll be on Rock Band: The Beatles desperately trying to complete ANY song on Expert mode using the Guitar. This is the game that keeps on giving, until you go crazy trying to collect all of the photos and can’t because your skills suck no matter how many times you play “I Saw Her Standing There” or “Helter Skelter” on Bass. (Do not attempt after a long day at the office — you’ll only aggravate yourself)

Overall, this game is a keeper. Glad I chose to keep the “Guitar Hero 2″ guitar. The game is fun with all devices connected and everyone is half drunk. Now that’s a party! You can find it for around $60 for just the game. It’s $130 for a generic band set plus game, and $250 for the Special Edition — which I don’t think it’s worth it, even for a Beatles fan like myself. If we had a rating chart, I’d give it an 8 out of 10 stars/joysticks/happy faces, etc…