Outstanding!
The Beatles are the greatest band of all time. Go ahead and dispute that if you'd like (you're welcome to your opinion), but I'm not backing down from that statement. While Led Zeppelin undoubtedly rocked harder, The Rolling Stones brought their unique brand of overt sexuality into the mix, and The Who was better at smashing instruments, The Beatles not only changed the way the world looked at popular music and shattered sales records, they even altered the way we heard it. No other group had the wherewithal to consistently push the envelope in an attempt to break down barriers (sonic and otherwise), and the way they reinvented themselves time and time again set the stage for the U2s and Radioheads of today. It's no wonder that they were the first of the big four rock 'n roll bands to get their own Rock Band title. Really, the only question is where The Beatles: Rock Band will ultimately fit into their already impressive legacy.
From the moment you put The Beatles: Rock Band in your drive it's apparent that Harmonix has taken the traditional style of music game presentation and improved upon it in nearly every way. The inventive opening and closing animations bookend slickly-produced interludes that perfectly set up each stage in the group's storied career. The real treat, however, comes during the songs themselves. Each individual track has a unique backing animation that beautifully captures the time period in which it was created. While the early tunes just feature animations of the Fab Four singing on a club stage or in a stadium, later songs feature everything from LSD-inspired fractal animations ("Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," natch) to visual representations of more story-driven songs ("Yellow Submarine" features cameos from the Blue Meanies). It's a great form of entertainment for the people who aren't playing the game, and I'd be willing to wager that there will be times that you'll mess up because you're trying to watch the background while you're playing.
Although Harmonix has made a game that will likely be embraced by everyone from baby boomers to the kindergarten set, it's still largely the same Rock Band experience we've been enjoying for years now. The menus have been streamlined quite a bit (especially when it comes to adding or removing players), but the biggest changes can be found in the gameplay itself. This being a Beatles game, the developers saw fit to add three-part harmonies when the tracks call for it, and the ability to sing harmonies with your friends adds a highly entertaining layer to an already fun experience. It's impossible not to enjoy yourself when you're singing karaoke-style with a group of people, and the fact that the game also supports up to three people on solo tracks ensures you can keep the sing-along going if you so choose.
Of course, three-part harmonies don't mean jack if only a few people know the lyrics to a song. Thankfully, that really isn't a problem here, as decades of radio play have helped to ensure that everyone knows at least a few of the group's tunes. The song list contains hits and lesser-known songs from every era, although there will invariably be requests for popular songs that didn't make the cut. It's disappointing that only 46 tracks made it into the game, especially given the band's expansive catalog. One definitely gets the feeling Harmonix is holding stuff back for the full-album DLC releases (fact: it knows you're going to buy them), and the game suffers a bit for it. Another 15 to 20 tracks would have hit the sweet spot and ensured there would be far fewer repeats at parties, at least until we get a few of those DLC albums on our hard drives.
