Since the first Rock Band came out, there has been a low rumble asking to be able to play music by The Beatles. The wait was finally over last week when Harmonix released the “Fab Five” to the masses on Xbox 360, Wii and the PS3. Complete with all new peripherals (the Special Edition includes the Höfner bass, mic stand, kick-shade and Ludwig wireless drumset while players can purchase the Gretsch Duo Jet and Rickenbacker 325 wireless guitars separately) the game feels new and exciting without a major change to the traditional Rock Band formula.

Most of the changes are highly welcomed. “No Fail Mode” can now be turned on/off when you choose your difficulty and is automatically turned on when a person is playing on Easy; this change to “No Fail Mode” definitely makes the game easier to play from the get-go, especially with people unfamiliar to the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises. 

For those wanting a challenge, similar to Guitar Hero: Metallica, the “Expert” mode on drums is matched to every beat that Ringo Starr ever played which brings a level or realism and challenge which is highly welcomed and a joy to play. Another change is in moving from “Career” to “Story” mode. 

To preserve the sanctity of the music and history of The Beatles, players now play sets of songs in chronological order in the famous places for the Beatles like The Ed Sullivan show and Abbey Roads Studios. The journey through story mode is a fun and rewarding experience since instead of money players unlock rare pictures, videos, sound bites, and information about The Beatles pulled from the vault.

Another added bonus is that every song was made from the original masters, so each song sounds incredibly crisp.
Another big change is that all the songs on the disc are available on “Quickplay” from the get go. So now players don’t have to sit down for hours and arduously unlock each song and can get a group of friends and play what The Beatles: Rock Band has to offer. Quite possibly the biggest change, though, is the addition of vocal harmonies. 

Now six people can simultaneously play Rock Band (1 on the drums, guitar, and bass along with a lead singer and 2 back-up singers to sing the lush harmonies of The Beatles). The vocal track remains the same, but whenever there are harmonies, extra colored tracks appear and the extra singers and hit a button to hear a “guide-pitch” before they sing. Now Rock Band is no longer a game that someone has to sit out if they want to play.
Overall, The Beatles: Rock Band is one of the most trippy, awesome, well crafted, and informative games out right now and definitely deserves to be in everyone’s game collection.

Rating: 10/10 Hard Days’ Nights

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