Video Game Review: Full Albums Available For ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’

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CHICAGO – What better way to begin the decade than with full albums from The Beatles now available for the best music-based title of the year? Fans of the great “The Beatles: Rock Band” can now download “Abbey Road,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and “Rubber Soul,” and make this amazing game even more fulfilling.

Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0

The most common complaint about “The Beatles: Rock Band” was the relatively short length of the game. Most players were devoted enough to the title to finish it the first night they picked up a guitar and played. With the DLC now available, players can extend the “Beatles: Rock Band” experience significantly. Yes, downloading all three albums will cost you nearly the price of a new game, but it’s worth the cost.

The Beatles: Rock Band
Photo credit: Harmonix/MTV Games

When I first heard of the DLC that would be available for “The Beatles: Rock Band,” I assumed that it wouldn’t be as elaborately detailed and designed as the on-disc content. For some reason, it never crossed my mind that the gorgeous graphics that accompany the second half of the game with visualizations of some of the band’s biggest hits would also come with the new tracks. I just figured the band would be on-stage or in-studio. It turns out that some of the most beautiful and striking visual material that the game has to offer is in the DLC. None of the tracks feel like an afterthought or a “video game B-side”. They’re all as completely developed as what’s on the disc.

The Beatles: Rock Band Photo credit: Harmonix/MTV Games

I know, you really just want to know what’s available and, if you can only afford one, which is the best. Of course, pick five diehard Beatles fans and you could probably find five different “favorite albums,” so that’s not exactly what’s worth discussing here (for the record, mine is “Revolver”). What’s important is how the DLC albums play, which is the most enjoyable in design, execution, and gameplay.

All three are worth the money, but “Rubber Soul” wins the argument if you can only download one. Not only is it one of the band’s best albums but the tracks display a diverse number of game locations, including a few truly fun returns to Shea Stadium (“You Won’t See Me,” “The Word,” and more) and some great visualizations out of Abbey Road Studios (“Norwegian Wood” is appropriately trippy). The first two DLC albums are all Abbey Road Studios, so the inclusion of a few “live sets” distinguishes “Rubber Soul”. If you can only download one, start with “Rubber Soul” and start saving money for the other two.

Track listings:

“Abbey Road” includes “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” “Oh! Darling,” “Because,” “You Never Give Me Your Money,” “Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard,” “Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End,” “Her Majesty,” and “Abbey Road Medley”.

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” includes “Fixing a Hole,” “She’s Leaving Home,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite,” “Within You Without You,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Lovely Rita,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise),” and “A Day in the Life”.

“Rubber Soul” includes “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” “You Won’t See Me,” “Nowhere Man,” “Think For Yourself,” “The Word,” “Michelle,” “What Goes On,” “Girl,” “In My Life,” “Wait,” and “Run For Your Life”.

All three DLC albums for “The Beatles: Rock Band” are now available on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and the in-game music store on the Nintendo Wii.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com