 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Music Developer: Travellers Tales Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive |
The LEGO series of games has taken famous films, built them from the ground up with LEGO bricks and offered players with a great
gaming experience. These experience have come in the form of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Batman and a soon-to-come Harry Potter
version of the films in clickable brick form. However, the creators of the franchise decided that it would be profitable to expand of the
genre of film and create LEGO games based on other famous videogames, in this case Rock Band, to release “LEGO Rock Band.”
The Rock Band series has brought gamers two different base games, several Track Pack discs and a huge library of downloadable
content that is always growing to use in the game. Not to mention the recently released band specific game featuring The Beatles, this
offered a very unique visual and auditory experience for gamers. Now players are able to take control of the popular little yellow people
from the LEGO franchise and rock out in a variety of different locations with a number of new songs. It is a lot of fun to see the LEGO
mini figurines singing, banging the drums and strumming the guitar and base, though there are a number of flaws in the game that
bring it all crashing down.
Anyone that simply plays the games in the Rock Band series will likely enjoy this game, but in the long run the game boils down to a
typical Rock Band game with a few new visuals thrown into the mix. For those that are looking for new songs to add to their Rock Band
music library, the game includes a code to move the songs and use them with other games in the series. However, for those that are
looking for an experience unlike any they have seen before, disappointment is in the near future for those that buy this game.
Players will be able to play Quick Play and Story mode, both of which are typical to the series. The issue appears in Story mode when
players make it roughly halfway through the game and are forced to continually play the same songs over and over again. Unless the
player is an extreme fan of the music in the game, the musical repetition makes the game very difficult to play for an extended period of
time. Also, there is no online multiplayer mode to meet up with friends online and play.
Another downfall to the game is the fact that, even though downloaded music is able to be played in the game, not all of a player’s
downloaded library can be played, though it can be viewed. For those who wanted to play some of their favorite downloaded songs
using a LEGO mini figurine lay be out of luck, which can be a bit frustrating when money was spent, but the purchased goods are
unable to be used for their intended purpose.
On the plus side of the game, there are a couple of new game play features, most notably Super Easy mode. For guitar and bass, the
game takes out the need to use the fret buttons. The colored notes still come down, but players can hit any of the fret buttons as long
as they strum at the correct time. Likewise, the drums players can hit any of the pads, as long as they’re doing it in time. The kick drum
is hit automatically as well. Vocals turn the mode into the stationary bouncing ball visual for the lyrics and completely remove pitch
measuring. At the end of the song players are offered the equivalent of a parent telling the child what a great singer they are, even if they
suck.
There is also a new feature called the Rock Power Challenge. At various stages in the tour the player’s band will have to use the power
of rock to do something crazy in the game, like destroying a building, fighting off an octopus or escape a Tyrannosaurus Rex. While they
play the song, which is something that fits with the situation at hand, a music video of sorts plays in the background, instead of the
normal on stage performance. It is similar to the dreamscapes from “The Beatles: Rock Band,” only more humorous and feels less
like an acid trip. The only problem with the game play for the Rock Power Challenge is the fact that members take turns. It seems a bit
odd that the developers thought that forcing players to sit out for a portion of the song would make it more fun.
For those that are looking at buying this game need to know that instruments are required to play this game, so they may need to be
purchased if this is the first game in the franchise they have bought. Also, players will either need to be willing to play the same songs
over and over, or be willing to spend money on downloadable songs, some of which may not be able to be played in the game. It will
also help if players are fans of LEGO games, which would of course make the game appealing in the first place. The game does offer
a few new features and a lot of new song, however, for those looking at simply using the game as a track pack, the $50 price tag is a
little high. In the end “LEGO Rock Band” is a high price track pack with an odd set list for a really fun rhythm game.
gaming experience. These experience have come in the form of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Batman and a soon-to-come Harry Potter
version of the films in clickable brick form. However, the creators of the franchise decided that it would be profitable to expand of the
genre of film and create LEGO games based on other famous videogames, in this case Rock Band, to release “LEGO Rock Band.”
The Rock Band series has brought gamers two different base games, several Track Pack discs and a huge library of downloadable
content that is always growing to use in the game. Not to mention the recently released band specific game featuring The Beatles, this
offered a very unique visual and auditory experience for gamers. Now players are able to take control of the popular little yellow people
from the LEGO franchise and rock out in a variety of different locations with a number of new songs. It is a lot of fun to see the LEGO
mini figurines singing, banging the drums and strumming the guitar and base, though there are a number of flaws in the game that
bring it all crashing down.
Anyone that simply plays the games in the Rock Band series will likely enjoy this game, but in the long run the game boils down to a
typical Rock Band game with a few new visuals thrown into the mix. For those that are looking for new songs to add to their Rock Band
music library, the game includes a code to move the songs and use them with other games in the series. However, for those that are
looking for an experience unlike any they have seen before, disappointment is in the near future for those that buy this game.
Players will be able to play Quick Play and Story mode, both of which are typical to the series. The issue appears in Story mode when
players make it roughly halfway through the game and are forced to continually play the same songs over and over again. Unless the
player is an extreme fan of the music in the game, the musical repetition makes the game very difficult to play for an extended period of
time. Also, there is no online multiplayer mode to meet up with friends online and play.
Another downfall to the game is the fact that, even though downloaded music is able to be played in the game, not all of a player’s
downloaded library can be played, though it can be viewed. For those who wanted to play some of their favorite downloaded songs
using a LEGO mini figurine lay be out of luck, which can be a bit frustrating when money was spent, but the purchased goods are
unable to be used for their intended purpose.
On the plus side of the game, there are a couple of new game play features, most notably Super Easy mode. For guitar and bass, the
game takes out the need to use the fret buttons. The colored notes still come down, but players can hit any of the fret buttons as long
as they strum at the correct time. Likewise, the drums players can hit any of the pads, as long as they’re doing it in time. The kick drum
is hit automatically as well. Vocals turn the mode into the stationary bouncing ball visual for the lyrics and completely remove pitch
measuring. At the end of the song players are offered the equivalent of a parent telling the child what a great singer they are, even if they
suck.
There is also a new feature called the Rock Power Challenge. At various stages in the tour the player’s band will have to use the power
of rock to do something crazy in the game, like destroying a building, fighting off an octopus or escape a Tyrannosaurus Rex. While they
play the song, which is something that fits with the situation at hand, a music video of sorts plays in the background, instead of the
normal on stage performance. It is similar to the dreamscapes from “The Beatles: Rock Band,” only more humorous and feels less
like an acid trip. The only problem with the game play for the Rock Power Challenge is the fact that members take turns. It seems a bit
odd that the developers thought that forcing players to sit out for a portion of the song would make it more fun.
For those that are looking at buying this game need to know that instruments are required to play this game, so they may need to be
purchased if this is the first game in the franchise they have bought. Also, players will either need to be willing to play the same songs
over and over, or be willing to spend money on downloadable songs, some of which may not be able to be played in the game. It will
also help if players are fans of LEGO games, which would of course make the game appealing in the first place. The game does offer
a few new features and a lot of new song, however, for those looking at simply using the game as a track pack, the $50 price tag is a
little high. In the end “LEGO Rock Band” is a high price track pack with an odd set list for a really fun rhythm game.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
