"The Beatles: Rock Band"
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Genre: Music
Publisher: MTV Games
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Grade: 4 stars
My buddy Luke may be the most intense Beatles fan I've ever known. When the movie "Across the Universe" came out in 2007 -- Beatles love-fest that it was -- Luke was ticked off because actors dared to sing the music. "The original was better," he complained. "Why waste the time?"
Despite Luke's devotion to the real lads from Liverpool, I think he'll go ga-ga over "The Beatles: Rock Band" and embrace the chance to perform as Paul, John, George and Ringo. With a large collection of videos and photos interspersed throughout the game, players can get a fairly in-depth look at the band's path. And hitting the stage on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and at Shea Stadium will allow gamers to rock out while getting a sense of the band's musical impact.
Some may deride this release for being about just one band, but really, if you could choose only one group's catalog to base a game on, the Beatles would have to be near the top of your list. Perhaps no band in music history has had such a storied and diverse musical career as the boys from Britain.
Even though the game provides a large songlist to play, not everyone's favorite Beatles song is included. Developers plan to include downloadable content and future tracks, so that could keep the music fresh for rockers looking to make the game last awhile. Sadly, previous "Rock Band" content cannot be played with the Beatles version.
The game's visuals mirror the Fab Four's style and the gameplay is standard "Rock Band" stuff, although MTV Games included a new feature, vocal harmonies. Up to three people can sing harmony, which gives the music a more Beatles-like feel. And being able to play an instrument while singing lends the game new challenging authenticity.
Luke may be a Beatles purist but I'd be shocked if he hesitated to jam as Paul or John in "The Beatles: Rock Band." He and all music fans should jump at the chance to play this excellent edition of the "Rock Band" franchise.
"IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey"
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP, DS
Genre: Flight Simulation
Publisher: 505 Games
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Grade: 3.5 stars
The original "IL-2 Sturmovik" was a hard-core flight simulation game for the PC, but don't worry if you've never heard of it. You'll still be able to enjoy the World War II dogfighting and simulations "Birds of Prey" offers.
After playing some mandatory tutorials, you can access the game in several ways. Gamers can go all-out with the simulation modes, which are much more difficult and geared toward those with flight-sim-game experience. Or, if you simply want to take control of some Allied warplanes and experience some thrilling battles in the sky, you can do so with ease by playing the arcade version.
Having both versions of the game makes "Birds of Prey" accessible to all manner of gamers. The differences between them are graduated. Sometimes you have less ammunition or you don't get a third-person view and must control everything from inside the cockpit. No matter which difficulty level you play, the game gives you challenging missions with satisfying rewards -- if you can survive.
The visuals are a mixed bag. The landscapes and dogfights look amazingly crisp and detailed; however, a lag in frame rate chops up missions during pivotal moments and can kill momentum. The audio is spot-on with cool radio chatter and a score that provides appropriate tension.
Despite the visual lags, "Birds of Prey" is a solid game for those looking for a historic flight simulator.
(E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com)
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