What can you say about the latest entry in the MTV Games/Harmonix Rock Band franchise, Lego Rock Band? Well, as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it… This game is very much of that ilk. Lego Rock Band sees Harmonix join up with the team at Travellers Tales to bring together two of the biggest franchises in videogames today to create a whole new monster-franchise.
Following the uber-popular Rock Band 2 (which is still played at least once a week in my household), Lego Rock Band takes all that what good about that game and builds upon it, adding that special LEGO touch. Whilst the Rock Band experience is still as good as it has always been, with Lego Rock Band the series has moved forward, and expanded it’s appeal to a family audience, much like the recent rival “Hero” franchise entry Band Hero.
Graphically the game is nothing special, there’s definitely no strain on your system as you play, but the graphics are sharp and vibrant in high definition, plus it all look very cute – it’s actually a lot of fun to watch the LEGO characters dance around performing the songs you know on screen; and this time round the songs are aimed at more of a family audience with a mixture of pop, emo and rock tracks that span the last few decades. Unlike Band Hero, the setlist in Lego Rock Band is still pretty much rock-orientated but there are plenty of songs that kids will know like Rascal Flatt’s ‘Life is a Highway’ or ‘Accidentally in Love’ by Counting Crows both of which were featured in kids movies – Disney’s Cars and Dreamworks’ Shrek 2 respectively. For the older kids there’s pop acts like Pink, The All American Rejects, and Vampire Weekend. Round those out with hits by classic artists such as David Bowie, Elton John, The Jackson 5 and Queen; PLUS novelty hits such as Kung Fu Fighting and the Ghostbusters theme, and you have something for everyone – whether they want to sing, drum or play guitar..
The addition of the LEGO branding has allowed for a complete change of scenery for Rock Band, literally. Whilst you have always been able to customise your rockers in the tradition Rock Band entries, Lego Rock Band takes the concept of customisation to the extreme. You can change the appearance of your characters, your roadies, your manager, your “Rock Den”, your instruments – just like LEGO itself, you can combine anything you want, you’re only limited by your imagination, oh, and by the fact you need to earn enough money to buy items from the rock store and must unlock characters along the way!
Being a LEGO title means that this version of Rock Band feels more fun than other entries in the series – it’s the combination of the franchise tiger mascot made of Lego, the funny cut scenes that follow the misadventures of your Lego band and Lego versions of famous artists such as Freddie Mercury and David Bowie that work together to make that whole experience fun. What is also nice addition to the game is the recovery mode – unlike the previous Rock Band games, once you crash out of the game you have the chance to rejoin by hitting the correct notes to collect the traditional gold Lego pieces found in the previous LEGO titles, thus restoring your “health”.
There is also a new feature in Lego Rock Band called the Rock Power Challenge. At various stages in the game your band will have to use their rock skills to perform tasks like destroying a building or hunting ghosts. The challenge songs are typically befitting of the situation, e.g. Ghostbusters when you’re hunting ghosts, and completing the challenge earns you triple the score you would normally receive. Whilst it makes for a fun addition to the game, you have to wonder why the makers felt the need to have players take turns at playing instruments or singing? Whilst in a two-player game this is merely a distraction, when you’re having to sit portions of the song out in a four-player game it doesn’t make for a fun experience.
Hardened rockers may not appreciate the tamer songs or the changes in style, but like Band Hero, the move into a more family-orientated gaming experience and the addition of more vocal-friendly pop acts makes LEGO Rock Band another welcome addition to the Rock Band family.
****½ (4.5/5)
