I lost my mind when I saw this was announced on IGN's website in 2008. (Or was it GameSpot? Was I really just trawling those websites for upcoming games?)

I don't know how to justify a five-star rating other than to say that it's exactly what a huge Beatles fan like me would have wanted in a game like this. I mean, my username is "Ringo." Of course I wish there were more tracks, and there were some weird omissions — where is "She Loves You?" — but it's got a lovely art style and a fun career mode. There are also enough little extras and collectibles in there to intrigue big fans.

The Beatles' popularity has never been higher in my lifetime than it was in Fall 2009, and this game is a huge part of why. I will always look back fondly on nights playing with friends and family, even those who wouldn't otherwise play video games.

This game’s sense of visual direction should be noted by lots of non-rhythm game developers. It has a really strong sense of color, sensible usage of post processing and great camera angles. My biggest complaints about the visual experience is that the members of the Beatles are basically always some level of smiling, and that for 3 chapters you’re playing in Abbey Road. Both of those complaints are probably counterintuitive considering it’s trying its best to be accurate to reality, and the Abbey Road sessions still give way to some of the most imaginative sequences in the game.
Personally this is my favorite UI design in any of the Rock Band games. The overall look of the gameplay elements like the highway and score counter really compliment the on screen visuals super well with their understated colors.
I think my favorite moment is the haziness applied to the visuals with the I Want You So Bad/She’s So Heavy outro. The hard-boiled look perfectly matches the song’s sound and the combination of sight and sound hits a truly perfect combination that almost gives the player a contact high. Slamming the door shut with a hard cut to black and kicking you to the results screen is pretty damn cool.
Lots of moments can be brought up similarly to the one mentioned, but simply put this is peak presentation in all of rhythm games. Harmonix was on top of their game and looked like they had a blank check from EA to pursue their vision, which was met damn near flawlessly. The only problem this game has is one outside of its preset restrictions, being that it’s all Beatles songs. Thats great from a hardcore Beatles fan and music enthusiast perspective, but their library lacks in the technical ability that some other bands that are prominently featured in the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises bring to the table. Literally the only reason I’m not giving this Beatles themed video game a 5 out of 5 is that it’s too good at being only Beatles themed. Crazy, right?

It's hard to put into words how much I truly adore this game. Before its announcement, the notion of The Beatles, of all bands, getting their own Rock Band game was a pipe-dream. The fact that it even happened is worth celebrating, but on top of that, it's an amazing game! While it is VERY easy, it is still very fun to play. The game is loaded with fun collectibles to unlock through completing the story mode and beating challenges (one of my favorites is an old Beatles Christmas record that you can actually listen to.) The game has a wonderful art style. While not realistic looking, Paul, John, George, and Ringo are all modeled to be instantly recognizable; with lots of personality in their facial expressions. Another part of the game's presentation that blew me away was the "dreamscape" songs. Because they stopped touring so early, the band never played a lot of their most legendary songs to a live audience. So for the entirety of the Sgt Pepper era though Abbey Road era songs (and a few others before and after that time), the background visuals show the band in the studio, before transitioning to imaginary "dreamscapes" that reflect the lyrics and tone of the song. Getting to actually see the Yellow Submarine while playing Yellow Submarine is a treat, and it helps this game stand out from every other Rock Band game to this day. I am forever grateful I got to experience this masterpiece of a music game on the day of release.

This is THE best presentation of either game series, the menus and UI elements look authentic, very colorful opposed to the darker venues in the other games.

I am shocked this came out before Green Day Rock Band seeing as it doesn't even have an ounce of the personality this game has.

Another step above GDRB is it's ACTUAL songs, not to say Green Day isn't good, but Beatles has songs with more varied songs, play the first 5 songs in each games story mode (NOTE: I played Guitar), count the amount of times in GDRB you are just doing the same, split chord string, reverse split chord string, opposed to the more open ended nature of a Beatles track

Review #3 - 2022

This is one of those games that's incredible it even happened. The Beatles are extremely strict when it comes to how their music is handled, and the fact they managed to muster up the trust to let Harmonix create a plastic instrument game with their music, is such a lightning in a bottle moment in time. I'm not sure who approached who, but however it went down, I'm glad it did. Given that a major day was coming up known as Beatles Day 9/9/09 (perhaps this date was picked due to this little bluesy romp), where they'd release new remasters of all 12 of their albums, I imagine it just made sense to get this game together for such an awesome day, which would also be its release date.

I played this game with friends the moment it dropped. A friend of mine picked up the full band set, which consisted of replicas based on real Beatles instruments: Paul's Höfner bass and Ringo's Black Oyster Pearl drumkit (John's Rickenbacker 325 and George's Gretsch Duo Jet were sold separately). It also included a mic of course, as well as a Beatles logo drum head which attached to your drum kit. It was a well put together set, that I managed to finally get my hands on through eBay just a few years ago. Also, I'll never forget watching that incredible opening animation for the first time. I had goosebumps for days.

This would be my first real exposure to the Beatles' music, having only heard their early to mid 60s hits that were often played on oldies radio. I had never heard their experimental/abstract works, so this game opened that door for me, and as a 10th grader dying to take in something mind blowing and new, I was absolutely captivated.

It wasn't until my adulthood, that I'd finally get to take in all this game had to offer. As mentioned previously, I purchased the full band set on eBay, and made up for lost time, since we couldn't afford to buy such a thing back when I was in high school. I got to share this game with my wife, for she too is a big Beatles fan (being Beatles fans is how we first met funny enough). We played through the game's story mode, which takes you through each iconic year of the Beatles' career, starting from the days when they'd play in the Cavern Club as young lads, all the way to their breathtaking rooftop concert in 1969, which led up to their disbandment. You experience their touring years at the peak of their popularity, and get to hang out in Abbey Road studios, as they began to wind down from the Beatlemania, in order to create experimental works of psychedelic rock. As you progress, depending on how well you did score wise, you can unlock photographs that each come with a brief biography detailing that particular moment the photo was taken. It also features rare videos and performances, each too with their own set of biographical documentation. It's like a museum of you can play in, and I adore the amount of love and detail this game was given.

The setlist is incredible, and if you were able to get ahold of the DLC which were 3 full albums (Sgt. Pepper, Rubber Soul, and Abbey Road), then you'd have plenty to play along with. There were some misses though, like "Hey Jude" for example, but there's enough hits and deep cuts on here that you'd almost forget what's missing. There were 45 songs on disc, and with the DLC, a combined total of 73 (74 if you had the Xbox 360 exclusive "All You Need Is Love), and that's a lot of Beatles to enjoy. Each song has its own beautiful back drops depending on the era the song takes place in. If you're playing "Can't Buy Me Love", you're playing at the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1964. If you're playing "And Your Bird Can Sing", you're playing at the Budokan in 1966. Now, if you're playing their songs from their studio years, the devs came up with "dreamscapes" to take you to higher places, with each scape animated differently to fit the music and lyrics of each individual song. Some assets get reused, like the rolling hills with the trees, but are given different colors based on the tone of the song. "Here Comes the Sun" is bright and cheerful, full of lovely yellows, blues and greens, but then you get to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which dampens those colors, and brings out more darker tones, such as browns, dusty yellows and greens.

So much detail, so much art, and I almost forgot the most important aspect. It's fun. So so flippin fun. Fun to play solo to get gud with the scores, and so flippin fun with family and friends. This is a game I play often with my siblings, for we love to pick an instrument, set a mic in front of us, and play our role as well as sing 3 part harmonies, as the game was intended. We perform for our Mom, as we let her drop requests since she grew up with these classic tunes. And with an amazing project ran by talented modders, there's even MORE music for you to enjoy, which keeps this game alive, and full of potential.

I totally understand and get it when people tell me The Beatles are overrated. It's not fun to be told that, but I totally get it, and I wouldn't take that notion away from them even if I could. Maybe to many, this is just another band. For me, they were a band I discovered through my parents, and through this game, discovered so much more. They fueled my own desire to make music, to collaborate, and to spread love with my art. I began to look into their music as individuals, and got excited for what I could do with my own music. They got a whole generation of kids to reject the bullshit around them, and come together on a mission of love, and peace. They also introduced the west to sounds and ideas from India, which opened the hearts and minds of many to try new things, and discover that there is so much more in this world than the nation they lived in. I just think that's the coolest thing, and something people STILL should learn.

The game's story mode ends with a beautiful animated scene that shows them playing "The End" on a rooftop overlooking London during Golden Hour. It leaves us with my favorite Beatles lyric: "And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make". It moves me every time, and leaves my heart full and ready to make something that will impact the world, just like The Beatles impacted me. This game introduced me to all that, and is an astonishing love letter that captivates, inspires, and tells the story of 4 young lads, who innovated the way rock music is played, and perceived, just by coming together, and doing what they loved.

If you'd like, there's a highlight of my closing thoughts after playing this game for my Twitch audience, that fits well with the words I typed above. You can find that linked here.

I totally get it, this is a WEIRD choice to give 5 stars to. But I’m practically obligated to given my childhood. I was raised on the Beatles, and they are still to this day my favorite band of all time. I also have a deep love and attachment to the Rockband series. So naturally, the merging of the two is right up my alley. This game is a huge celebration of The Beatles’ story and legacy, with an art style and UI design that really pays attention to the world the band left behind. The various character models are stylized enough to still hold up in an age of poorly-aged graphics, and the video backgrounds that play during songs feel spot-on to actual footage of their shows. Beatlemania segments are fun. The campaign, while excluding any real dialogue and leaving non-concert events out, is a treat to get through and I find it infinitely replayable. The soundtrack is an excellent summary of one of the biggest song catalogs in the world; there are a few notable songs missing but it is mostly a celebration of the various styles taken by the band through the years.

I totally get it if you don’t think The Beatles Rockband is anywhere near 5 stars. But it is for me!!!