Game Review: LEGO Rock Band
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that LEGO Rock Band is a music simulation game that is purposely made easier to play than traditional Rock Band games. It features a Super Easy mode that allows newbies and kids to play. It couples the playing of music with a silly LEGO-themed story about a band traveling the universe using the power of rock to do fantastical things. With tongue-in-cheek humor, the LEGO characters can misbehave: trash a hotel room, belch, and destroy an outhouse while someone is in it. A few song lyrics refer to violent situations and allude to drugs, but it is all pretty mild.
- Families can talk about the humor presented in the game. What makes the LEGO characters so amusing?
- This game is purposely easy to play and creates a no-fail environment. Do you like games like this one, or do you crave the competition?
- How important is it to you to like the song you are playing? Is it all about the difficulty of the game play or do you play better if it is a song you like?
LEGO ROCK BAND combines the popular play mechanics of the Rock Band series of music simulation games with the charming tongue-in-cheek story-telling found in the LEGO series of adventure games (LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Batman, and LEGO Indiana Jones). It also makes the playing of music easier by providing a "Super Easy" mode where all you have to do is strum the guitar controller, hit any drum, or sing in time to the music. In the story mode, which can be explored alone or with up to 3 friends playing different instruments, you form a band of LEGO characters and play gigs to earn LEGO studs. You start locally, but as you earn more studs, you can purchase crazy LEGO vehicles to take you across the universe to perform in bigger and wilder venues including a spooky mansion or even on the moon. The music is varied from classics like Rascal Flats "Life is a Highway" to crowd-pleasers that include Queen's "We Are the Champions" to Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters."
This version of Rock Band is perfect for families who are new to music gaming. It has excellent tutorials that explain how to use the different instrument controllers. It creates a no-fail environment because whenever you are doing poorly, the game provides you with a recovery mode so that you are never booed off the stage. With five levels of difficulty, the game can be enjoyed by newbies and seasoned players alike. For kids, not only can you select the "Super Easy" mode, but you can also choose to play shorter versions of some of the songs. On drums, the kick drum can be set to play automatically. And since the music videos are performed by LEGO characters (LEGO David Bowie is a hoot), there is never any questionable music video content. Plus the story is so much fun as you harness the power of rock to vanquish a giant octopus, chase away ghosts, and even demolish a skyscraper. Online interaction: You can download more family-friendly songs from the LEGO Rock Band store if playing on the Xbox 360 or the PS3. It is also possible to export the LEGO Rock Band songs to other Rock Band games.
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
LEGO Batman: The Videogame
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