Lego Rock Band
Back to reviews
Game Reviewed: LEGO
Rock Band
Publishers: MTV
Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Developers: Harmonix,
Traveller's Tales, (Wii, PS3, Xbox 360) Backbone Entertainment (DS)
Reviewer: Matt Lewis
Platform: Wii
(also on PS3, Xbox 360 and DS)
Category: Rhythm
game
ESRB Rating: E10+
Game Description
Sling the guitar over your shoulder, steady the drumsticks,
and take a deep breath. You are getting ready to rock the crowd in a way no
Lego person has ever done before. Perform the song list and take a bow.
Congratulations, you are the newest, and best, Lego Rock Band on the scene.
Lego Rock Band is yet another installment in a genre that is
risking becoming tired old news. Even so, it is a surprising breath of fresh
air for the series. It is basically Rock Band 2 with Legos. From the opening
screen, to choosing your character, to the playlist, it does not look much
different. But it now has a plastic shine that will bring back memories of lazy
Saturday afternoons and more plastic creations than could be counted.
Everything from the characters, the guitars, and even the venues has been given
new life with the joy that only Lego can produce.
As in the previous games, there are different modes of play
such as free play or tour. This installment also gives new meaning to “building
a band.” You start from scratch, building your character with the parts given:
hair, torso, pants, and accessories. From there, you can unlock extra pieces
for your characters, new band equipment and instruments, and even materials to
decorate the “rock den.” The rock den is where you can practice, hire a
manager, or check out your accomplishments.
What Parents Need To Know
Violence
There is occasional slight slapstick type violence with Lego
characters, but that is as far as it goes. There is a challenge in which you
defeat a large octopus using the power of rock. It is very slapstick.
Language
Lego Rock Band tries hard to be kid friendly, so the
included tracks are mostly clean. There was, however, an instance of the word “hell”
in one song.
Sexual Content
Elton John's Crocodile Rock includes the line “....those
Friday nights, when Suzie wore her dresses tight.” The Police song “Every
Little Thing She Does Is Magic” says “everything she does turns me on.” The song
“Girls and Boys” includes the line “the girls with the bodies like boys with
Ferraris.” A few cases of such innuendo continue throughout the songs. A few of
the songs are love songs, but they are not sexualized.
True to Rock Band 2, the playable characters in that game
have been transformed into Lego figures for this one. While it is debatable as
to whether or not a Lego figure can be provocatively dressed, a few of the
female Legos reveal their midriff, or wear a bikini top. It is not particularly
sexualized, but it is there. On that note, the album cover for Pink's single
song showed her in a slightly revealing outfit, and is a bit more provocative
than the aforementioned Lego figures.
Spiritual Content
As the tour progresses, you unlock extra characters. You can
hire them as managers, roadies, etc. Basically, this just gives you extra fans,
credits, etc. A few of the characters include a vampire and a wizard.
“Free Fallin'” by Tom Petty says “(she) loves Jesus...”
One of the venues in the game is Brickton Manor, which is
said to be haunted. It is indeed haunted: by Lego ghosts. They are not scary
though, and just look like translucent Lego figures. In one challenge, you play
a song to run the ghosts out of the mansion. Incidentally, the song is
“Ghosbusters.”
The song “Girls and Boys” says “losing their soul in a
material world.” “Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)” mentions belief in Mother
Earth and “faith in everything.” In the song “Ride A White Swan” it mentions “take
a black cat and sit it on your shoulder.”
Bon Jovi's “You Give Love A Bad Name” says “you promise me
heaven then put me through hell.”
Misc.
The song “Monster” seems to contain a veiled drug reference.
It says “without these pills you're let loose.”
Pink's “So What” says “I'm gonna drink my money.”
As with other Rock Band games, it is possible to download
new content. The songs must still meet a standard of kid friendliness, but
there is still a possibility they would contain material not covered in this
review.
Reviewers Thoughts
Rhythm games certainly seem to have a monopoly on the video
game market this year. Quite a few have been released, but there has not been
an incredible amount of variation. What Lego Rock Band offers is not a brand
new experience concerning rhythm games. It is just marketed to a brand new
audience: families. The game works well and has created a game that can be
played much more comfortably than many of the other games in the same field.
With very few instances of lyric blurbs and other objectionable material, Lego
Rock Band is a fun game for the whole family. Before you know it, you will be
singing “Kung Fu Fighting” with everyone, smiles all around. I had a really fun
time playing this game, and all of my family joined in at some point.
It might be worthy to note, however, that Lego Rock Band
does not come in a bundled pack. You must already own the Rock Band peripherals
(guitar, drum set, and mic) if you want to play the game. But if you like this
sort of video game, and are looking for a fun new way to spend some time with
the family, I would recommend Lego Rock Band.
