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This past week, “The Beatles: Rock Band” was released to the public. Though there have been a number of discs released as “track packs” for the popular music gaming franchise, this latest offering is considered a true sequel. It offers updated graphics, new gameplay elements, and a collection of new plastic instrument controllers. More importantly though, it hopes to introduce a legendary band to a whole new audience, while also cashing in on the fond memories of those who know the Beatles work.

What follows is my review of this latest video game. I will be up front about the fact that I have not played the game extensively. So I can’t judge the subtle differences it may have on different consoles. I also haven’t experienced every single song in the game. So it’s entirely possible that I may have missed some stroke of brilliance that adds value to the overall package.

Video games are typically judged on graphics, sound, and gameplay when someone writes a review. The over-all presentation and replay value also factor in. Rarely does nostalgia or the significance of the licensed material in a game, play any role in determining how good or bad it is. For instance, Warner Brothers cartoon characters are some of the most beloved and iconic images to ever grace any gaming console, yet often games which feature them get terrible reviews because they are found lacking in all of the above-mentioned categories. So for the purpose of this review, let’s forget for a minute that I’m writing about “The Beatles.”

Let’s start with the graphics; they are absolutely beautiful. There’s a noticeable improvement over Rock Band 2’s character models, which is understandable. Since the option to play with customized characters has been removed, much more polish can be applied to the models of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The game’s presentation is very solid. Everything has sort of an ethereal retro feel to it. Each song has its own custom video. Compared to previous games, which allowed you to play with customized band members in a wide variety of venues, it’s a significant change.

Not surprisingly, The Beatles: Rock Band sounds fantastic. During loading screens, you can hear studio chatter from the Fab Four that was previously unreleased. It should be obvious that the song collection sounds great. What isn’t as obvious is that some of the Beatles best songs are decidedly absent from this disc. Future downloadable pay content is scheduled to fill in some of the gaps though. Another thing that’s missing from this game is the ability to actually improvise on your instrument. No more freestyle drum hits at the beginning or end of songs. No more improvisation on the mic during breaks in the lyrics. Say goodbye as well, to drum fills or “big finish” segments where the whole band jams out. All you will hear from your speakers is The Beatles; nothing more, nothing less.

In every other respect, the gameplay is pretty much the same. This version of Rock Band introduces a new feature which allows up to three singers to harmonize on certain tracks. This opens up the possibility of either playing with six players or giving two of the members of your band back-up singer duties in addition to their respective instrument parts. This can be pretty fun since most of the music is fairly simplistic and a lot of the lyrics will be familiar to fans of the group.

There are a total of 45 songs to play on the disc. Compared to 58 songs in the original Rock Band and 84 songs in Rock Band 2, this is a step down. However, the quality of the music is arguably more important than having a large quantity of it. Still, replay value is going to be a problem for this game. There are only so many times you’ll want to watch the same video over and over when playing your favorite Beatles tracks. You won’t have the incentive of unlocking items or earning money to buy your characters new outfits. You won’t be able to customize the look of your band members or equipment either. You can’t add your own personal touch to the music, the performance, the band’s name or look. All you can do is tap the buttons on the controllers along with the music on the screen.

For me, that’s where the game fails. Previous Rock Band games gave you the sense that you were actually a musician who was creating music. In The Beatles: Rock Band, you just feel like you’re keying in commands which will keep the real musicians playing on your screen. It’s a subtle difference, but an important one. Self-expression is after all, the goal of any aspiring musician. The game doesn’t cater to that though. Instead it asks you to be a fan and do your part to support the band.

So to summarize: The Beatles: Rock Band is like Rock Band 2, except without the custom avatars, the improvisation, the unlockable incentives, the diversity of venues, the replay value, or the huge variety in musical styles and artists we have come to associate with this franchise. It has better graphics and sound, a new harmonizing game element, and Beatles music. It’s a sequel that offers less of what makes Rock Band great, but with plenty of Beatles greatness to make up for it. If that balances out as something you may be interested, then enjoy. I’m going to pass.