A few months back, various previews and interviews put out the claim that Beatles Rock Band was an emotional experience for its players – even to the point of inducing tears.

“Hmm, that’s interesting,” said I at the time. “We’ll see.”

Last night, the wife and I wrapped up Story Mode, and while I wasn’t brought to tears, it came closer than I’d like to admit. As indicated, the game packs a genuine emotional impact for those who are willing to find it. Even as I played, I tried to pin down the source. After all, this is Rock Band! CG guys dancing around on stage! Falling gem gameplay! What could be sob-inducing there?



It’s not the visuals. Don’t get me wrong, Harmonix did an amazing job at capturing but also the mood and imagery of their work. The little details, like the screaming girls in the stands at Shea Stadium or the confused accidental audience members on the streets below the rooftop concert, are spot on. As a big Yellow Submarine fan, I was ecstatic to see a guest appearance by Jeremy aka the Nowhere Man. And of course, the Beatles themselves, halfway between accurate depiction and caricature, are precisely replicated, no matter the era, outfit, or hairstyle. No doubt about it, the Harmonix Art team deserves massive credit for delivering one of the most visually stunning games of this generation.

Still, the visuals aren’t what brought the emotion. Obviously, it isn’t the gameplay either, or I’d be sobbing my eyes out every time I rocked alongside Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld. So what is it?

In hindsight, it’s obvious. It’s the only two things left, once you’ve removed graphics and gameplay from the mix: the music and the band itself.

Clearly, the music of the Beatles has elicited an emotional response in listeners since its original release. When put in this context, though, where you as a player are able to feel like an active participant in that music’s creation, the effect is significantly magnified. Songs like “Dear Prudence” and “Here Comes The Sun” are powerful if you catch them on the radio, but when you inhabit them the way Rock Band allows it’s hard not to be overcome.

But even more than that, for me at least, was having their story told in this way. Everyone’s heard about the band’s incredible rise to unimaginable success, and of course their subsequent collapse, but it’s never been presented in a way that really made me feel it – until now, that is.

In the game’s first few chapters, there’s nothing but unbridled vigor and enthusiasm. The fans are screaming, the Beatles are smiling, and the songs (more often than not) are on the topic of pure, innocent teenage romance. As time marches on, the songs become sadder, angrier, or psychedelic. Gone are the goofball grins, replaced with pensive expressions (and rampant facial hair).



You see these four boys, full of the silly eager energy of youth, disappear right before your eyes – replaced with a group of sometimes cynical, sometimes contemplative, but rarely joyous men. Of course it elicits an emotional response – because, well, that’s life, isn’t it?

By the time you get to the rooftop concert, you see them trying to return to their roots. Just the four of them, playing music together for people who enjoy it. But it’s still not the same – the crowd full of girls is now a group of anyone who happened to be walking down the street that day; instead of screaming, a subdued applause finishes each song. You hear John and Paul sing “Get back, get back to where you once belonged”, but it’s obvious there is no going back. Life has moved on.

Which brings me to Justin McElroy. In his review, Justin says “…the end of the foursome's career together doesn't make for a very good ending to a game.” While I’m not attacking him or his review, I disagree emphatically with that quote.

The end of a game doesn’t always have to be an epic fight, or an exciting climactic action sequence. It doesn’t even have to be the most challenging, gameplay-wise. As with books, movies, or any other form of art, sometimes ending on a subtle, melancholy note is the only way that makes sense.