There is little doubt that Freddie Mercury was an amazing singer with a vocal
range and smoothness that were incredible. It is precisely this vocal dexterity
that Sony brings to the fore with the latest SingStar expansion for the
PlayStation 3 console with SingStar Queen.
If you think you have the vocal chops to try to follow Freddie down this karaoke
rollercoaster of powerful highs and understated lows, then this is a SingStar
you will want in your collection. Be forewarned, though – this iteration in the
vaunted SingStar franchise will test your range.
Of course, the game also shows off the videos from the Queen/Mercury era and
while not exactly high-def (yep, they can appear a tad soft on a high-def
television), you still get a chance to see one of the greatest rock bands of any
era, and that in itself is worth the price of admission.
Sure, we know songs like Another One Bites the Dust, We are the Champions and
Bohemian Rhapsody are musts, but what else is included? Glad you asked. Here is
the complete song list:
-
A Kind Of Magic -
Another One Bites The Dust -
Bohemian Rhapsody -
Breakthru -
Crazy Little Thing Called Love -
Don’t Stop Me Now -
Fat Bottomed Girls -
Hammer To Fall -
I Want It All -
I Want To Break Free -
Innuendo -
Killer Queen -
One Vision -
Play The Game -
Radio Ga Ga -
Save Me -
Somebody To Love -
The Show Must Go On -
These Are The Days Of Our Lives -
Tie Your Mother Down -
Under Pressure -
We Are The Champions -
We Will Rock You -
Who Wants To Live Forever -
You’re My Best Friend
That’s a pretty solid lineup and rather than just offer up this song list, the
game has changed some other mechanics, such as the ability to use the blue
microphone to input vocal commands rather than use the PS3 hand controller to
cycle through menus. And don’t worry if you think there is a lengthy list of
commands to use because they are all at the bottom of the screen. This
hands-free scheme works decently, though on the test unit code received there
were a few stumbles where it either did not recognize the command or blew right
through to the singing without asking if the player wanted to try the short or
normal version of the song.
The game modes follow the standard array of Battle, Sing Solo, and Pass the Mic
as well as duet modes.
The sound is wonderful while the video gets the job done.
While SingStar Queen follows a mostly-familiar path this remains a good
collection of songs that just build upon the karaoke library.
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Gameplay: 8.0
The addition of the voice commands is a very nice touch to this game. The
interface is still accessible.
Graphics: 7.0
Some dated and blurry videos but still the interface is bright and accessible.
Sound: 8.5
The Queen master tracks are very nice.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Concept: 7.0
It’s more songs for the karaoke library, but the voice command system is nicely
conceived.
Multiplayer: 7.5
Screeching and straining aside, this is still a great party game.
Overall: 7.8
A testament to the musical genius of Queen and amazing vocals of Freddie
Mercury. Props for the implementation of the voice command controls.
