SingStar Vol 2 – PS3 – Review

It would
have been easy to say that when SingStar arrived on stage for the PS3, with the
store ability to purchase new songs, that the idea of release expansions would
have been outdated. Not so. SingStar Vol. 2 for the PS3 is gearing up for
release at the end of the month and unlike the PS2 version, this one is offering
a new duet mode for singing the songs offered on the compilation.

What is the
new duet mode? Well, if you call up – for example – The Mamas & The Papas song,
California Dreamin’, you are treated to singing the counter harmonies, even in
solo mode. In solo, you can choose to sing as The Papas (who carry the main
vocals) or as The Mamas. It can be rather challenging and quite fun.

Of course,
because this is a PS3 release, everything is bigger and brighter … but that
doesn’t mean it always translates well. That aforementioned California Dreamin’
tune has backing video that is not that crisp, but when you consider the age of
the video, it is understandable. And that song is juxtaposed against songs from
such artists as Paramore.

Vol. 2
offers something new, something old, from ballads to upbeat love songs to rock
and even some rap.

The main
draw with any expansion, be it on the PS2 or on the PS3, is the song list and
Vol. 2 has a pretty good one. These are the tunes contained on the disk:

• Aerosmith
  – Dude (Looks Like A Lady)

• Bad
  English – When I See You Smile

• Bobby
  Brown – My Prerogative

• Boys Like
  Girls – Hero/Heroine

• The
  Bravery – Believe

• The Cure –
  Pictures of You

• Elton John
  & Kiki Dee – Don’t Go breaking My Heart

• Eminem –
  Without Me

• Gavin
  DeGraw – In Love With A Girl

• Gnarls
  Barkley – Run (I’m A Natural Disaster)

• Gold Frapp
  – Happiness

• The
  Killers – When You Were Young

• Lit –
  Miserable

• The Mamas
  & The Papas – California Dreamin’

• Natasha
  Bedingfield – Unwritten

• The
  Offspring – Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)

• Panic! At
  The Disco – Nine In The Afternoon

• Paramore –
  CrushCrushCrush

• Phantom
  Planet – California

• P!nk –
  Just Like A Pill

• The Police
  – Don’t Stand So Close To Me

• The
  Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)

• Radiohead
  – Street Spirit

• Rise
  Against – Prayer Of The Refugee

• Sara
  Bareilles – Love Song

• The Shins
  – New Slang

• Tone Loc –
  Funky Cold Medina

• Weezer –
  Beverly Hills

• Yael Naim
  – New Soul

• Young M.C.
  – Bust A Move

As in the
previous iteration Vol. 2 works just fine with the PS2 microphones – while
awaiting what should be wireless versions down the road. But let’s backtrack
just a bit and let those who have no idea what this franchise is in on the
addictive nature of the titles.

Think of
SingStar as a karaoke game. You pick a song, select a difficulty setting (after
you pick the game mode, but will get to that in a moment), and then sing the
words as they are highlighted in the bar across the bottom. The video plays in
the background, and it is overlaid with bars that show whether you are on key,
flat or sharp. By riding that bar, you score points and afterwards, the game
judges your performance. Once you complete the song, you can listen to the
playback or use the PS Eye to record up to 25 seconds of video of you performing
(now there’s a scary thought). If you have a master account on the PSN, you can
upload your performances to your online My SingStar profile and share them. The
online profile will show off not only your scores, but also have some pertinent
info about you, like your favorite band and such.

The user
interface for this game is really remarkably easy to use. (It should be noted
that the version used for this review was for the debug and online components
were not able to be tested.)

Which brings
this full circle to the songs themselves … While the appeal might be to a
younger set, this is really a good collection, and fun to sing along with.

Review Scoring Details for SingStar Vol. 2

Gameplay: 8.0
Still sleek and
easy to navigate, this has a nice look.

Graphics: 7.8
Some songs work,
some not as well, but still this is a game that is geared for the high-def
experience and they have done a nice job, even with the older footage.

Sound: 8.2
Same score as
before because this still sounds great.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Concept: 8.0
Kudos for the new
singing mode. The rest is the same.

Multiplayer: 7.8
The new mode is
very nicely applied and this is still fun to get together with friends and
caterwaul.

Overall: 8.0
If this was merely a new song list, this might not be as fun, but the new mode
helps expand the possibilities. The song list is diverse and has something for
everyone.