Sony is cranking out the SingStar sequels, which are usually a whole heap of fun. The latest, SingStar ABBA, gives you twenty-five new songs from one of the disco era’s greats. The problem is, gamers aren’t big disco fans. While the gameplay mechanics are solid and the online integration is very cool, this isn’t one that will be coming off your shelf too often.
What else I can say about SingStar games that I haven’t said before? As per usual, you get the original videos in the background (scaled up to HD) and the original tracks to sing along with until your heart’s content. Vocal mechanics work as expected and you can play local multiplayer with up to 8 friends. What you’re getting here is 25 new tracks for your karaoke enjoyment, with nothing new in terms of features, gameplay, or presentation, so you know going in what you’ll get out of SingStar ABBA.
Just like with the first SingStar on the PS3, the game utiltizes the PlayStation Eye camera very nicely. If you have one hooked up, the system will take 10 snapshots of you during play. These aren’t just still shots either; they’re brief clips including audio and video. Along with these, there is one part of the song where it will record about 30 seconds of video and audio. You can check all of these out after the song, save the ones you like and even upload them to My SingStar Online. It’s a good way to make a fool out of yourself for the world to see.
This review is brief, that I know. There’s isn’t too much I can say about the gameplay mechanics and such that I haven’t covered a few times already. While it’s the same game behind the scenes as the first PS3 SingStar, I can’t give this the same 8.5 score that one received. ABBA just isn’t a band I can see many of you wanting to sing all that often. The market for this game is very small and you probably aren’t one of them. I think it would have worked better to put these tracks up on the SingStore so gamers could pick and choose one or two they like to download to their PS3. As a standalone product, unless you’re a huge karaoke fan or an immense fan of ABBA, I would pass on this one.
Overall: 6 out of 10
Package deal of just ABBA music looks like a bad idea but it would be huge overseas. Those crazy Aussies eat this crap up. Age group from 20 to 30, Female, add alcohol, and a recession to keep them from going out and you have one hell of a party. Make a fancy dress party and it will be a bit crazy. Almost the same thing as a night at a club called Infernos.
just goes to show who ever is in charge has no clue what they are doing. These songs should be in the store. Is there an actual market for a disco band from the 70’s? Are the majority of the people playing a ps3 actually in their 40’s? This game will continue to disappoint until somebody who actually knows karaoke takes control and does something positive with this game. There is a reason why rockband and guitar hero are much better games. The developers actually release songs in the game that appeal to the customer. What a concept.