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LEGO Rock Band Xbox 360
Metascore
71 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 50 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 50
  3. Negative: 2 out of 50
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  1. MS Xbox World
    85
    I do like the Lego aspect of this game; it makes it stand out from the other Rock Bands (except perhaps The Beatles). The music selection is great and the rock challenges are fun.
  2. TeamXbox
    83
    It's a fun family experience, though not so tepid that it'll be lost on others.
  3. GameShark
    83
    Grab your sense of humor and your plastic axe and give Lego Rock Band a try.
  4. 1UP
    83
    It doesn't stand on its own quite as well as some of this year's other music titles, but it's still a fun, quick romp through pop music seen through a Lego filter.
  5. Planet Xbox 360
    82
    It may not have the full Live functionality, but those looking to play in-house with the family will not miss it. The new gig types, youth-oriented gameplay options, and ability to add the import the tracks here for use with Rock Band 2 (with an 800 MS Point fee) make this well worth the lower $50 price tag.
  6. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    81
    A truly fantastic surprise. [Feb 2010, p.86]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Boomtown
    80
    The game's story mode and character customization are so much more fun than your usual career mode.
  8. GamesRadar
    80
    LEGO Rock Band does a great job of tailoring the core rhythm gameplay to its intended audience. And if you've ever been a fan of LEGOs and have even a passing interest in music games, you'll have some fun with these blocky rockers.
  9. GameDaily
    80
    Despite the lack of online play and songs missing from the set list, Lego Rock Band's happy presentation, enjoyable soundtrack and rockin' gameplay will keep you entertained for quite some time.
  10. Da Gameboyz
    80
    At the end of day veterans of band games, and newbies alike, really can't go wrong picking up Lego Rock Band for some virtual shredding, drumming, and singing fun.
  11. Game Informer
    80
    It's easy to be skeptical of LEGO Rock Band as a quick cash grab, but Traveller's Tales' trademark LEGO silliness blended with a few interesting new mechanics from Harmonix elevates the game to a level fans of both series shouldn't brush off.
  12. Worth Playing
    80
    Although Lego Rock Band does lack online multiplayer and the set list isn't nearly as fleshed out as Rock Band 2, it still has some neat little things going for it, mostly stemming from the use of the Lego license.
  13. GamingXP
    80
    Like in all the other Rock Band games a vast variety on different songs is available. Enjoy many hours of fun, alone or with your friends – it's your choice.
  14. GameTrailers
    79
    The Lego appeal is ultimately superficial, so you'll only really buy this if you like the music. If the 40-odd songs seems like a good deal for 50 bucks, than pawn the Fender Stratocaster and start rocking.
  15. Multiplayer.it
    78
    LEGO Rock Band is both for kids and experienced players, since the expert level is still a tough one. It's a really cute game and well done as an overall, but there should have been more songs, especially considering the price and the fact that you will be asked to play them over and over before you get to the end of the single player campaign.
  16. Cheat Code Central
    76
    Whether you're young or old, the LEGO characters and cute vibe will likely appeal to your sensibilities. All in all, LEGO Rock Band is a quality game that will get the whole family jamming together.
  17. AceGamez
    76
    The formula may be starting to show it's age at this point, but as ever the great team at Traveller's Tales has worked hard to keep this latest addition to the Rock Band canon fresh and inviting by doing what it does best; deliver a wacky and comedic spin on an existing format, full of unlockables and tweaks that will keep kids entertained for hours.
  18. GameSpot
    75
    This charming rhythm game is especially good for first-timers, but it's a little light on content.
  19. Official Xbox Magazine
    75
    Even with the gigs and events to participate in, Lego Rock Band is, with its lack of any new features, essentially a lego-skinned track pack. [Jan 2010, p.72]
    All this publication's reviews
  20. ZTGameDomain
    75
    Lego Rock Band really does a great job of delivering top-quality presentation and a decent array of songs. Considering you can export the tracks the price tag (even with DLC license fee) you are still getting a bargain.
  21. WonderwallWeb
    75
    Lego Rock Band is a fun title, its just a shame that it is lacking a few features as otherwise it could have been a truly great title.
  22. Gaming Age
    75
    This is the Rock Band game that all the family can easily enjoy. If you've been struggling finding a music game that you won't have to monitor the song list, Lego Rock Band will put your mind at ease.
  23. GameFocus
    74
    The Beatles: Rock Band was a success because of its incredible soundtrack and a pure vision when it came to presentation. On top of that, it was the best iteration on Rock Band's gameplay elements to date. Lego Rock Band tries to drink from the same well and even has the benefit of tapping a seemingly new audience. But, due to poor setlist choices and stability issues, it's just not up to snuff when held up against the already impressive Harmonix offerings.
  24. Vandal Online
    74
    Lego Rock Band is a good musical game, which perhaps will fall short for players who enjoyed Rock Band 2 or The Beatles: Rock Band.
  25. Game Chronicles
    73
    I suppose the game will ultimately find its limited audience, but for the majority, this is a track pack of fun, lighthearted, and easy songs wrapped up in a LEGO-style design that is starting to wear out its welcome.
  26. MondoXbox
    72
    LEGO Rock Band made some steps to make music games more accessible to families and children, but it gets lost in the songs list, too small and poor of real pop hits, at least for us Europeans. It's a nice gift for a kid (you'll have to separately buy the instruments, too), but not very interesting for music games hardcore fans.
  27. Eurogamer
    70
    Ultimately as pointless as it is lovable.
  28. games(TM)
    70
    Amazing highs marred by a few missed opportunities. [Christmas 2009, p.102]
    All this publication's reviews
  29. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    70
    It hits its target audience just as precisely as Band Hero, but with a lesser degree of cynicism. Our misgiving is that it doesn't really feel like a Lego game, as the building experience is limited to making bands and customising their home. A good one for Christmas, so long as you don't expect it to last long into the New Year.
  30. X360 Magazine UK
    70
    Boasts a wider appeal than Band Hero but falters on the length of its challenge. [Issue#54, p.90]
    All this publication's reviews
  31. Gamer.nl
    70
    Lego Rock Band tries to cater to adults and kids, but in the end isn't too successful in that. While the game certainly looks fun for everyone thanks to the use of Lego, the choice of music certainly isn't for everyone and the lack in online options can be a deal breaker as well. It's still an enjoyable music game, but not very balanced.
  32. Metro GameCentral
    70
    The combination still makes little sense but if Lego Freddy Mercury doesn't make you smile nothing will.
  33. IGN
    70
    It's a kind of pricey track pack of a bizarre setlist for a really fun rhythm game.
  34. Kombo
    70
    The game is cute with charming LEGOs but there isn't as much of a game as even Rock Band 2. The family-friendly soundtrack is sure to broaden the appeal of this game but there are better options available if that isn't a primary concern.
  35. Gamervision
    70
    It's a fun game, and a good option if you're in dire need of an all-ages music title, but longtime fans of the series probably won't find this as satisfying as any of the other Rock Band games.
  36. Totally360
    70
    Overall, I had a lot of fun with Lego Rock Band. Although there should be more music and modes on the disc, the ones that are on there are fantastic.
  37. SpazioGames
    70
    Lego characters and some great songs don't guarantee a new feeling to a brand that is becoming old.
  38. XGN
    70
    LEGO Rock Band has become a decent game which is especially meant for children. You can expect another tracklist then usual. The LEGO style is nice to look at for a while, but adults can better choose another music game to play.
  39. GamePro
    70
    It's fun while it lasts, but it certainly won't blaze any new trails as far as virtual rockstardom goes, and diehard fans of Rock Band should hope that the devs return to their hard rocking roots for the next genuine installment.
  40. Gamers' Temple
    68
    I'm sure that some people will be disappointed to find that this Rock Band release features a relatively small track list, is missing some of the features found in other Rock Band games, and doesn't support the full catalog of downloadable tracks available for Rock Band.
  41. Console Monster
    62
    For those about to rock, pick something else.
  42. NTSC-uk
    60
    Children will manage it, and Super Easy mode (where hitting any note counts) makes Rock Band accessible to the youngest generation yet.
  43. Eurogamer Spain
    60
    Lego Rock Band is a fun game, but clearly inferior to any other game of the franchise.
  44. Everyeye.it
    60
    Lego Rock Band has some nice ideas, but a bad tracklist.
  45. GameSpy
    60
    I'm left wondering who Lego Rock Band is really for. It seems to be trying to cater to everyone, but it ends up simply unfocused, and occasionally outright sloppy. It doesn't actively offend, but it's nowhere near a must-have, even for serious music-game fans.
  46. Giant Bomb
    60
    In the end, LEGO Rock Band just doesn't do a terrific job of justifying its existence as a standalone game.
  47. Gaming Nexus
    58
    The tracks become monotonous, and once the novelty of the LEGO characters wears off you'll be wishing you bought a different Rock Band title.
  48. Game Revolution
    50
    Lego Rock Band is a watered-down version of the original; dressed up, for sure, but with few places to go.
  49. The A.V. Club
    42
    The overall package feels lazy-something adorable blocks can't hide.
  50. Video Game Talk
    40
    It seems like this game was made with the motto "Make it cute" instead of "Make it fun."
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.1 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. Otend
    9
    I am a hardcore gamer (playing everything from Shin Megami Tensei to Half-Life), and I've loved the Rock Band series. This entry is solid as usual. There's a sense of humor here that's irresistible, and the song list, while seeming hit-or-miss at first glance, provides enough to keep you satisfied.… Full Review »
  2. AJ
    0
    Skinned differently and repackaged with new songs....it feels like hardly any effort was put into it. Normally I would have given this a 3...maybe 4, but I'm making up for fanboy scores.… Full Review »
  3. CalebH
    8
    If there’s one genre in the industry that is being milked for everything it’s got, it has to be music games. The plethora of choices to fulfill your plastic peripheral needs is staggering on a level music lovers have never seen before. Music games have been fully embraced by the youth of this decade and developers are now finding ways to get everyone else in on the action. While games like Guitar Hero: Metallica and The Beatles: Rock Band are pulling the older generation into the mix, one key group is being forgotten: the children. What about em’? They have their action figure and Barbie dolls. They don’t need no stinkin’ video games rotting their brains! Especially one focused around ‘devil’ music! They could be doing something productive with their minds; like playing with LEGOs! Wait a minute! What if we brought the imaginative world of LEGO into the ever-growing video game music genre, and made all the music in the game ‘family-friendly’? Considering the astounding success of LEGO branded games, LEGO Rock Band seems like a no-brainer, but with music games being flipped out like hot cakes, it’s hard to stand out amongst the masses. This also begs the question, has the music game genre gone In Too Deep with no hope of innovation? LEGO Rock Band proves to be a small step in the right direction. To be honest, there aren’t many ‘family’ games on the market right now; at least any that are really worth mentioning. The only one I can think of that is any good is Boom Blox, so it’s nice to see one of my most trusted developers delve into an area where most others would stray. Being politically correct in today’s world is not any easy task and it’s hard to find anyone willing to try. Especially when everyone else is trying to push the envelope and come up with the next “WTF?!” moment. Harmonix’s ability to thread the needle and walk the fine line between over the top and too kiddish is in one word, brilliant. The quirkiness of LEGO’s humor is mixed so delicately with the edgy art of Rock Band, and neither of their individual charms is lost in the unlikely merging. In short, the presentation is second to none. Graphics maintain the sepia-toned, grainy look of Rock Band and incorporate the glossy fluidity of LEGO characters; However, the overall color scheme is of a darker hue and much more vibrant than past Rock Band or LEGO games. Because of this change though, gameplay suffers somewhat. The notes (colored-lego bricks) have become darker and the highway has a more transparent look to it. This makes it easy to get lost on tricky parts and even easier when hammer-on’s and pull-off’s show up. There is a definite learning curve, even for veterans. Frame-rate is steady and unflinching, albeit a bit slower than usual during gameplay. Background animations are fantastic as always, even though the drummer is completely off-time one hundred percent of the time. After a few play throughs, however, animations will start repeating fairly frequently. Loading times is an issue that has never been a problem with past Rock Band titles, but has become an annoyance in this iteration. If there is any transition to be had, expect to have a decent load time. Customization has been expanded and retuned. Everything from the manager you hire to the ‘rock den’ you dwell in can be customized to fit your bands image. By playing well at gigs you can earn gear to deck out your pad and ornaments to throw on stage while you’re jamming. The aesthetics have been refined, but at the same time down tuned. While there are more things to customize than ever, the ways in which you can modify them are severely limited. Character creation is pathetically uninspired when you consider all the doors that open when you bring Lego into the mix. Instrument choices have been reduced. Creating art and adding art have been scrapped for pre-set logos. While all of the new features are welcome additions, and hopefully here to stay it would be nice to add to the formula without removing some of the best ingredients. Another missing element is the addition of online multiplayer. The Music Store is the only feature that carries over out of all online abilities. Even though this oversight is one that is very disappointing, I can sympathize with their decision to scrap it. Trying to create a family experience is probably much easier when not having to deal with the filth that can be encountered through online play. Now, one could make the argument that that kind of audience won’t be caught dead playing a game like LEGO Rock Band, but Harmonix isn’t taking any chances. It’s not all so bad. The game costs ten dollars less most likely because of its exclusion, but if you’re looking to play these songs online, you’re going to have to fork over an extra ten bucks to export it. That rounds up to a total of sixty dollars, and one can assume that by purchasing LEGO Rock Band (the first game in the series to not include peripherals) you have played the series before. The game play fans have come to know and love is still intact with a few bursts of fresh ideas. To create a ‘family’ experience, Harmonix has incorporated a couple of game play switches one can turn on if a ‘newbie’ shows up. In an effort to appeal to the masses, an aptly titled Super Easy mode has been added requiring players to hit any button on the guitar, or drums on time. For those of you who say the only reason you can’t play expert drums is because of the bass pedal, an option has been added to automatically take care of that little nuisance. Sound production is as fantastic as it has ever been, and note charting is an art that the people of Harmonix have perfected. Although though the average difficulty of all the songs is far easier than usual (just look at “We Will Rock You”), it’s all about how you play it. Tour mode has been made into a story of sorts (think along the lines of Guitar Hero), although the premise is still very much the same. Start a band. Rock the world. Only this time with hilarious cutscenes of you and your entourage as they progress through their career, traveling across the venues by van, speedboat, jet, and even submarine. These intermissions often come at points to further progress the story along or to introduce a Rock Band Challenge. Rock Band Challenges are by far the best part about this game. As we all know, every band runs into problems while they’re touring. However, I’m sure no band has ever had to deal with a ravaging T-rex or a man-eating octopus. These, along with several other inane crises, are encountered by your band and are the bases behind Rock Band Challenges. Each challenge is based upon a specific song, usually tailoring to the objective (trying to help a farmer’s crops grow by rain dancing to Boys Like Girls, “Thunder”). During the song, if you’re playing with a few others (which you should be), each player will be given several solos allowing them to take center stage and steal the spotlight while the others enjoy the action in the back ground (unless you’re singing, in which you will always be busy). As the song comes to a close, the entire band reunites to complete the challenge in a glorious montage of explosions and sounds. Every instance is beautifully rendered and always entertaining. At least for a while, music will solve all of your problems. The rest of tour mode is compiled of ‘building’ and ‘surprise’ set lists. These can grow very tiresome very fast and the only way to help with the monotony is to have a fairly large amount of downloadable songs. Even still, some downloadable songs are not compatible because of their content rating. I guess this is to keep the ‘inappropriate’ songs off of the game, but tell me why “Gone” by Montgomery Gentry gets axed, and “Who’s Going Home With You Tonight?” by Trapt slips through the system? Not only that, but some songs are included in the downloadable list, but cannot be played, such as “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen. It’s on the download list when choosing songs, but it cannot be played. All I’m saying is either include all of the downloadable songs, or none at all. It’s up to the user to download the “appropriate” songs. While a set list of 45 songs might seem sparse, being one of the most off-the-wall music selections ever heard, compensates for it. Having the title of ‘family game’ has heavily influenced the variety of music, but not in the way one would think. The eclectic choice of songs insures that there’s definitely something for everyone, but you’d think they would pick songs that are mostly ‘family friendly’ considering how they handled downloadable songs. Choices such as “Suddenly I See” and “Naive” make me think that they weren’t caring about their lyrical content as much as they were trying to appeal to all age groups. Not that this is a big issue by any means, it just seems that a family game would stray away from ‘questionable’ songs. Instead, selections have been made so no one in the family feels left out. There’s something here for the kids and the parents. In that sense, this is indeed a family game. When it comes right down to it, LEGO Rock Band is a sign of better things to come and is a true music experience the whole family can enjoy, not matter the age. Inclusions such as Rock Band Challenges and the ability to hire multiple staff members are features that should stay. Also, after completing a song in a setlist with multiple players, your individual note streak is shown for every song instead of just the one song at the end of a setlist. High scores as well as star count for each song are shown before playing them so you know what standard must be beat. Rock Band, as a platform, is expanding in many innovative and imaginative ways. LEGO Rock Band is an obvious building block meant to experiment with a few new ideas. My belief in this genre has been cemented because of LEGO Rock Band and I can’t wait to see what Harmonix and MTV Games build next.… Full Review »
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