The Beatles are perhaps the most beloved musical group of all time. During their brief career, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison became international icons, unofficial spokesmen for a generation longing for a voice.

Now with the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band," the lads from Liverpool are again taking the world by storm and spreading their message to a whole new generation of fans.

This game is all about The Beatles. Gone is the character customization found in previous "Rock Band" games -- you'll only play as the Fab Four as they looked during the period in which a particular song was recorded. Considering the stylized art direction and attention to detail Harmonix paid in recreating members of the band, I certainly didn't miss this option. And don't expect to see tracks from any other artists -- only 45 songs from The Beatles are included on the disc, though Harmonix has already announced plans to support the game with downloadable content. While I certainly would have liked more music on the disc, the promise of DLC takes away some of that sting. The inability to import tracks from this game into my "Rock Band" library, however, stinks.

While you can jump in and play any of tracks in Quick Play mode, the majority of your time will likely be spent in the Career mode.

Here you'll follow the band from its humble beginnings playing at The Cavern Club and its landmark appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" through historic events at New York's Shea Stadium and a farewell rooftop concert atop the Apple Corps building in London. Each venue has been painstakingly recreated, complete with screaming teenage girls, and really pulled me into the experience.

Watching the band's appearance change to reflect their changing style was a cool feature, as were the psychedelic dreamscape sequences that played in the background during the band's Abbey Road days. Playing "I Am the Walrus" as the band members strummed along in the background wearing their animal costumes from Magical Mystery Tour was a trippy experience. Progressing through the career mode unlocks photos and other extras, including video clips and little-known tidbits about the band.

I haven't really touched on the game play because not much has changed from the formula established in "Rock Band 2," the most noticeable addition being three-part harmonies. One think that I, as a mediocre-at-best virtual guitar player, enjoyed was the game's difficulty. The Beatles weren't known for their finger-melting riffs and I applaud Harmonix for not over-tracking for the sake of bumping-up the challenge.

"The Beatles: Rock Band" isn't a revolutionary step forward in gaming. But it is a spectacular tribute to one of the most revolutionary musical acts in history.

"The Beatles: Rock Band"

Developer: Harmonix

Publisher: MTV Games/Electronic Arts

Rating: T for teen

Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii ($59.99)

Score: 9.1/10

The Beatles are perhaps the most beloved musical group of all time. During their brief career, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison became international icons, unofficial spokesmen for a generation longing for a voice.

Now with the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band," the lads from Liverpool are again taking the world by storm and spreading their message to a whole new generation of fans.

This game is all about The Beatles. Gone is the character customization found in previous "Rock Band" games -- you'll only play as the Fab Four as they looked during the period in which a particular song was recorded. Considering the stylized art direction and attention to detail Harmonix paid in recreating members of the band, I certainly didn't miss this option. And don't expect to see tracks from any other artists -- only 45 songs from The Beatles are included on the disc, though Harmonix has already announced plans to support the game with downloadable content. While I certainly would have liked more music on the disc, the promise of DLC takes away some of that sting. The inability to import tracks from this game into my "Rock Band" library, however, stinks.

While you can jump in and play any of tracks in Quick Play mode, the majority of your time will likely be spent in the Career mode.

Here you'll follow the band from its humble beginnings playing at The Cavern Club and its landmark appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" through historic events at New York's Shea Stadium and a farewell rooftop concert atop the Apple Corps building in London. Each venue has been painstakingly recreated, complete with screaming teenage girls, and really pulled me into the experience.

Watching the band's appearance change to reflect their changing style was a cool feature, as were the psychedelic dreamscape sequences that played in the background during the band's Abbey Road days. Playing "I Am the Walrus" as the band members strummed along in the background wearing their animal costumes from Magical Mystery Tour was a trippy experience. Progressing through the career mode unlocks photos and other extras, including video clips and little-known tidbits about the band.

I haven't really touched on the game play because not much has changed from the formula established in "Rock Band 2," the most noticeable addition being three-part harmonies. One think that I, as a mediocre-at-best virtual guitar player, enjoyed was the game's difficulty. The Beatles weren't known for their finger-melting riffs and I applaud Harmonix for not over-tracking for the sake of bumping-up the challenge.

"The Beatles: Rock Band" isn't a revolutionary step forward in gaming. But it is a spectacular tribute to one of the most revolutionary musical acts in history.

"The Beatles: Rock Band"

Developer: Harmonix

Publisher: MTV Games/Electronic Arts

Rating: T for teen

Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii ($59.99)

Score: 9.1/10