SingStar Volume 3 - PS3 review

Full Review

As far as grabbing a large slice of the public who simply refused to previously "game", the SingStar series has been an absolute wonder at shifting consoles for Sony. Never underestimate the general public’s obsession with embarrassing themselves crooning along to a few choice tracks after the drinks have started to flow in earnest.

With Sony’s SingStore now in full flow, offering you the ability to download tracks at a swift prod of your PS3’s control pad, SingStar Volume 3 instantly feels a little, well, redundant. Why splash out for yet another disc when you can cherry pick the best songs for a fraction of the price via the good old internet?

As always a SingStar disc lives and dies by the tracklisting, and for Volume 3, it’s tricky to see just what kind of music fan they’re aiming for. David Bowie mixes it up with more modern "artists" like Vampire Weekend and Timbaland, with a sneaky inclusion of Michael Jackson for good measure.

If anything this disc is the epitome of why the SingStore is such a fantastic idea. There’s certainly something for everyone here, whether you’re a big fan of modern acts like the irritatingly overplayed Ting Tings, or an obsessive still hooked on the crazy Kate Bush. But do the two meet in the tastes of many music lovers?

Compared to other Volumes, 3 doesn’t stand too tall. With a track listing spread across so many years and genres, there’s little chance that anyone is going to regularly enjoy any more than half a dozen of the songs available on this one shiny disc.

There are a few classics for the music connoisseur to enjoy. Skip past the terrible offerings from Coldplay with "Viva La Vida" and Fall Out Boy and their supremely annoying "This Ain’t A Scene… It’s An Arms Race", and some cracking tunes to waste the night attempting to perfect remain.

No one can resist the ultimate one hit wonder "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" from Deep Blue Something, and who could honestly say that haven’t sang "All Night Long" by Lionel Ritchie in the shower before? Michael Jackson and "Billie Jean" is the real top star of course.

To play all is exactly as it was before. The menus are essentially the same, which is no great worry considering all has been slicked up to an obvious shine in previous iterations. Not that Sony can rest on their laurels with Microsoft releasing Lips, their own take on the karaoke genre.

Verdict

It’s all about the track listings for these games, and unfortunately Volume 3 simply doesn’t deliver. Sony have decided to try and lump together so many genres and eras to please everyone, that most will fail to enjoy more than a fraction of the total track listing.

It’s all supreme fun with a few friends after the alcohol has started to take effect, but chances are this is one disc that could end up being used as an emergency coaster.

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