We Sing Review

• Format: Wii
• Release date: Out now
• Publisher: Nordic Games
• Developer: Le Cortex
• Players: 4
• Website: http://www.wesinggame.com/ [1]

With both of Nintendo’s major competitors having well established karaoke series’ available for their consoles, it was only a matter of time before the Wii saw an attempt at a more serious karaoke game.

The game can either be purchased as a stand-alone disk or bundled with two Logitech microphones. As the game marks the first release of a 4 player karaoke game, it is also possible to purchase a further two microphones separately. It boasts a selection of 30 songs, all of which achieved high chart rankings. Unfortunately, We Sing is not recommended for the lactose intolerant as it seems to place an emphasis on cringe worthy, 90’s cheese, rather than timeless classics.

There are a few 80’s classics such as “Hungry like the Wolf” and “Karma Chameleon” and some more recent chart toppers from the likes of The Kaiser Chiefs, Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse thrown into the mix, but the disproportionate amount of bubblegum pop and general cheese seems to overwhelm the genuinely solid content. A full list of tracks is available at the We Sing website listed above.

Although Le Cortex seem to have placed far too much stock in novelty value with their song selection the range is genuinely quite good, offering a solid mix of genres and styles ranging from the 60’s up to modern day. All of the songs are recordings from the original artist and, with a few strange exceptions, come complete with the original music video. It seems odd that, when song licensing wasn’t an issue, several of the tracks feature random footage and effects rather than official videos. When playing Loco-Motion you are presented with footage of actual trains, don't Go Breakin' My Heart features images of couples holding hands, One Way or Another simply plays a disco light style effect and Take Me Home, Country Roads is accompanied by some footage of mountains. Whilst these are a little confusing, they don’t really detract from the gaming experience as you tend to be focused on the lyrics scrolling across the screen.

One thing to understand is that We Sing is geared towards a slightly older demographic, with a rating of 12+. Judging from the box art, the target audience seems to be over-excited, white, twenty-somethings. That being said, there isn’t any particularly offensive content in the game -- some vague sexual references, a few ever so slightly suggestive music videos and zero use of offensive language throughout. There’s nothing that would seem out of place played on a music channel through the afternoon.

In terms of content and replayablility, We Sing sadly falls short in comparison to Lips for Xbox 360 and SingStar for Playstation 2 and Playstation 3. Unlike these titles We Sing offers no online capabilities, meaning the 30 songs that come with the disk is all you will ever have access to. When you consider that the competing brands offer the ability to download further songs, register scores on an online leader board and a whole host of other options and features, We Sing seems like a fairly lacklustre attempt. With a price tag of £50, it’s hardly good value for money.

This isn’t the only issue. The tone recognition mechanics for the game are fundamentally flawed. In the style of SingStar, the “challenge” comes in the form of hitting the pitch bars that appear on screen. The idea being that you will need to actually sing the song in tune to earn points. The better you sing, the more points you earn. Although this sounds good on paper, simply humming in a monotone voice seems to be recognised by the game as perfect pitch, meaning that even at the highest difficulty levels, there isn’t really any challenge involved.

Despite these issues, We Sing does offer an enjoyable experience. The game’s unique selling point of allowing four people to play at once works well, acting as a good party piece as well as encouraging the less confident to join in. The game houses a selection of playable modes, which offer a little variety. It is possible to play both co-operatively and competitively, with each player working individually or in a team of up to three players. There is also a pass the mike option where the objective is to, surprisingly, pass the mike, with each player singing a section of the song. Perhaps the most innovative option available is the “First to 5000” mode where players are tasked with being the first to reach the 5000 point mark. This option is particularly enjoyable to play, especially with four players.

Although We Sing is genuinely fun to play, the experience is inevitably short lived. With no ability to download further songs, it will likely see a few hours of playtime before being stashed away to gather dust and simply act as the occasional party piece. With no real challenge and a novelty value that is bound to wear off, you should think very carefully before you buy.

5/10