Xbox 360

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore

It’s not that KRAIE is a bad game, because it’s fun and pretty well polished…and, in my view, the most evolved in the series. It’s just that, especially after seeing how some of its competitors—yes, especially the ones that come from former KR maker Harmonix—I find KRAIE to be farther back on the evolutionary scale. It is a series I’d like to see continue, because it is fun as a party game and for Xbox 360 owners looking for some variety from the ongoing flood of sports games, action titles and shooters. I just think it needs to go through some serious improvements.

For less-critical gamers who just want to imagine they're auditioning and then going on to Hollywood and a dubious claim to fame, then this should be all you wanted and more.

Combine that with the lack of Seacrest and the whole experience feels a bit detached from the show. It's a solid karaoke effort, and casual fans probably won't balk at its shortcomings, but it could have been better, especially when compared to Rock Band, which has more songs out of the box. Signing the three judges, however, was clutch, and seeing as how the technology works extremely well, you'll probably enjoy what American Idol has to offer.

There's no doubt that singing My Heart Will Go On and Knockin' On Heaven's Door is fun, but Encore's limited customization, barebones modes and ho-hum visuals are stacking the deck against you putting the time into the more than 20 unlockables. In its first foray onto the 360, Karaoke Revolution has turned in a performance that isn't Ashlee Simpson bad but is far from the headliner we cheered for on the original Xbox.

American Idol Encore remains fun for roughly the length of time it takes to sing through all of the included songs that you like. A wide selection of downloadable content adds value, but not enough when you consider that each song is an additional investment on top of your $70 'game + microphone' bundle. Unfair though it may be to draw comparisons, Rock Band has raised the bar for games of this sort. If you're the sort who loves pop music and who can happily do without master recordings or guitar/drums, American Idol Encore is a decent enough alternative for achieving your goal of virtual superstardom.