Get ready to maim, murder and butcher - but instead of using an AK47 to wreak carnage, youll be using your voice to massacre some of the world's finest pop songs courtesy of SingStar Ultimate Party for the PS4 and PS3.
We're masochists. We must be because we keep buying karaoke games that encourage us to sing-a-long to hit songs in our own living room, humiliating ourselves in front of family and friends. And for every friend who can do a Rhianna all over the living room floor, there's a dozen others who should seriously consider consuming their own vocal cords before being given another chance behind the mic.
Instead though, we carry on feeding our need - its what has made SingStar such a popular franchise over the years. And our love of woeful warbling has culminated in this, the new ultimate edition for Sony's flagship console (and its dear old dad, the PS3). And humiliating yourself has now gotten even easier - you can now download an app that turns your smartphone into a microphone. It means that no one is safe from sudden, inexplicable urges to step up and fall for SingStar's charms.
And if you're lucky enough to own a Playstation camera, you can even record clips of your 'best bits' that can be doused in a host of spangly effects (to hide your identity, we reckon) before being uploaded for the world to vote on/throw pies at their TVs.
As for the game itself, veterans will immediately notice that the multiple modes of the past have been given the elbow, replaced with a much cleaner, more strip-backed approach. While the change might give some fans pause for thought, the idea is a pragmatic one - make the whole sing-a-long process as simple as possible to entice even more of us to have a go!
Song-wise, there's 30 on offer (with official pop videos) and the obligatory lyrics on screen to mess up. You're judged on hitting notes - the less you sound like a cat, the higher your score. Best of all, once youre done with Lady Gaga, there are mass of song packs that can be downloaded from the SingStore. Covering music eras and genres, theres pack to suit every taste.
Ultimately, perhaps the real reason for SingStar's continued success is that karaoke is actually fun. And just as importantly, it's a great social leveller - see that well-turned out chap who's a hit with the ladies? He sounds like an axle grinder when delivering a Bon Jovi power ballad, while the frump in the corner has a voice that makes you sit up in awe (and envy). In other words, long may SingStar's success continue
Published: 30/10/2014
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