Let’s Sing Series Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch & PC)

Arguably some of my best memories from my tween years were those spent infuriating the neighbors to the tone deaf recitals of Evanescence’s Bring Me to Life. And if it wasn’t the frequent reminders from an ambiguous stranger that I would’ve been far better off without the microphone and the imaginary audience, then I probably would’ve spent the the lion’s share of my misspent youth regurgitating old rock ballads. But, like all phases, the dreams of grandeur soon faded, and SingStar, of all digital worlds, fell silent. Or at least, it was silent until Let’s Sing came along to rock the tumbleweed back into the mainstream.

Let’s Sing is a bit like papier-mâché fuel for your ego — it’s utterly worthless, yet deep down it does a little something that makes you feel good about yourself. Like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, you know all too well that you’re not the next Slash or Tom Morello, yet you still hammer on the fretboard as if the whole world is relying on your each and every chord. Let’s Sing isn’t all that different, in that it fuels your enthusiasm to unleash that inner virtuoso. Unlike a parent who’s had more than their fair share of deafening anthems sung in their faces during the crack of dawn, Let’s Sing compels you to loosen your vocal cords and scream at the mic. And the best part is, it doesn’t call the police on you for groaning the words “WAKE ME UP” twelve times an hour.

Of course, Let’s Sing, being the SingStar successor of a newfound generation, really isn’t all that different. Sure enough, it hosts that same pitch-centric overlay, and, true to the original blueprint, it rewards you for hitting all the right notes. Moreover, it features a lot of the same basic track elements—the chart-topping hits, and the globe-dominating cult favorites that you wound typically find on any modern radio station, for example. Add the microphones and the music videos, and you essentially have the same setup here. The only difference between SingStar and Let’s Sing is that Let’s Sing, being the younger, more technically inclined version, is capable of producing most of the same results via a smartphone and not, say, an USB-powered microphone.

Frankly, the heart of Let’s Sing remains in sync with the frail flutter of SingStar’s. In fact, both series opt for similar styles and gameplay facets, with the same emphasis on pitch coordination and point scoring. It just so happens that Let’s Sing harbors a modern setlist and not a specific genre that you would expect to find in a traditional SingStar chapter, i.e., SingStar Rocks. There’s Let’s Sing ABBA and Queen, true, but for the most part, the series aims to appeal to the general demographic with upwards of forty chart toppers per installment. Granted, it might not appeal to everyone in the room (particularly those with a sweet tooth for heavy metal), but it does cater to those with an undying love of universally beloved anthems.

As luck would have it, you don’t need to be Elton John to hit a strong note, nor do you need to be a part-time tenner in a Sunday school choir to accrue a handful of points in a Let’s Sing concert. If anything, you just need to be able to learn from your mistakes and watch several pitch bars on a screen to determine whether or not you’re flat, or if you’re hitting the sweet spot. Like SingStar, the game more or less spells it all out for you, with a free-flowing meter that documents your progress, and a reward system that siphons your voice into points as you happily butcher a song from the comfort of your own home.

To be honest, there is something awfully therapeutic about harmonizing with an on-screen musician who can’t quite see you struggle to hammer the high notes or harmonize with an all-powerful crescendo. In a social setting, however, it’s a little different. But, that’s one of Let’s Sing’s greatest features: its natural ability to turn a solo performance into a “brilliant” duet. See, while the series has various benefits integrated into its Classic or Career Modes, its primary fuel comes from its multiplayer mode, which serves as the main focus for the franchise. Not that this comes as a major surprise, mind you, given that Let’s Sing is, above all else, a party game that works best when shared with an audience of like-minded mic-hogging enthusiasts.

Of course, if singing is your idea of a good time, then you’ll more than likely enjoy flexing your vocal cords with a few friends in Let’s Sing. And even if the joy of the karaoke crowd doesn’t appeal to you, there are several features here that ought to keep you busy, including a solo mode that adopts its own leaderboard and progression system, as well as a VIP Pass that allows players to unlock an ever-expanding catalog of tracks from a wide range of genres. Granted, the track listing might not appeal to the whole crowd, but it’s still worth checking out, if only to help break the ice in a semi-formal setting. Or, you know, the backyard.

Verdict

Let’s Sing takes control of the mic as a well-rounded, musically inclined successor to SingStar—an ideal love letter to party-oriented cult favorites and avid virtuosos alike. With a decent selection of chart hits and a fully integrated VIP Pass that allows for more variety in the discography, the series clearly stands tall as a brilliant alternative for those who might be looking for a home-based karaoke experience to share with friends.

It goes without saying at this point, but if you have been searching for the next best thing to SingStar, then you needn’t look any further than the familiar quarters of Let’s Sing’s ever-expanding karaoke hall. All in all it’s an incredibly easy series to jump into, even if you do lack the vocal cords to belt out a ballad in the style of Freddie Mercury. That’s something that I can personally vouch for.