Online play marks the most notable addition to the Xbox 360 version of American Idol Encore, and while the currently sparse servers made it tough to get a tournament going, we enjoyed the lag-free head-to-head matches we stumbled into (and promptly dominated). Encore doesn't make any significant visual leaps with the hardware upgrade, but the HD glaze results in some compelling backgrounds and noticeably improved character models.
Each of the prominent singing games on the market has a hook- SingStar has authenticity (via original songs/videos) and Rock Band has the multi-instrumental appeal- but the Idol license alone doesn't set this genre originator apart from the pack. Encore is a solid sequel and an enjoyable experience, but in 2008, Karaoke Revolution is starting to feel a bit outdated compared to the emerging competition.
Feb 11, 2008
