There is a temptation to wonder why Sony hasn’t implemented SingStar in the PlayStation 3’s firmware. It’s hard to imagine that it’s a more complicated programme to include than, say, PlayStation Home, and it would have undoubtedly suited the tastes of the broad demographic Sony is so keen to impress. It’s also now inextricably linked with the PlayStation brand. You think God Of War, you think great game; you think SingStar, you think mass appeal and a pair of microphones. The reason we mention this, however, isn’t merely to highlight a probable oversight by Sony but to suggest that there’s a certain cynicism when a publisher charges you full price for a game that’s designed for you to spend money on.

From day one there’s going to be over 300 songs for us to download and embarrass ourselves to and we can’t help but feel slightly aggrieved by the notion. Considering that this 40 quid game is on a Blu-ray disc, it seems rather tight that you’re only given about 30 songs to croon over. We’re all for online functionality, and downloading additions to games will never cease to be cool, but we’re also miffed that there’s about 30 quid’s worth of Blu-ray we’ve paid for that isn’t getting used. This may sound fairly miserly, especially given that you get two free microphones thrown in with the package, but it’s worth remembering that a vast portion of those attracted to SingStar aren’t going to be online gamers and will naturally feel limited by the handful of songs they’ve been dealt on their next-generation disc.

The songs included, however, are at least a decent enough bunch. Well, at least they are in that SingStar kind of way. With a line-up including Britney Spears’s Toxic, Coldplay’s Fix You, Blur’s Coffee & TV, OutKast’s Hey Ya!, Primal Scream’s Movin’ On Up, Radiohead’s No Surprises, Razorlight’s America, Robbie Williams’s Something Stupid, Orson’s No Tomorrow, Macy Gray’s I Try, Weezer’s Buddy Holly and a fair few more, there’s enough variety to keep parties interesting. It’s also a well-thought-through collection in the way that beginners will find it accessible and veterans will still be suitably challenged. If criticism could be levelled at it, it would be that it’s probably a bit too weighted towards the pop side of things. In truth, it’s just as fun to make an arse of yourself singing lessthan- friendly rock songs and it wouldn’t have hurt for London Studio to have sharpened the edge of its ‘album’ a tad, but this is only a minor complaint. Overall, the selection ticks enough of the right boxes for it to make good sense.

With a product like this (calling it a game feels a bit misleading), presentation is of the utmost importance and in this respect SingStar really excels. We understand that it’s hard to get excited about menus and the like but the slip-sliding sleekness of the SingStar interface is damn impressive. Next-gen novices will feel right at home and even those who turn their noses up at anything so obviously commercial will likely think the bright, hip menus particularly decent. Considering the type of title it is and the sort of functionality it offers – this will, no doubt, introduce many to the intimidating world of online gaming – it was an important area for London Studio to get right, and it’s done just that.

Adding to the fun is the inclusion of the PlayStation Eye. Plug it in to the PS3 and it automatically records when you’re making yourself look a plonker. It also gives you the option of taking a photo. It’s all pretty good for a laugh, the recordings adding to both the desired atmosphere and the personalisation aspects. Of course, it doesn’t really do much else beyond this, but anything that develops the experience beyond that of a traditional karaoke muck-around is welcome.

The online direction Sony has pushed SingStar along is an interesting one, offering you the chance to upload your better moments and share them with others. There’s a sense that Sony wants to build a loyal community of X Factor hopefuls, the idea presumably being that the more they’re online the more chance of them buying something. But it does appeal, if only because it’s different from anything else out there, transporting your living room efforts across the internet and enabling you to personalise your SingStar experience so that it’s genuinely unique. It might not be the most exciting release of the year, but in many ways SingStar is about as next generation as it gets.

But what of the game itself? Well, it’s SingStar. Some of the videos may be in HD, but this is essentially the same game you played on PS2 – it’s karaoke, but with an ever-present barometer that lets you know just how pathetic you really are. A generation on and making a complete fool of yourself in front of others is still good fun. It’s also still an impressive technology, still consistently challenging and still irritatingly brilliant for parties.

Aaron Asadi