Let’s Sing 2018 Review

Perhaps nothing beats a good round of karaoke with friends. Even more exciting is when this can be accomplished without leaving the comfort of home. Such is possible through Let’s Sing 2018 for Nintendo Switch! Though less well-known than the similar Just Dance series, Let’s Sing makes for a great addition to any party, even for those who aren’t so musically talented. And for those who do have more of a knack for singing, this game also boasts competitive features which can allow for a surprising challenge. All in all, this game is a fun title which, though not exactly groundbreaking in its content, lacks many significant flaws.

The graphics and audio of this game are extremely crisp and smooth, truly giving Let’s Sing 2018 the next generation feel which ought to be expected of modern of video games. The game features a track list of thirty songs, mostly modern pop titles accompanied by a few oldies from the 70s and 80s.  The developers did an excellent job selecting recognizable songs which would appeal to a fairly wide demographic of players. This game already offers DLC should the player find the current list of songs insufficient. While the casual, party-going Let’s Singers may not bother with this option, it does add a bit of extra content for those looking to pour a little more time and effort into the game.

As far as gameplay goes, the main objective is to sing the correct words and notes to whatever song the player selects. The words are displayed one the screen, as well as bars which generally tell the player what to sing (at least indicating whether the notes goes up or down on any given word). The game is played using a USB microphone, and cannot be played without this peripheral, so players must make sure to possess one or two of these before downloading this title. There is also supposedly a phone app which can be used in lieu of the microphone, but I could not find the app for my phone, and I am not certain that it is even compatible with the Nintendo Switch version of the game. The game features point multipliers, encouraging players to start off each song correctly, carry on throughout the entire song, and continue to re-sing various songs in order to max out their high score. Let’s Sing 2018 even features an online leaderboard, adding a bit of incentive for players to master each and ever song they can (of course, this is only likely to appeal to players who can actually sing).

In addition to the traditional Classic mode, which supports up to two players, Let’s Sing 2018 also offers other modes to switch up the dynamics of each song. In Feat. mode, the player takes on the role of a featured singer, and is tasked with singing the part of a guest artist. In Mixtape mode, the player is presented with a mash-up of seven of the game’s songs, and is rewarded a point for each song sung correctly. TV mode rewards players who know the lyrics by heart, as the player will be tasked with “filling in the blank” so to speak when the words disappear from the screen. While not exactly a gameplay mode, Jukebox mode plays through every song in the game on a continuous playlist, making for easy background music if the player just doesn’t feel up to making their own Spotify playlist.

Though certainly fun, this game is not entirely flawless. This game is one of a whole slew of karaoke games on the market, and even with all of its additional features, it only barely stands out over the rest of the competition. While it is fairly unique in that it is a Nintendo Switch title, it can still get lost in the mix of existing party titles. In addition, this game does not seem to offer a lot of room for creativity. From what I can gather, Let’s Sing 2018 does not reward the player for harmonizing or for otherwise experimenting within the confines of the song, meaning the player can hit technically correct notes, but fail to earn points as they are not the exact notes the singer hits in the original recording. This fact may prove to be a little bit frustrating for more advanced singers, ironically making great singers the main demographic excluded from this game’s primary audience. Finally, this game can only be played when the Nintendo Switch is docked, making it less portable than most other Switch titles.

In spite of its imperfections, Let’s Sing 2018 is still a great game. Whether a casual gamer, looking for a fun time-killer at parties, or a singing perfectionist, looking to rack up the highest score, Let’s Sing 2018 is an appealing title across the board. Of course, the need for additional peripherals may be a bit inconvenient, especially for gamers who download the title digitally. Nevertheless, the player is in for a fun time once they do acquire all of the necessary gameplay materials. Whether the best singer or the worst singer at any gathering of friends, each and every player is bound to make memories playing Let’s Sing 2018.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Nintendo Switch code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.