As a big rhythm game fan from the Guitar Hero and Rock Band heyday, I feel like it’s a pretty underserved genre on mobile. There’s definitely a handful of great mobile rhythm games, but nothing that really scratched that Guitar Hero itch or filled that role of making you feel like a bad ass rockstar. Well the late great Freddie Mercury and Queen are here to answer the call with their official mobile game Queen: Rock Tour. Being a licensed mobile game in 2021 you’d be forgiven for thinking that Queen: Rock Tour is the worst of what mainstream mobile gaming is all about nowadays, but I’m here to tell you that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
First of all, Queen: Rock Tour is a premium game. Technically it’s free to download and play the first two songs, but unlocking the rest of the game is a single one-time $2.99 IAP. Incredible. On paper this type of game screams free to play, but that’s not the case at all. Secondly it is very apparent that Queen: Rock Tour was a labor of love from actual Queen fans. The game’s campaign recounts the band’s career during their peak from the mid-70s through the mid-80s. All the major hit songs you’d expect are here, and each leg of this “tour" through their history features these masterfully crafted cutscenes showcasing band photos, album covers, and other memorabilia from each particular era. This is a fan service game through and through.
The gameplay is just a...