Rock Band 4 Reviews

Rock Band 4 is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Ryan McCaffrey
Top Critic
8.8 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2015

Rock Band 4 makes smart choices in bringing the series back, even if its setlist is somewhat disappointing.

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Recommended
Oct 5, 2015

Building on its impressive back catalogue, Rock Band 4 is a rock-solid return for the stalwart music game.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
8 / 10
Oct 5, 2015

A welcome return for multiplayer music games, even if there's relatively little new to add to the experience – and a few things that have been taken out.

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Oct 5, 2015

With superb gameplay enhancements like freestyle soloing, and support not only for existing instruments but thousands of legacy DLC tracks, this is the new benchmark for rhythm action gaming.

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8.8 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2015

A slick and engaging way to enjoy interactive music, albeit with fewer bells and whistles than Rock Band 3

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2015

Rock Band 4 is stripped down to the essentials, but despite its leanness, it's pulled off something encouraging: It's made me want to play Rock Band again, even after the dozens of hours and countless parties I've spent with the series. It isn't Harmonix's boldest or biggest game. But Rock Band 4 lays a foundation for Harmonix to move forward.

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7 / 10
Oct 5, 2015

Rock Band 4 recaptures the unadulterated gratification that made the series such a hit half a decade ago, but mainly because it's a relatively unchanged, repackaged Rock Band 2. A lack of content and general stagnation hold this particular iteration of Rock Band back, but new ideas like Freestyle Solos genuinely enhance the core experience, which remains a sincere and joyful celebration of music.

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Kotaku
Top Critic
Yes
Oct 8, 2015

It's Rock Band for a new generation (of consoles). Same great taste as the previous games. Tour mode is the best single player experience in the series. Relatively bare bones compared to previous release. Initial song list too small to support tour mode.

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Oct 16, 2015

Rock Band 4 feels more like a maintenance release than a proper relaunch of this once-popular franchise.

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USgamer
Top Critic
Oct 9, 2015

While it lacks some of the features of prior versions - most notably online mode - Rock Band 4 is a solid release that establishes the franchise as a platform that will be continually supported and updated in the future. It's a great model that brings the classic Rock Band gameplay to current-generation consoles, while being compatible with legacy instruments and songs.

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Oct 5, 2015

While the lack of online multiplayer and Practice Mode is disappointing given Rock Band 3's suite of features, reliving the experience of having friends playing alongside you (perhaps at a party you've arranged, ahem) in local co-operative play more than makes up for the difference. It may have five years since the last Rock Band, but the feeling is utterly nostalgic.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2015

Rock Band 4 is a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, it's not only a hassle to switch generations due to the fact that so many elements don't work with the new one, but additionally -- Rock Band 3 is still a thing, supports all of your DLC, and has more features. On the other, there's nothing inherently wrong with this iteration, and for those of you who missed out in the past or have broken 360s or PS3s, you'll still be able to rock out into the night with friends and have a whole lot of fun.

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8.6 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2015

If you need to buy all of Rock Band 4 to get a band going, it's a lot to pick up, but it's a worthy investment if you're in the market for a great party game. If you're fortunate enough to already have compatible gear or pre-purchased music ready to download, there's no reason not to rock again.

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7 / 10
Oct 11, 2015

Rock Band 4 is fundamentally an excellent update to what was arguably the finest rhythm-action game of the last generation. However, it currently feels like it lacks ambition, and some features haven't been given the update they could have had while others have been removed. As a platform it's certainly a solid, and highly enjoyable, base that at its best makes you absolutely feel like a rock star. Fundamentally, with its series of planned updates still to come, only time will tell if Harmonix can make this generation's Rock Band a truly essential purchase.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2015

Rock Band 4 may have lost a few features (some temporarily, some permanently) in its transition to Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but the core gameplay is dramatically improved by allowing us to be more expressive, while preserving the older mechanics for those resistant to change. It's player choice at its finest, and a welcome return to fake plastic rocking

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8 / 10
Oct 5, 2015

Like any band's reunion tour, it's easy to get caught up in nostalgia. But Rock Band 4 proves to be far more than that. It's a return to form, putting the focus back on four-player fun without any overly-complicated mechanics.

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Unscored
Oct 5, 2015

If you ever had a good time with a previous Rock Band game, buy it and remember what you've been missing.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2015

It's neither revolution, nor true evolution, but when the planets align, with a few like-minded friends who've had a few drinks, there's nothing that can touch it, and you'll have tremendous fun.

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Oct 5, 2015

Harmonix has brought the music genre back from the dead with a solid experience in Rock Band 4. All the fun you had with the series is back, with a few extra parts missing this time around. Nothing is particularly new here though, so if you haven't been yearning for the good old days, you might want to wait to see how this new platform develops.

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7 / 10
Oct 6, 2015

The most refined version of Rock Band yet available, but not as essential as it once was.

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