Rock Band 4 Reviews
Of course Harmonix will need more than just the diehards to make this game a success, and that's the biggest problem the game faces. Five years is a long time, but it doesn't seem like it's been long enough to jumpstart the kind of nostalgia needed to make these games feel fresh again. The game itself is everything you'd expect from Rock Band, but are enough people expecting anything from Rock Band in 2015?
Rock Band 4 is just a heck of a good time.
More an update than a new game, it's great to be able to re-access your songs and freestyle solos rock.
On one hand, those coming in from past Rock Band will ease right into the new game. All past DLC is there, legacy controller support is there, and a suite of customizable gameplay options make it one of the most user friendly rhythm games to date. However, for those that are investing in Rock Band 4 for the first time, will find a rather slim track list on disc, one that they'll certainly want to increase in size with DLC.
Despite some flaws, it's still the best party game
Harmonix bills Rock Band 4 as a platform that will grow and improve with the future, but for now, the new game offers little reason to upgrade from Rock Band 3, with a weaker soundtrack, fewer modes, and more promises of exciting features than actual, demonstrable ones.
The accommodations made to ensure the inputs are perfect for your setup, the ability to customize everything right down to the vocal parts, and crisp presentation make for a game that people will want to keep in their living rooms and enjoy for weeks, rather than play once then pop into storage.
Without an ounce of real musical talent required, Rock Band helped people feel like real-life superstars in the comfort of their own homes. Rock Band 4 takes that feeling and makes it personal. It's no longer just about being a rock star but finding the rock star in you.
While the graphics may not have provided the evolution that fans were hoping for, the rest of Rock Band 4 delivers so abundantly that you simply won't give a damn. Between a great playlist that can easily be built upon, solid gameplay support for old and new peripherals alike, and the kind of multiplayer that's exceptionally jam-worthy, it's a party that you'll easily welcome back with open arms. Indeed, it's time to unleash your inner Slash and get back to jamming.
Rock Band 4 is like a glorious reunion of wizened rock stars. Everyone looks and sounds great, but a little bit of the twinkle in their eyes has dimmed. The band plays all their hits in the same way that you remember with the same exuberance of youth, but you can detect that something's wrong, something's off with the entire package. But there's plenty of time to get back into the groove of things, and with the updates Harmonix has planned to implement going forward, I feel confident Rock Band 4 will blossom into the game it was meant to be soon enough, especially since support will go on in lieu of annual game releases. I'm no fairweather fan, and I'll be a groupie 'til the end, even when it seems like it could be time for a curtain call in the near future.
The Wings to Rock Band 3's Beatles.
Rock Band 4 is another solid addition to the series, although the move from the previous generation to the current generation didn't do that much to make the game any better than previous instalments. The game suffers from lacking in content that we had in previous Rock Band games and as well as limited options. The developers get all the credit they deserve for what they did regarding legacy content, and I feel more companies should follow what they did to make fans feel like they're getting a great deal. Altogether though, it's a good, fun yet lacking Rock Band game.
The over-arching theme of Rock Band 4 has been fan service. It seems like every aspect of the game from its' backwards compatibility for both instruments and DLC, to its playable music platform approach, ultimately has every Harmonix fan at heart. This culminates in a very welcome return to form for the series, and a very worthy first entry to the new console generation.
When a favourite song comes on, it is impossible not to feel like you are a part of the music, making it happen, and it is a glorious feeling when you nail that song at 100 per cent accuracy.
In the end, Rock Band 4 offers up plenty of fun, especially if you can regularly gather a group of friends. It's an excellent party game and an enjoyable way to pass the time solo. However, it isn't really an upgrade from Rock Band 3. Rather, Rock Band 4 is more like a straightforward HD update for the current generation of systems.
'Rock Band 4' feels more like digital-only game instead of a full release. I fully agree with Harmonix' decision to make it a singular platform going forward, one that will be constantly updated with features and songs, instead of dumping a fully-priced release on consumers every fall. It is nostalgic and enjoyable, but not the great leap forward in rhythm gaming that we were hoping for.
Rock Band 4 is a feature-lacking iteration on Rock Band 3.
Rock Band has now become a platform, and it feels good knowing that this version will keep being improved and added upon. There's lots of features missing that will eventually be patched into the game or added as a DLC. It sucks that the Share feature on PS4 cannot be used due to copyright issues. So definitely wait for the game to solve it's many issues and maybe even get it at a discounted rate.
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Rock Band 4 seems like it was rushed to get out to the public. They had an opportunity to make a triumphant return with awesome music but opted to have you turn around and purchase all the "great DLC" that they made available the day the game came out. Thanks, but no thanks, Harmonix.
The entire package seems like a bold statement by Harmonix and Mad Catz. From the superior quality of the equipment to the shocking level of support for their past offerings, Rock Band 4 makes it very clear that the music genre can still shine as much as it did in its inception.