Rock Band 4 Reviews
Rock Band 4 makes smart choices in bringing the series back, even if its setlist is somewhat disappointing.
Rock Band 4 offers the same party-focused, addictive experience as its predecessors, but potential song limitations and price point will hold it back for some.
Building on its impressive back catalogue, Rock Band 4 is a rock-solid return for the stalwart music game.
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.
A slick and engaging way to enjoy interactive music, albeit with fewer bells and whistles than Rock Band 3
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.
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.
Rock Band 4 feels more like a maintenance release than a proper relaunch of this once-popular franchise.
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.
If you ever had a good time with a previous Rock Band game, buy it and remember what you've been missing.
It's still a good proposition, but without something new to get people talking again, Rock Band 4 argues as strongly for the series' depreciation as it does its relevance.
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.
The most refined version of Rock Band yet available, but not as essential as it once was.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.