Rock Band 4

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 107 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 107
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 107
  3. Negative: 28 out of 107
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  1. musicmaniac
    Oct 4, 2020
    0
    At the current state the game is unplayable.
    - Crashing, Freezing, Stuttering... it's a daily problem. They patched it out before but now LIE and say they cannot reproduce the problem when in their own DLC videos the problem occurs almost EVERY SINGLE WEEK. Terrible Developer.
    - THE CALIBRATION CHANGES IN THE MIDDLE OF A SONG. You can't be serious.. who coded this thing? - The DLC as of    At the current state the game is unplayable.
    - Crashing, Freezing, Stuttering... it's a daily problem. They patched it out before but now LIE and say they cannot reproduce the problem when in their own DLC videos the problem occurs almost EVERY SINGLE WEEK. Terrible Developer.
    - THE CALIBRATION CHANGES IN THE MIDDLE OF A SONG. You can't be serious.. who coded this thing?
    - The DLC as of late (which for some won't matter but for me it does because I want diverse tracks each week) has been Tiktok GARBAGE.    … Expand
  2. Sp1ffy84
    Oct 8, 2015
    4
    Sp1ffy84
    Oct 8, 2015
    4 I don't know why this is rated so high? I love ROCKBAND, and have purchased one, two, three and Beatles. This is by far the worst I've ever played. The mic and instruments have delay issues. We tend to turn the vocal track all the way down and sing like karaoke, but it's impossible when there is a delay in when you sing vocals and when you hear them. The kick    Sp1ffy84
    Oct 8, 2015
    4
    I don't know why this is rated so high? I love ROCKBAND, and have purchased one, two, three and Beatles. This is by far the worst I've ever played. The mic and instruments have delay issues. We tend to turn the vocal track all the way down and sing like karaoke, but it's impossible when there is a delay in when you sing vocals and when you hear them. The kick pedal on the drums is not suited for rapid taps like in metal songs.(it just won't register) The DLC is Broken. There are songs even newly available for purchase that won't download when you buy them. I bought a few songs just last night that I was able to pay for without a problem, but wont download. The character creator leaves alot to be desired. I guess Harmonix is missing that MTV money, because they did not give us what they promised and if this is the best they have to offer than Rockband is on it's last legs. I will not buy another product, song or piece of software from them until they get this game in a working condition. So just to let you know if you loved the old Rockband and don't mind: not playing story, not buying new tracks, not re-downloading old tracks, not playing songs from previous games (have yet to release them and won't say when they will be able to), not playing drums, not hearing your voice when you sing, not playing online and being pissed off that a great game and franchise is now a nostalgia cash cow. Have I got just the game for you. To quote the late and great Freddie Mercury, "Another one bites the dust."    … Expand
  3. hiddenpheonix
    Oct 31, 2016
    0
    On Easy, the game still rates me a 1 star. I've performed on stage, live, with audience who've cheered me. And this game and it's retarded mic, on easy, tells me I'm constantly crap.
    Don't if the software or hardware is broken.
  4. lord_galathon
    Nov 3, 2015
    2
    I'm also a pretty serious Rock Band veteran, even have one of the songs I produced on DLC for RB2.0 and as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist I had high hopes to finally play Rock Band on next-gen. I was disappointed when first the game required a 1.1Gb patch to be downloaded and installed, then the store server wouldn't connect to re-download the massive DLC content I had purchased forI'm also a pretty serious Rock Band veteran, even have one of the songs I produced on DLC for RB2.0 and as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist I had high hopes to finally play Rock Band on next-gen. I was disappointed when first the game required a 1.1Gb patch to be downloaded and installed, then the store server wouldn't connect to re-download the massive DLC content I had purchased for RB1, 2 and 3 and I was redirected to the PS Store and its incredibly bad interface to try to download the songs, of which I own over 100 titles.

    Then when I finally got around to playing, the game algorithms decided that the stand-in singer for Beetlebum should be a girl, no big issue until I realized my microphone (original RockBand kit) didn't work. Later I figured out that the game defaults to the playstation camera microphone. Get out of the game, disconnect the camera, restart and play only now there's an appaling full second delay in the vocals, exacerbated by the fact that the vocal processor in the game filters out the vowels (A-E-I-O-U...) which are DESIREABLE in vocals, and instead, boosts the clicking/hissing sounds (ssssk, ssschh, chhhhk, kkksss, etc.) which rendered the game unplayable even after re-running the calibration.

    Too bad. Game was returned to the store, exchanged for a game that is actually fully functional at launch.

    My main question though remains: WTF was the 1.1Gb patch for?    … Expand
  5. hairlooksgreat
    Oct 15, 2015
    4
    Rock Band 4 lacks many of the features of previous iterations. Setlists in quickplay? GONE. Practice mode? GONE. Trainer? GONE. Online Play? GONE. Character creator is a joke. Freestyle solos are fun but I prefer to play using charted notes. Vocals are totally messed up because there are apparently exploits that make the leader boards a joke. The stock drum kits have many issues with lag.Rock Band 4 lacks many of the features of previous iterations. Setlists in quickplay? GONE. Practice mode? GONE. Trainer? GONE. Online Play? GONE. Character creator is a joke. Freestyle solos are fun but I prefer to play using charted notes. Vocals are totally messed up because there are apparently exploits that make the leader boards a joke. The stock drum kits have many issues with lag. The store is currently in disarray. Some songs I know I own but I'm being asked to pay for again. Firmware update through Windows PC with bluetooth is annoying as hell. There have been 2 updates already with apparently a third on the way. I know that Harmonix is an indie studio now but that's not my problem. The game is a shell of it's former self and feels as empty as Harmonix hallways. Sticking with RB3 for now. I'll check back in after the holidays and maybe a few free updates.… Expand
  6. prinny
    Oct 20, 2015
    4
    I really wish I could get a refund on this, as the only reason I bought this was to play online with a friend, and would not have bought it until that feature was available had I known. The new "make your own" solo section I just sit staring at the screen pressing random keys - really boring new feature. A lot of the practice features and extra options are absent. We have been presentedI really wish I could get a refund on this, as the only reason I bought this was to play online with a friend, and would not have bought it until that feature was available had I known. The new "make your own" solo section I just sit staring at the screen pressing random keys - really boring new feature. A lot of the practice features and extra options are absent. We have been presented with less than the bare minimum for what could have been a great re-launch of a beloved series. Beware and check out reviews and compare with your own situation first - don't assume it has the features or setlist you'd expect.

    Pros: Old controller works flawlessly, note highway/game feedback seem better than any previous RB.
    Cons: Australian Pricing (see below). NO ONLINE MULTIPLAYER - I would have never even expected to have to check this was a feature and it's ridiculous this wasn't included out of the gate. Game lags inexplicably during some sections of songs despite PS4 hardware upgrade. Fairly mediocre setlist (this one is subjective - check the list out for yourselves).

    *Australian pricing at launch: $85 for digital copy, $100+ for boxed copy, $250 if you need a guitar and $500 if you need a drumkit. Insane pricing that I would not have gone for if I hadn't owned an old guitar.    … Expand
  7. Xexteir
    Oct 20, 2015
    1
    I don't like this game. I think Rock Band 3 is even better than this one newer. The same game.... Okay. Play ist.... super bad i think. If you are a person very nostalgic is your game but if you want something new: Guitar hero live. Furthermore the launch of Rock Band 4 was a big fail with a several troubles like this: Instruments of XBOX one were not in the bundle pack of XBOX one. ThereI don't like this game. I think Rock Band 3 is even better than this one newer. The same game.... Okay. Play ist.... super bad i think. If you are a person very nostalgic is your game but if you want something new: Guitar hero live. Furthermore the launch of Rock Band 4 was a big fail with a several troubles like this: Instruments of XBOX one were not in the bundle pack of XBOX one. There were the instruments of PS4 in the bundle pack of XBOX one. It's very funny.… Expand
  8. evile420
    Oct 14, 2015
    0
    Got this game last week and attempted to play it, however the controller kept disconnecting from my Playstation. When I called Madcatz (first red flag i should have noticed, madcatz make terrible controllers), i was told i would need to buy a blutooth device in order to update the firmware on the controller. the fact that i would have to purchase another item to get a working device forGot this game last week and attempted to play it, however the controller kept disconnecting from my Playstation. When I called Madcatz (first red flag i should have noticed, madcatz make terrible controllers), i was told i would need to buy a blutooth device in order to update the firmware on the controller. the fact that i would have to purchase another item to get a working device for something i already paid over 130$ for. and that was it, no other option no other help.… Expand
  9. BrankTheDankest
    Oct 6, 2015
    0
    Was good until "Bet My Life" by Imagine Dragons started playing. Why would they do this to us? You got songs like Uptown Funk, Caught Up In You, Friday I'm In Love, I Will Follow, and other cool **** like that. THEN YOU GIVE US IMAGINE DRAGONS? Returned it immediately.
  10. ablaise82
    May 4, 2017
    0
    I cant even connect the **** guitar , even with online help and multiple tries. Who designed this **** Terrible. Maybe when it actually works Ill write it another review.
  11. Labyrinth64
    Sep 7, 2020
    3
    Rock Band 4 is a husk of it’s nostalgic beginnings, the final nail in the coffin that rendered mainstream rhythm games obsolete. People are being way too nice to this game. Lets compare this game to Rock Band 3 to see what we are working with.

    Rock Band 3: Has 83 memorable, rhythmically complex base songs that many people know and love. Has minimal DLC, and instead, a system where you can    Rock Band 4 is a husk of it’s nostalgic beginnings, the final nail in the coffin that rendered mainstream rhythm games obsolete. People are being way too nice to this game. Lets compare this game to Rock Band 3 to see what we are working with.

    Rock Band 3:
    Has 83 memorable, rhythmically complex base songs that many people know and love. Has minimal DLC, and instead, a system where you can buy a spin-off Rock Band game, and add the songs to the base game.
    Game provides a challenge of some sort.
    Game has a cool “solo” system, where during guitar solos, it displays how many notes you hit in that part, as well as your score for that part.
    Came with all features at launch.

    Rock Band 4:
    Has 65 songs by either bands you’ve never heard of, or a well known band’s latest music (which is usually not even rock music).
    There are no ‘spinoff’ games. Instead, to get actually good songs, you must spend a fortune buying individual songs.
    The base guitar literally has alternative buttons so that you don’t need to strum the notes. In place of the “challenge”, Harmonix added “Brutal Mode”, which is just doing the same as taping some paper to the bottom of the screen so you can’t see the notes. It’s lazy and doesn’t even make the game that much harder.
    Also has this same solo system, but also adds some weird “freestyle” mode, which is easy as hell and sounds really bad. Who tf decided this was a good idea?
    I had to wait a YEAR for practice mode and multiplayer. A YEAR. And they have the balls to make the multiplayer DLC. This game was obviously released unfinished just so that it could beat out Guitar Hero in sales. It’s a greedy shell of what rhythm games used to be.

    The only reason it isn’t rated lower, is because it isn’t as bad as Guitar Hero Live. At least Rock Band 4 stuck to it’s roots in some way.

    In conclusion, just buy an Xbox 360 or PS3 and play the older Guitar Hero/Rock Band games. Don’t waste your time and money on this.

    3/10    … Expand
  12. Skydog
    Jan 4, 2021
    1
    Updating my review for 2021....
    The game has had some great DLC that we desperately needed. So i'm going to keep my score above a zero for that fact alone.
    Now this game has been a stutter, freezing fest on PS4 for over 3 years and the devs simply ignore Sony users request to look into a fix by simply saying "can't be reciprocated " when in fact most of my friends who used to put 100+    Updating my review for 2021....
    The game has had some great DLC that we desperately needed. So i'm going to keep my score above a zero for that fact alone.
    Now this game has been a stutter, freezing fest on PS4 for over 3 years and the devs simply ignore Sony users request to look into a fix by simply saying "can't be reciprocated " when in fact most of my friends who used to put 100+ hours a week into this game can reciprocate said issue every single time we play. Aka DEV laziness.
    The game is unplayable trash now. Avoid at all cost. Simple as that.

    Updating my review of this: (part 2)
    The game has been announced to get online multiplayer and song sorting issues fixed by the fall/holidays of this year (2016).
    So i've bumped the rating up about +2.    … Expand
  13. ChocolateMilton
    Jan 23, 2016
    4
    Does a few little new things right, but it doesn't compare to how the old Rock Band games were. Small list of songs, poor character creator, the store has massive connectivity issues, and more. Additionally, the Madcatz guitars and drums are much poorer quality than you are used to if you played the grand old rhythm games. Makes pulling off those hammer-ons much harder

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Best PS4 Game of 2015
78
#78 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
89
#89 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 51
  3. Negative: 0 out of 51
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 16, 2015
    65
    In comparison to Guitar Hero Live the new Rock Band game is way too conservative. There’s a certain tradition in the music business: when a performer grows a beer belly and can’t climb to the top of the charts anymore, you send him to tour Japan, so he can grab some more money from a bit more loyal local fans. After seeing Rock Band’s current shape all I can say to it is “sayonara”. [12/2015, p.63]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Dec 15, 2015
    80
    Go in expecting a “next-gen” evolution of Rock Band 3, and you'll wind up booing. Expect a slick, party-in-a-box, and you'll be wolf -whistling. [Christmas 2015, p65]
  3. PlaySense
    Nov 30, 2015
    70
    Pros: the gameplay is still awesome and enables us to use old instruments is a cool move by the developer. Cons: calibrating is way more of a challenge than it should be, and the lack of Rock Band 3 songs and online multiplayer is a downer. In this case, however, the good outweighs the bad.
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