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.
The same experience we had with previous iterations of the franchise, spiced with some minor innovations. It's a great way to have easy-to-pick fun with friends, but don´t expect a revolution in the musical genre.
Retains the spirit and sincerity of the original games Classic note-matching gameplay is still a total party Freestyle Solos offer fresh, rewarding gameplay
Rock Band 4 is straight up fun.
Beat matching is the meat and potatoes of Rock Band 4, but I LOVE the new improvised guitar solo. Don't get me wrong, I seriously stunk at first and got frustrated at trying to play the right combos (high vs. low notes, fast strum, etc). However, I just said the heck with it and just played what I wanted and ignored what was on screen (I found out later you can do full-time solo too, which is fun). Anyhow, once I nailed the performance aspect of solo, it was more satisfying when I went back to learn the scoring system. So yeah, I eagerly await my solos now. I know I'm not actually making music, but I guess you could say I'm 'shaping' it and it just feels so good when you nail a solo. There are fewer things more satisfying when your band-mates and audience cheer your performance. :)
I'm relatively new to RB so I don't necessarily miss any of the features that didn't make it over from the previous titles. Frankly, I just want to play and don't really sweat the other stuff. Though, I kinda wish they had a short and chubby body type in the character creator... I can understand people being bummed about stuff they liked being dropped, but IMO, it feels pretty well balanced. That said, I gather the developer plans to continuously update the game with new features, so that's pretty cool.
I have to admit I am not familiar with most of the bands in the library (I skew on the older end of their target market I think :) ), but have no problem buying the music I want as DLC (Pixies, here I come!). Besides I've discovered a few cool bands that I would have otherwise never heard.
Zero issues with instruments syncing, lag, etc. I had a buddy who's guitar was acting funky but it was a simple fix (via Mad Cats website). Again being new to RB, I didn't own any of the older instruments, but the friends I used to play with seem to be impressed by the new equipment. Fingers crossed they will survive being played by my band-mates (which includes my 4 year old son) and myself. I'm pretty confident they will as it just feels like quality kit.
So yeah, the game is fun, it looks good, it sounds good and is something I'll be playing a while. Perfect for parties, rocking with my 4 year old, or just noodling a solo over a song when I wanna rock out.
Totally recommended!!
Truthfully, Rock Band 4’s biggest selling point is that it’s Rock Band on the new consoles with new instruments. And if that sounds appealing, then you’re bound to be very happy with Harmonix’s sequel.
If you’ve never had a Rock Band game before, this is as good a time as any to jump in, but be aware that you’ll be wanting to peruse that huge store of downloadable content in order to get a setlist you’re happy with. Series veterans, however, will have no such trouble, and very little reason not to check this one out. It’s a good basis for something that has potential to get even better as the years go on.
Rock Band 4 is not exactly Rock Band 2 for PS4 and Xbox One, but it's not that far off either. Harmonix sacrifices new ideas on the altar of compatibility; you can use former instruments, you can play all the tracks you already had, and all this is pretty good. But Rock Band 4 could have done with some graphics improvements and a few more new features.
Rock Band 4 doesn't feel like a grand, triumphant return for rhythm games. It feels more like a minimum viable product than the fourth game in a long-running and popular game franchise.
I got the band in a box. After updating the firmware and putting in new batteries, I have had no problems with the controllers. They feel better than my previous RB2 controllers. The gameplay is the core gameplay, similar to Rock Band 1 and 2. Show mode doesn't save scores, which is interesting and has lead to me mostly playing quickplay. Quickplay is solid though and is exactly what I expected.
Also, if you don't use optical out, you'll probably have a a lot of audio lag (The PS4 in general seems to have much more lag than the PS3). I bought a converter to use my speakers with optical out and I have almost no audio lag.
It plays well, it's still fun, and the freestyle solos are a lot of fun to play. But for people who had multiple games with exported tracks in the past, having all those songs be missing is a major letdown. The included list is weak, especially compared to Rock Band 1 and 2.
When they get all that old content back into this game, it will be much better for it.
I've played a LOT of Rock Band 3, so I was really looking forward to this new installment. Overall it's a pretty good experience, the new guitar controller feels more solid and the buttons make less noise which is nice. The drum set doesn't feel like you'll break them with a nice bounce to the pad. And the new Freestyle Solo system really makes you feel like a rock star shredding away on stage.
My complaints are there isn't much added to the genre. The whole thing feels more streamlined and it's still a blast to play with friends but if you are looking for something new, Freestyle Solos are the only real noteworthy addition. The character creator seems to be lacking. Only two body types "Masculine" and "Feminine", it would be nice to have a little variety with that, but it's purely cosmetic and doesn't affect gameplay. No online co-op or vs mode at the moment, but it is possible these features will be added in the future. If they do I'd bump the score up, but as of now the game could use some work.
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
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 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.
SummaryRock Band 4 offers the unique social play of a full band experience—featuring a next-gen microphone, wireless drums and guitar, and a revamped world tour campaign mode. Add your personal signature to every performance. With Freestyle Guitar Solo, you can string together blistering licks and wow the crowd with your own incendiary solos. ...