Rock Band 4
- October 6, 2015
- Harmonix Music Systems
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.
Rock Band, the award-winning social and interactive music performance experience, is back! Form your own band, rock the world, and live out your ultimate rock and roll fantasy, with your friends, family, or as a solo act. Rock Band 4 delivers the ultimate platform for gamers to experience music, giving players the chance to rock in the shoes of the biggest guitarists, bassists, drummers, and singe…
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
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Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience, bringing back the fun of playing with friends and family, especially during parties.
- Gameplay enhancements like freestyle solos and support for legacy DLC tracks add depth and enjoyment to the experience.
- The game works well with updated instruments and has a solid performance, making it a great choice for fans of the series.
- The game lacks significant new features and feels more like a maintenance release rather than a true evolution of the franchise.
- Compatibility issues with older controllers and missing online multiplayer options can be frustrating for players.
- The setlist is underwhelming, with many players expressing disappointment over the limited song selection.
- music12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music aspect of Rock Band 4 has received praise for its extensive song selection, including backward compatibility with many previously purchased DLC tracks, which enhances the overall experience. While some users noted that the setlist could be underwhelming in parts and the online multiplayer feature is not yet available, the game still offers a solid and enjoyable music platform with a strong on-disc soundtrack and new song offerings. Overall, it successfully revives the music genre with a focus on fun and casual play.
“When I was able to carry forward all the RB1 songs into RB2, and almost all of them to RB3, I was ecstatic.”
“We bought it more for karaoke than anything; this game has the best song selection with DLCs.”
“Harmonix has brought the music genre back from the dead with a solid experience in Rock Band 4.”
“While its setlist does underwhelm in some areas, and the online multiplayer mode is not ready yet, Rock Band 4 still feels like the music platform that Harmonix set out to make.”
“Downloading older songs can take a while, and there is no online play (yet).”
“The graphics haven't really evolved like the rest of the game.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the latest Rock Band installment is praised for its evolution while retaining the classic note-matching mechanics that fans love. New features like freestyle solos and deep career mode enhance the experience, alongside excellent instrument updates and compatibility with legacy tracks. Overall, the gameplay is described as tight, engaging, and a perfect blend of nostalgia and innovation, making it a standout in rhythm action gaming.
“As a long-time fan of Rock Band, I've put in hundreds of hours from RB1 to RB3, and have been surprised at each game's evolution of the gameplay, and the care with which the player is introduced to the new features.”
“Career mode is deep, fun, and customizable; freestyle solos are an excellent addition, and the general gameplay maintains the awesome feel of the originals.”
“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 gameplay feels repetitive and lacks innovation, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
“While the classic gameplay is nostalgic, it doesn't bring anything new to the table, leaving it feeling stale.”
“The controls can be unresponsive at times, which detracts from the overall experience and makes it frustrating to play.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are perceived as outdated and have not significantly evolved alongside other gameplay elements. Users also note issues with accessing legacy DLC and express concerns about the overall art style feeling stale.
“The graphics haven't really evolved like the rest of the game; they feel somewhat dated.”
“The art style feels somewhat outdated and lacks the polish expected in modern games.”
“Legacy DLC is not easy to obtain and has some major graphical issues.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report that Harmonix games suffer from significant stability issues, often describing them as "super buggy." This suggests a frequent occurrence of glitches and performance problems that detract from the overall gaming experience.
“Harmonix games are super buggy.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability through its fun and casual gameplay, with optional freestyle solos and a voting system for shows that introduces variety with shuffled tracks. Additionally, the eclectic on-disc soundtrack and support for legacy DLC enhance the overall experience, encouraging players to return.
“The game focuses on fun, casual play, making freestyle solos easy to grasp while also being optional.”
“The shows and their voting system offer great replayability with shuffled tracks.”
“The strong, eclectic on-disc soundtrack, along with legacy DLC support, enhances the overall replay value.”
“The game focuses on fun and casual play, but the replayability feels limited due to the optional nature of freestyle solos.”
“While the shows and their vote system offer some replayability, the shuffled tracks don't provide enough variety to keep me engaged.”
“The strong and eclectic on-disc soundtrack is great, but it doesn't compensate for the lack of meaningful replayability.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story elements are criticized for failing to create a compelling campaign, with a lackluster tracklist and an overall deficiency in content and new ideas.
Critic Reviews
Rock Band 4 review -- back to basics for the band
The parts of the game we fell in love with feel like they’ve gotten a fresh coat of paint, but the feature set, and currently incomplete pieces, feels like a Kickstarter title that didn’t quite hit all of its funding goals. The parts that matter, however, are rock solid, and the new solo improvements are a hit. Harmonix has pulled off some amazing games. While this launch is a rough opening act, the platform is good, the game works well enough, and as soon as my library is back in order I'll be getting the band back together.
80%Rock Band 4 Review
Rock Band 4 is the same fun game driven by plastic instruments as you remember, just for current game consoles.
80%Rock Band 4 (PS4) Review
I love Rock Band and there really isn't anything wrong with Rock Band 4, yet there is nothing groundbreakingly new introduced to the series at this point in time, either.
80%
