Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsGuys, we're getting the band back together!
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2015
Let me start by saying how awesome it is to be playing Rock Band again. Not that I couldn't have been playing RB3 or any of the titles on the Xbox 360, but like most people, I had, for one reason or another, pretty much stopped playing a few years ago. But the release of RB4 got me to pick up these plastic instruments once again, and man, it feels great. I'd nearly forgotten how much fun this franchise is, and all it took was one song to suck me back in. So yeah, if nothing else, thanks a ton to Harmonix for bringing Rock Band to the Xbox One.
Great:
- Freestyle solos on guitar are pretty fun. I like to get a sense of what a few frets sound like, then try and actually "compose" a solo based on that. If you've played Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved, you'll have a good idea of the concept. Or, you can just mash away randomly and still sound like a badass.
- "Playing a show" makes song selection so much smoother. If you're like me and have a decent sized music library (oh yeah, most DLC is compatible), choosing a song can often take longer than playing one. It's like spending 30 minutes deciding what show to watch on Netflix, then going to bed because you're too tired. No more! After you're done playing a song, you are presented with a set of random choices for you and your bandmates to vote on (and it's not always a specific song, it could be a genre, an artist, a time period, etc). Less is more.
- The new guitar hardware feels excellent. I think Mad Catz really nailed the strum bar this time. It doesn't click, for those who prefer the Guitar Hero hardware, but it feels much more responsive than the previous generation RB guitars. Also the tilt sensor works like a charm so far. That was a big problem for me on last gen hardware, even new.
- On-disc soundtrack. One of my favorite things about all the RB games is that the on-disc soundtrack is a combination of songs I know and love and ones I've never heard before. It's a great way to find new music (because lets face it, you're not going to buy random DLC songs).
- Like I said, previous DLC purchases are *mostly* compatible assuming you're staying in the same console family. As of this writing, I've got about 90% of my DLC loaded in, the rest either isn't listed or doesn't recognize that I've purchased it. Given that a couple weeks ago when the game first came out, it didn't recognize 100% of my DLC as being purchased, I'd say things are looking up. Hoping that the rest of that will become available eventually, but I don't know how these licensing deals work.
Not so great:
- The new drums feel fantastic - nice and bouncy and pretty quiet too. But, there is an issue with registering fast hits. This is apparently a known issue that Mad Catz is trying to address, but for now, it can be an problem if you have really fast notes on the same pad in succession (think rolls). It's too bad really because the drums do feel great, and hopefully it can be fixed with a firmware update or software patch. I hesitated to mention this in this review because I think the problem is blown out of proportion online and I don't want to fan the flames, but I think I have to bring it up because it is a real concern. In practice, I'd say it's more of an annoyance than a game-breaker. Yes, you will likely break your streak when you encounter those fast notes, but unless you're chasing gold stars and 100%, it's somewhat inconsequential in a casual or party setting.
- No support yet for old on-disc content. With the old games, you could export the RB1 and RB2 (and Green Day RB and Lego RB) soundtracks to be playable in RB3. Right now, that isn't possible. But I guess Harmonix is working on it, and you bet it has to be a top priority for them because pretty much everyone on the internet is complaining about it. You really can't fault them for this since it probably has more to do with Microsoft/Sony and the license holders, but still, it does mean a lot of awesome songs are not available (not even for purchase as DLC).
So yeah, if you like having fun, buy this game. If you're one of those not fun people, you can skip it. Or you can buy it, and then become much more fun than you were before you bought the game. Rock on!
