There was a time not long ago where the only thing I played was Rock Band. I put countless hours and weekends in that game with friends strumming and drumming away. Till one day I just stopped. I didn’t pick up my drumsticks or my guitar to jam out like I used to. I just moved on. But after a three-year hiatus, the band is coming back and better than ever!
Walking up to the Rock Band booth made me feel all jittery inside. The loud music coming from the speakers, the cheering from the crowd got me amped up and excited. I waited till day three of PAX, to actually get my hands on this game, and let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed one bit.
The Rock Band experience consists of a guitar, bass, drum, and even a microphone where players can rock their way through an ever-ending library of classics. The musical library will support over 2000 tracks released since the launch of the original Rock Band.
This time Harmonix is truly giving the player more of a customized experience to feel the music. Introducing the Free Style Guitar Solo, which truly sells the “Rock Star Dream.”
When playing, you’re probably used to following the instructions of what comes on the screen to produce the correct sounding notes. With Rock Band 4, all of this has changed. Players can strum at different speeds; press any button they want with some guidance on which note variations should be used. Even if you decide to disregard them, you’ll still produce awesome sounding riffs. Skilled players will come to enjoy this feature and create awesome sounding solos within minutes.
Now coming from a person who’s rhythmically challenged, this feature made me enjoy the game. After playing a couple of songs, I didn’t want to put the guitar down. It was a positive experience that linked back to my rocking childhood.
This is an exciting new feature to look forward too. The freedom of creating your own guitar solos should keep you busy and has potential for high replay ability.
Rock Band 4 releases on October 6, 2015 for PS4 or Xbox One. You can purchase “The Band in a box” set for a hefty price of $249.96. The Guitar bundle is priced at $129.96, and the software for $79.99.