ROCKBAND 4

Harmonix's decision of not letting the series go under a major overhaul is pretty apparent as returning players will feel welcome as the basic gameplay is still pretty much the same. Players choose their instrument and then they can start. They score points by successfully hitting points and they earn multipliers if they keep on scoring without any mistakes and eventually obtain an 'overdrive' where the multiplier doubles up. If a note is missed, the multiplier is set back to zero and if notes are constantly missed, the song will be over.

The new additions that Harmonix have brought to the table are noteworthy. The freestyle guitar solo which is an optional feature is the greatest of them all. While the usual solo section feature is still available if you do not like the new freestyle feature, there is hardly any reason for one to disable this brilliant addition. In the freestyle solo section, the game gives a certain suggestion to follow which can be chords or even tremolos and the player is scored on how well the suggest style is played. I personally loved it as it gave me the freedom to play my favorite solos in the way I wanted to rather than playing a few certain notes in previous installments. 

There have been new additions in the drums and vocals sections as well. Drummers can now do a count down before the start of a song while vocalists can also harmonize and on higher difficulties, players can melodize songs by themselves as long as they are in tune and thus, add their own personal touch to the song. 

Quickplay and Band Tour are the main game modes this year. In Quickplay, gamers can pick any song or any setlist with songs of their own choice and start playing. While the Band Tour mode is a campaign mode where the gamers form their own band and start touring. The Band Tour mode features players having to make choices. For example, playing a corporate gig might earn the band a lot of money but might affect their reputation and future gigs while deciding to play smaller gigs might create a rise in the band's popularity. Every tour presents its own risks and benefits so players have to choose wisely the path they want to pick. 

This installment's soundtrack varies from 60s rock to modern day hits, it features a lot of lesser-known songs from notable artists but Rock Band's biggest benefit is its compatibility feature. Songs from the previous games along with all the DLC packs for the older versions are available, turning it into a mammoth soundtrack and the players can use their old instruments to play the game. 

But the negatives for this installment come in all the omissions. The lack of a practice mode and online multiplayer are both massive drawbacks. As they have both been essentials for the entire Rock Band experience.

Overall, Rock Band 4 is indeed a welcome comeback for the notable series. While the initial soundtrack might be a let-down for some along with the notable features that have been omitted, once you start playing it, it is hard to put down. Harmonix have succeeded in creating yet another addictive video game that will keep players hooked. 

So what are you waiting for? Grab your Rock Band 4 copy and start rocking out with your friends as you fulfill the rock star fantasy. 

Fardeen Zareef is in a war with carbohydrates but his love of Doritos overwhelms him. He also does not know how to use Twitter and loves to game. 
Message him your love/hate at https://www.facebook.com/fardeen.zareef