Most of these were just falsely labeled in the store (clicking on them would tell me I owned them, and the label would change to purchased), but a few still demanded payment. A mere day before launch, and I was still finding some songs that showed up as owned on the Xbox 360 but wanted me to purchase them on the Xbox One. Going through the store song by song is really your only choice, but even then, there are issues. Oddly enough, the only things in "Your Friends Own" are the DLC songs that I downloaded to my Xbox One.
The in-game store has a category for "Your Friends Own" but doesn't have the ability to show you the DLC that you own but haven't yet downloaded. It could be an issue with how Rock Band 4 is handling the tracks, or it could be an issue with the Xbox Marketplace, but either way, finding previously purchased music hasn't been smooth sailing.
While Rock Band 4 promises support for all previously purchased DLC, having it all available at launch is spotty at best. Rock Band 4 doesn't have much of a learning curve if you're familiar with the franchise, but for someone new, there will be a few hurdles to overcome.Īnother issue has to do with the in-game store. These may seem like insignificant bits to experienced players, but they were invaluable for a newbie. There is no practice mode, no option for learning individual songs and no way to rock out on the drums without a song playing, like you could in the previous game. Rock Band 4 has tutorials for freestyle guitar, but that's it.
Speaking of Rock Band 3, losing online play for Rock Band 4 doesn't seem like that big of a deal, as Rock Band is best enjoyed with a group of local friends, but the parts that are missed are the full tutorials. It is much longer than it was in Rock Band 3. In quick play, there is a noticeable loading time between every song. Since you're picking a few songs when you vote, there is no real wait between songs when playing a show. This is in contrast to quick play, where every song is an individual experience. Like tour mode, both your multiplier and overdrive carries over from one song to the next, so long as you keep playing. This feels similar to quick play, with the main difference that it allows you to keep playing by voting after each song. Playing a show is the replacement for playing a set list. Interestingly enough, drums now appear to have charts throughout instead of solos, though a final green note in a highlighted section still triggers overdrive. If you have someone who doesn't know what they are doing, the freestyle solo is just going to sound like a whole lot of noise rather than an experimental solo. The new freestyle guitar option is an intriguing addition, as it allows advanced players to freely explore their own style during solos, but at the same time, it can be a bit intimidating to new players. Sometimes the votes listed the name of the songs, and other times, they were more opaque, such as "A song from 1976." Depending on which track you take, you may be forced to play pre-selected set lists, you may get to choose your own or you may get to vote on a limited selection. Certain paths make it easier to gain fans, while others make it easier to gain money. While on tour, you'll be faced with some branching decisions that can impact your rewards. Even though I created more than one custom character, I was unable to assign them to the other band positions. Other band members are filled by default characters. Rock Band 4 also appears to only let you use your custom characters for the position you are playing. Character creation allows for a decent amount of variety, but it isn't nearly as flexible as other games. Funds that you earn can be used to purchase new costumes and instruments, further customizing your band. Here is where you'll create a custom band, hit the road and attempt to gain fans and money by performing well.
Support for pro guitars and the keyboard controller from Rock Band 3 has been dropped, with the game focusing on the remaining core instruments.Īctual gameplay is split between tour mode, playing a show and quick play. Rock Band 4 supports normal and bass guitars, drums, pro drums, single vocalists and vocal harmonies.