10 Years Later, Rock Band 4 Nonetheless Has Its Hooks In Me

When Rock Band 4 got here out, all I may do was lament the lack of the keyboard accent from the prior sport. Over time, I’d be taught to like the fundamentals once more and re-acclimate to the guitar, drums, and vocals that made the collection widespread within the first place. Little did I do know that it might mainly be the one large rhythm sport on the town for 10 years.

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Though Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Dwell fought it out again in 2015, just one victor remained. Guitar Hero Dwell was scrubbed from existence by Activision, whereas Rock Band 4 remained as an establishment and platform for a decade later. Whereas it isn’t practically as sturdy because it as soon as was, I am nonetheless busting it out at events and for the occasional solo session.

Rock Band 4 Began As A Sport And Turned A Platform

Now It is Principally On Ice

At launch, many individuals weren’t certain that Rock Band 4 would final. It was up towards its outdated rival as soon as once more, and the 1.0 version of RB4 lacked some fundamental quality-of-life options and modes. Over time, Harmonix would slowly construct upon the sport’s basis, amid truckloads of DLC track releases.

Life was good in case you had been a Rock Band fan, particularly in case you had been following together with prior entries, bringing your DLC in alongside the best way. I obtained to a degree the place I had over 1000 songs on demand, a setlist that has entertained numerous occasion friends for the final decade.

Rock Band 4 wasn’t excellent, however that counts for one thing. Numerous the sport’s momentum got here from the eagerness inside Harmonix itself, which appears to be mostly focused on the rhythm elements of Fortnite lately. I would not depend on Harmonix, now a subsidiary of Epic Video games, to deliver this collection again anytime quickly.

The Hope For One other Rock Band Or Guitar Hero Is Slim

You By no means Know

With that in thoughts, the viewers for AAA rhythm video games waxes and wanes, and rights points make distribution a nightmare, particularly as time passes. In 2024, Harmonix introduced that they had been ending Rock Band 4 DLC releases after eight years of assist. Most not too long ago, the studio shared that the sport could be delisted completely from Xbox and PlayStation digital storefronts. This got here mainly on the sport’s tenth anniversary level, which is one heck of a method to have a good time.

So far as Guitar Hero goes, that collection died in 2015 with Guitar Hero Dwell, the identical 12 months Rock Band 4 was launched. It was a nasty battle, however in the long run, Activision turned tail and ran from the competitors, and declined to revisit the collection that after gave Rock Band a run for its cash. With Microsoft in cost, it is potential we’ll see the revival of Guitar Hero sooner or later past the occasional lingering machine in arcades.

Perhaps sooner or later we’ll get a revival, and a brand new era of plastic instrument-buyers will probably be born. For now, Rock Band 4 remains to be alive, offered that you simply already purchased it or nonetheless personal the bodily disc.