This will probably be the biggest sticking point for a lot players any long-term fumbles on this end could end up sinking the whole endeavor. It had a few interface issues (not every song I’d bought comes up as “purchased” in the list of songs, and I had to remember and take a guess at a few), but it seems like just about every song has made the transition already, if not now, then in due time. The servers weren’t live for most of my time with Rock Band 4, but as soon as they were, I managed to get everything I’d purchased from the in-game store into the game. Rock Band wants you to pretend you’re a musician, and nothing accomplishes this better than drums do. But matching a drum beat in Rock Band still feels like the real deal, and I never had more false aspirations than when I got a 98 percent on drum beat even on Medium difficulty. Matching the guitar parts lick for lick is still fun, but drums have always been the best part of Rock Band, specifically because they create a more resilient illusion I never once thought I’d have what it takes to play a real guitar in all my time playing with plastic controllers, and I can hear myself sing and know I sound off-key.
I’ll probably end up buying a few more songs.ĭo people still care about music games? I hope so.ĭrums are still the best part of Rock Band As soon as the DLC servers went live, I combed through the entire back catalog to see if there were any gems I’d missed. I had my doubts about whether I’d still enjoy moving my fingers around in time, pounding drum beats, or butchering the chorus to songs I’d never heard, but it didn’t take long to get back into it, to learn songs, go on tour, and just enjoy music for a while. But mimicking the notes of our favorite musicians, of perfecting the toughest part of a song, of getting a better sense of how the music we love is put together - all of this still works, and it makes for a damn good time when everything’s in motion. Check out our Reviews Vault for past game reviews.ĭo people still care about music games? At a time when streaming services have made music more disposable, more of a backdrop to our lives than ever, the idea of sitting down and focusing our attention on a single song seems like a relic.