Harmonix has finally started to start revealing exactly what rhythm game fans can expect to see in terms of new features in Rock Band 4, as the first details have been released today with more to follow through IGN throughout the month. As the game has been confirmed to support song DLC from the previous console generation, the core gameplay across guitar, bass, drums and vocals will largely be the same, but the developer is looking to add some new features to the mix as well.
Drum fills, used to activate the score-doubling Overdrive feature, will abandon the freeform drumming of past titles in favor of randomly presenting one of several preset fills for variety. The library of presets will be made to fit each song’s genre and difficulty, ensuring that they won’t feel out of place. Drum players will also kick songs off by counting in for the whole band.
Vocal harmonies for up to three people, a feature first introduced in The Beatles: Rock Band and carried over into Rock Band 3, will not only return, but will be retroactively added into every song in the series’ library that can use them. A new scoring mechanic based around vocal improvising will also be introduced, rewarding singers with bonus points for freeform singing as long as they stay in tune.
There is also a hint at the campaign mode for Rock Band 4 being more akin to a role-playing game than previous versions, with a goal of making players feel more immersed in the world of rock stars. How exactly this will work is still unannounced, but expect to hear more about it and other new features throughout the month.
We will continue to keep you updated on Rock Band 4 as more news drops, but for now, let us know what you think of these new features.
