3.) Improved Song Sorting/Filtering in Shows Mode
The song sorting in Rock Band 4 is a mess compared to Rock Band 3. You can’t sort by genre, year of music or even by instrument (with the exception of songs with freestyle guitar solos). Harmonix has already indicated that they are going to be improving the song sorting features as part of the fall update. One of the best features of Rock Band 3 was the ability to sort songs by every micro category be it 2-person vocals, 3-person vocals or songs with no vocals. It would be nice if the song rating system and sorting/filtering options transfer over to the Shows Mode as well. There’s nothing worse than getting four songs to choose from that you all dislike.
4.) Less Pop Music
The DLC for Rock Band 4 has been disappointing to say the least. We’ve had DLC from Justin Bieber, One Direction, The Weeknd and other pop acts over the past few months. I’m getting a little tired of playing synth parts on guitar and bass. Back in the day the DLC was a great way for me to get exposed to bands I never heard of whether it be the Fratellis, Mission to Burma, Mute Math and more. Hopefully this Rock Band 4 fall update brings some more hard rock music to the fold.
5.) Improved Live Elements
Two features that were sadly cut from Rock Band 4 was the ability for the singer to talk to the crowd and for drummers to do count ins. Rock Band is about feeling like a band playing on stage, but it doesn’t do much to give you that “Live” Experience. It would also be great if songs transitioned more smoothly from one chart to the next. The drummers sustained crashing cymbal hits at the end of one song could transition right into the beginning of the next song. Maybe have a mode or option where you can turn off the stats that show up after each song and instead go from one chart directly into the next.
6.) Party Play from Guitar Hero 5 and Warriors of Rock
One of the few good ideas Guitar Hero had back in the day was Party Play. You could have any combination of four players on one song: 4 drummers, 2 guitarists and 2 vocalists, etc. This is something that’s sadly missing in Rock Band 4. One of the worst parts of any Rock Band party is deciding who gets to play Bass. I’d love to see this in the Rock Band 4 Fall Update.
7.) New Rock Band Stage Kit/Old Stage Kit Support
Sadly, if you were a PlayStation 3 owner you never got to experience the joy of the Rock Band stage kit. The stage kit served as both a smoke machine and light show for your Rock Band parties. With Harmonix teaming up with hardware manufacturer PDP, it would be a great time to bring the stage kit back and support the old one, especially since PDP created the original stage kit.
Harmonix has tight lipped about the upcoming Rock Band 4 Fall Update and plans to reveal more information at E3 this year. What started off as a disappointing year is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in recent memory for Rock Band fans.