Rock Band 4's first expansion includes a playable rockumentary
Rock Band 4 expansion Rock Band Rivals is more than just an excuse to issue new hardware.
When Harmonix announced Rock Band Rivals it promised the add-on would include brand new features, but then failed to say what any of it was. On the other hand, it did reveal a new foldable guitar peripheral.
Naturally this was a bit frustrating for Rock Band 4 fans, but the good news is the developer has unveiled its ace card: a new game mode called Rockudrama. As detailed in the trailer above, this narrated mode follows your band from forming up to headline act, and is told through the lends of a fictional TV show called Beneath the Tuneage. It includes interviews, and adds new venues, Rock Shop items and gameplay challenges.
That's not the only new mode: the titular Rivals is a social affair in which players join Crews and battle it out for supremacy in weekly challenges and leaderboards. The events of this mode are asynchronous so you can do them in your own time, and Harmonix has said even players who stick to lower difficulties will contribute to their crew's success.
Now that we finally know what the first Rock Band 4 expansion actually contains, Harmonix has merrily provided several incentives for you to pay for it in advance. Any pre-order for Rock Band Rivals will grant you the following bonus songs:
- Bring Me The Horizon –“Happy Song”
- Capital Cities –“Safe and Sound”
- Eagle-Eye Cherry –“Save Tonight”
- Pharrell Williams –“Happy“
- The Neighbourhood –“Sweater Weather”
- Of Monsters And Men –“Little Talks”
- Semisonic –“Closing Time”
- Sia –“Chandelier”
- Skillet –“Feel Invincible”
- Weezer –“King of the World”
Those who pre-order Rock Band Rivals digitally will also receive a cheeseburger t-shirt, and if you already own Rock Band 4 you'll receive a golden sword guitar, too.
Physically, there are several options on offer and some retailer bonuses too. There's a $90 pack with the new, foldable Rock Band Rivals Wireless Fender Jaguar Bundle and, for a limited time, a coupon for a free microphone. If you're after the full Band Kit, it goes for $200 and includes the guitar, drums and a microphone.
Pre-orders for hardware bundles through Gamestop come with an exclusive charcoal grey guitar instead of the standard blue. Pre-orders through Amazon include two additional bonus tracks: Maroon 5's One More Night and Matchbox Twenty's 3 AM.
Rock Band Rivals releases in October for PS4 and Xbox One.