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Noughty by nature: Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Rock Band 4

Bang, crash, wallop

Natural born fillers?

The ratio of killer to filler is going to vary based on personal preference, of course, but I'm not convinced any rock star worth his salt would consider playing Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk, while Little Miss Can't Be Wrong is hardly the Spin Doctors’ song I'd choose.

Rock Band 4

Taking the lead

In fact, for every Foo Fighters, Black Keys or Aerosmith track there's a song by Grouplove, Eddie Japan and Little Big Town. Fine acts in their own right, I'm sure, but hardly the songs you'd look for on a greatest hits album.

Even the one real nod to advancing the formula – a freestyle solo where you can strum strings, bang drums and scream vocals to your heart's content – feels a little too haphazard to be a truly praiseworthy addition. Perhaps that's why Harmonix has provided the option to switch off the feature, should it prove annoying.

However, where Harmonix has played a blinder is when it comes to porting over any songs you've paid for on a previous version of Rock Band. Assuming that the copy of Rock Band 4 you've bought is for the same make of console on which you previously bought DLC, you can quickly amass a collection of music that's much more to your liking.

Rock Band 4

Twang tight

Better still, should you have any old kit lying about from previous Rock Band (or even Guitar Hero) games, you can plug them in too. As a rule of thumb, any wireless guitar (or drum kit) with a dongle should work, just be sure to double check compatibility first. Oh, and Xbox One owners, be sure to get the adaptor.

Rock Band’s reprisal feels more akin to a band getting back together for one last payday, than it does to right any previous wrongs. Fans won't care, for not only do they have a reason to dust off their old instruments, but Harmonix has sensibly made their playlists available again.

Rock Band 4

Band in a box

The gameplay still works too and remains the perfect entertainment for parties. It's just a pity that the opportunity wasn't used to truly overhaul the single player experience and to grow the game's online ambitions, rather than ditch them all together. ®

Rock Band 4 for PS4 (tested) and Xbox One. From £50-£220 depending on instrument options.

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