Rock Band 4 campaign will have 'epic, branching' story says Harmonix

Harmonix's Rock Band games are famed for their fun local multiplayer, but the developer is looking to make the single player campaign of its latest game the most ambitious and fleshed out to date.

"You go from your hometown to being the biggest band in the world, you choose ... what kind of band you are," said designer Alli Thresher to IGN in an exclusive reveal. "When we started looking at all the new features we have in the game, mechanically, it just made sense for us to build this epic, branching story.

"It really deepens the band fantasy, and it really gives us the opportunity to answer some things we've been hearing from fans over the last five years and really, really amp up that feeling and the fantasy and dynamics of being in a band.

"Making decisions together, charting a path through your careers, building your story as a musician, and figuring out who you are."

"You can take corporate gigs and make a lot of money as a band, you can take a path to pursue your artistic integrity, and along the way, as you make these choices, the game kind of responds to you.

"So, you might take a gig where you decide you are the spokesperson for off-brand salted meats and start your every gig by warming up the crowd telling them how much you like salted meats. And the crowd is not into it and booing and stuff, and you have to play really, really well to get them over it."

It isn't all glamour and money-chasing in the game, with Thresher adding that players will also have the option to "couch surf around the country, use social media to meet people, and sleep on their floors."

Interestingly IGN describes the new campaign made as having "more in common with the superb 80 Days than any previous Rock Band campaign," referencing Inkle Studios' celebrated mobile game.

Both Rock Band and Guitar Hero are making their returns in 2015, with the latter starting from scratch and Rock Band building on past successes with the support of instrument peripherals released for previous versions of the game and the updating of (it hopes) its entire catalogue of downloadable tracks.

Rock Band 4 will be released later this year.