Rock Band Blitz

Overview -

Harmonix has carved out quite a niche for themselves, essentially creating an entire genre of gaming. You know you've made it when other companies crank out cheap knockoffs of your signature series. And while Rock Band has taken the world by storm, Harmonix cut its teeth on rhythm games that didn't require instruments. In that regard, Rock Band Blitz is a return to the developer's roots. Whether it stacks up to Harmonix's classic pre-Rock Band titles is another matter.

OVERALL:

Rating Breakdown

VIDEO

AUDIO

Tech Specs & Release Details

Technical Specs:
Digital Download

Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p

Audio Formats:
Dolby Digital

Release Date:
August 29th, 2012

Video Review

Ranking:

Rock Band Blitz is bright and shiny. Each track gets its own color and they light up as you shuffle through them. The notes are clear and easy to see. Beyond that, the game has a few little things on the sides (like cars driving alongside the music), but there's nothing much to shout about. Even if you get the big ending by maxing out all the tracks at the end of the song, it's not very impressive.

Audio Review

Ranking:

The sound, as befits a Rock Band game, is absolutely stellar. In fact, Harmonix pulls off a neat little trick. As you flip from track to track, that particular instrument (or vocal) takes precedence in the mix. It helps sell the illusion that you're choosing your own path through the song. As always, the songs sound great, and now you can hear the intricacies even better.

Rock Band Blitz is, at its core, an amusing diversion. A $15 game that can use your entire existing song library (as well as adding new songs that can then be played in the main series of games) is an attractive proposition. However, the game itself lacks a certain something that previous Harmonix efforts have had. It's not a bad game, but it's not the home run we've come to expect from this developer. Might be worth getting if it goes on sale at some point.