Rock Band Blitz Review for Xbox 360

System: Xbox 360*, PS3
Dev: Harmonix
Pub: Harmonix
Release: August 29, 2012
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p

Oh, and did I mention that it comes with a library of 25 songs, all of which can be imported into Rock Band 3? Because it does. In fact, even if you think playing a rhythm game with a traditional controller is dumb, you can purchase the tracks as sort of a booster pack for Rock Band 3. And 25 songs for $15 isn't a bad price. It's not a bad lineup of songs, either, representing a fairly wide variety of sub-genres. You'll play everything from "Always" by Blink 182 to "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John to "The Wicker Man" by Iron Maiden. Sure, I can be a bit of a music Nazi, and a lot of the songs simply weren't for me. But I have to admit, I did find a bunch that I actually enjoyed.

Rock Band Blitz Screenshot

Blitz has a very nice Rock Band aesthetic, with colorful, detailed menus and some decent texturing on the backgrounds you zoom through while you're rocking out. However, it's not going to be winning any graphical awards. In fact, the animation on the crowd of people that cheers for you at the end of each song seems pretty cheap. But really, what does the visual aesthetic even matter here? Rock Band is blowing your mind with rock, not blowing your mind with graphical fidelity.

Ultimately, Rock Band Blitz is definitely worth spending some time with. Doubly so if you're a Rock Band enthusiast looking to expand your collection of playable songs. Owners of Rock Band 3 will definitely get their money's worth; for everyone else, there's a very enjoyable rhythm game here. Either way, it's $15 well spent.

By
Josh Wirtanen
Editor / News Director
Date: August 31, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.2

Graphics
A great aesthetic, with some shoddy animations here and there.

3.0

Control
The controls will make or break this title. They work, but a lot of players are going to long for their plastic guitars.

4.7

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Rock Band Blitz nails the sound FX and gives you a great selection of songs to boot.

4.0

Play Value
25 songs right off the bat, plus access to over 1,000 add-on songs from Rock Band's illustrious past (for a fee). It's a pretty substantial package for the price.

3.5

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Addictive controller-based gameplay — no instrument peripherals needed!

Crazy Power-ups and fast-paced competitive gameplay.

Includes 25 songs new to the Rock Band Music Library - all 25 are immediately playable in Rock Band 3!

Works instantly with your existing Rock Band Music Library.