Rock Band Blitz

Development

Project director Matthew Nordhaus described the game as a departure from past Rock Band titles, shifting focus from musical authenticity and performance simulation to an arcade game that can be fast, loud, silly, and over the top. The game originated from a prototype Harmonix was developing around the time Viacom sold the company in 2010, later revived. Its initial working title was Synchrony, which remains as a power-up name. The team experimented with mechanics such as three notes per lane or different mechanics per instrument lane—like making drums more complex or using analog controls for vocal pitch—but settled on two notes per lane to let players quickly assess upcoming notes and decide which track to switch to.

Playtesting revealed that players tried to clear every note, a requirement in other Rock Band titles, but the game was designed as open-ended, allowing play on any track at any time. To address this, loading screen tips and tutorials were included. Harmonix considered incorporating instrument controllers but found no easy way to do so. The game was strictly single-player, but social elements were added via the Rock Band World Facebook application, which let players link console accounts, compare performances in Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz with friends and global scoreboards, work toward additional goals, and participate in weekly challenges set by Harmonix.

Soundtrack

The game includes 25 songs: 23 new to the series and two—Give It Away by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Spoonman by Soundgarden—previously released in Rock Band 2 but not exportable to Rock Band 3. All 25 songs are immediately playable in Rock Band 3. The game works with any songs the player has downloaded or exported for Rock Band 3, including Rock Band Network content and tracks from previous Rock Band games. All future downloadable content for Rock Band 3 also functions with Rock Band Blitz. From December 18, 2012, through March 19, 2013, Harmonix released songs from Blitz as singles for Rock Band 3 for Wii players, where Blitz was unavailable, and for players wanting only selected tracks. Six of these songs include Pro Guitar/Bass upgrades within Rock Band 3, available to those who purchased the singles or exported the Blitz soundtrack.

Reception

Rock Band Blitz received generally positive reviews, with comparisons to Harmonix's earlier Frequency and Amplitude, and many noting that enjoyment depended on the player's existing Rock Band track library. IGN's Greg Miller awarded an 8.5 and an Editor's Choice award, praising the core gameplay and competitive leaderboards while criticizing a lack of appeal for solo players not focused on high scores. Ryan Davis of Giant Bomb felt the social hooks could have been better implemented but that players with large Rock Band libraries would enjoy it.

Matt Miller of Game Informer found the arcade-style play fun but hampered by the constant need to collect coins for power-ups and occasional grinding. GameTrailers gave a 7.2, stating the focus on scores and track switching takes away the soul of Rock Band. Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead echoed that the drive for high-scoring opportunities eliminates the synaesthetic feeling of inhabiting a song with a guitar. Roger Hargreaves of the Metro rated it 6 out of 10, noting the small shipped music library and continuous push to buy more content.

Electronic Games Monthly's McKinley Noble criticized the push for content and felt the title would be better with a higher price and larger built-in song list. XBLAFans reported that Rock Band Blitz dominated September 2012 XBLA sales with 116,426 sales between August 27 and September 30.