When the first Guitar Hero was released, I doubt anyone expected it to be the huge hit it became. It garnered mainstream attention for a genre that could previously only be found in an arcade, and started a music game revolution with its incredible popularity. Now it’s hard to find a household that doesn’t have more plastic instruments then real ones, and it can all be attributed to the feeling experienced when rocking out. It gave people with no musical talents a chance to act and feel like a rock star by “playing” an instrument, albeit with a much simpler learning curve. However as time has passed, so too has the magic once felt when picking up that plastic instrument to bang out a couple songs. Those who picked up the original DJ Hero however were treated to some of that magic once again, as the game was a fresh take on the music genre with a style that many people aren’t familiar with. It was a fairly complete game in itself, so the question isn’t really whether it’ll be good or not, but whether or not it has improved enough to warrant another buy when the rest of the music genre is becoming stale.
Rather then simply adding a bunch of new mixes and calling it a day, the game has evolved into something bigger and better in every way. Some changes seem minor while others are a big step in the right direction, but this is a case in which the sum of all changes equals a much more entertaining experience for the player. Essentially, if it felt like something was missing while playing the first game, it’s here in the sequel. So yes, if the thought of being a DJ has at any point crossed your mind, you should probably get excited for this game. If the first title was set on the backburner for whatever reason, DJ Hero 2 is an even better place to pick up the first beat. It’s got a handy training section for new players or for brushing up on your skills, but the hardcore fans need not worry, because there are still plenty of new features to keep you interested too.
Let’s talk about what’s new in DJ Hero 2 first, because that’s what everyone wants to hear. The developers really listened to the fans when they decided what to include in the sequel, and as a result it just feels much more complete as a whole. Much of this can be attributed to a handful of the new features, which were sorely missing from the first title. The two biggest features are both freestyle options within songs that add a huge level of customization and style possibilities. This is where the personality of the player really shines, because their actions can completely change the sound of the song for a few moments. It’s also the moment where a player’s knowledge of the music tracks come into play most, and their potential skill as a DJ is revealed.
The first of the two features relates to the common gameplay action of cross fading, which is essentially choosing which of the two songs to put more or complete focus on. Most of the time the game tells the player which track to fade to by moving the track away from the center of the screen. However, DJ Hero 2 now includes free fade zones in which the player has complete control of cross fading between tracks. It works exactly the same as normal cross fading does, but the player can decide how simple or complex they want to make it, which alters the song directly. Moving the slider left or right will isolate certain beats or lyrics from the rest of the track, while leaving it centered will play both at the same time. Of course if nothing is done the song still sounds great, but if the player is knowledgeable of the songs being mixed, this is where it really counts. It’s hard to describe with words, but a good player can make a great song even better, while a poor player can temporarily ruin a song. A great player will be able to feel the song and know when to fade left or right for the greatest audio effect, while poor players will slide randomly, cutting off words or making seemingly off timed beats.
Free fading has got to be the most fun new addition to the series because it gives the player the option to hear what they want, when they want to. There is little that compares to the feeling attained after creating a great sounding free fade section, although a solid freestyle scratch comes in a close second. When these sections show up, the player is given complete control of the sound and type of scratches they want to make. Starting off pushing forwards or backwards will determine the general sound of the scratch, while the speed and length of the scratch determine the rest. It’s up to the player whether they want to create slower well timed rhythms or just go all out with crazy speed for some interesting effects. Can’t decide which to do? No problem, you can always just stop scratching half way through and change it up if needed. It’s always interesting to see what people do with these sections, and skilled players can make some great sounding additions to the songs. It can even be funny during some multiplayer sessions where the first person to get to it creates the sound, while the other person tries to scratch faster and faster until they realize that what they’re doing isn’t making any noise.
There are multiple minor changes that have been made to improve the overall sound of the game, and they are definitely welcomed. As great as Flava Flav was, his samples got old fast. One of the first things attempted when the game started up was to knob through the sample list, but it wasn’t there. Instead, the game bases the sample on something relevant to that portion of the song. It may not sound like a big deal at all, but it makes the song flow much better then anything Flava Flav could say. Along similar lines, the dial now has about 12 different effects tied to it depending on the song, rather then the same 2 effects every time. It also includes a new note type in the form of a sustain, which many people will recognize from having played any other music title. All of these little changes when combined with new features make the game that much more pleasant to the ears, which is the main purpose of the game after all.
There seems to be less of an emphasis on actual scores and more on simply perfecting play with the highest hit percentages in DJ Hero 2. There are a couple of new modes that completely abandon a scoring system for the pure enjoyment of it, while allowing additional players to drop in and out freely with no penalty or bonus. Fear not though, because there have been a few changes to the gameplay that will benefit those who enjoy that type of challenge too, especially in multiplayer. Each track features a checkpoint system, which can have a huge impact on those who play the game for high scores. When a rewind is used, the player will be taken back to the last checkpoint passed to play the entire section over again with a bonus multiplier. This means that there will be strategy required to get the most out of each use, because the moment it’s activated will have a direct impact on how much of the song will be replayed.
The visuals have improved as well, with a little more clarity in the note track and a bit more flair in the background visuals. It is possible to use your Xbox avatar as a DJ in the game too, though it will look a tad out of place on stage because the graphic styles don’t match particularly well. The in game dancers that will be on screen half the time have gotten better at dancing, and wear even crazier costumes then ever before. The only issue is that there only seem to be a couple of dancers per venue, so they can get repetitive during long continuous sets. At least they still aren’t tiring and tedious like the menu system from the first game though, which is thankfully gone now. It’s been replaces with a much more standard menu system, but one which navigates a lot easier. All the basics are there, from quick play to the new career mode and more, it’ll easily take half the time if even to find what you’re looking for.
That’s going to be it for part 1 of the DJ Hero 2 preview for now. Check back soon for part 2, which will talk about multiplayer, the music tracks in the game, the challenges of singing a remix, and more! If there is anything you’d like me to touch on as well, don’t be shy… post a comment and I’ll talk about it the best I can. There will also be a couple of interviews coming in the near future to give an inside prospective from those who created the game and remixed the songs. Stick around, because this party is just getting started.
Continue to Part 2 of the DJ Hero 2 preview by clicking here.
