Over the past week, I’ve had an insatiable ear-hunger for the sounds of Daft Punk, Salt-N-Pepa, and loads of other hip-hop music since I had the chance to spend plenty of time with the full version of DJ Hero 2. Before diving into all the great stuff I had the chance to see, I can easily say that it’s the sequel fans were hoping for. This is due in part to some new additions including drop-in, drop-out co-op as well as the much more reasonable price point. While it doesn’t apply to Xbox Live, the newly added “Party” mode was what I found to be one of the most unique additions allowing players to jump in and out of a playlist of songs. There are no loading screens between each song and when someone decides to call it quits, they can hop out without affecting the others continuing to scratch or sing. I’d almost go as far as saying it’s more convenient than the party mode found in Guitar Hero, boasting a much more party-esque soundtrack and equipment not quite as cumbersome. Party Mode allows for two DJs and someone singing lyrics back and forth between the two songs mashed. Party mode was great fun and I constantly hopped in and out of others sessions. As for much deeper head-to-head gameplay, schooling your opponent has never felt so great. The general concept varies depending on which specific mode you’re playing, but there are plenty of opportunities to take the spotlight if you are scratching better than the guy next to you.
Since I was playing against a professional DJ Hero player, I received said schooling when he used the “rewind” power, forcing me to watch him replay the previous piece of the song. The battles in DJ Hero 2 feel much more like, well, battles. It’s no longer about who can get the highest score, it’s about putting the guy or gal next to you to shame and it’s a hell of a blast. If you think you can compete, you can take the battle onto Xbox Live. You’ve also got the campaign known as “Empire” mode. This is somewhat akin to what players experienced in DJ Hero, or just about any rhythm game but the new gameplay mechanics are what make the campaign much more interesting this time around. While there are just a few new additions to the gameplay, each is a much-needed component of making players feel more like a DJ. You’ve got freestyle scratching which allows you to scratch however, whenever you want. Pretty self explanatory, but it allows players to have a dramatic change on pieces of the song. There’s also the addition of freestyle crossfading, which allows you to hop back and forth between each song as you please for a short period of time. In “Battle” mode, whichever player is having a better run gets dibs on the freestyle crossfade. Finally, there’s the addition of freestyle sampling, which uses samples from the songs you’re currently playing. No more pressing red to “yeah!” which always sounded horribly out of place in the first game.
These additions culminate to make players feel like they are actually mixing the songs and it sounds great. On top of all that, the soundtrack is much, much more varied with less songs repeated in mashups, unlike the first which reused songs two to three times in various tracks. You’ve got the sounds of a widely varied group of artists ranging from M.I.A. to Metallica. It’s all mostly hip-hop, but there are a few tracks featuring pop or rock. What makes DJ Hero so unique in comparison to other rhythm games is the fact that these mashups are all unique songs made just for the game. Even if you’re familiar with the individual songs contained within, they feel fresh thanks to the talents of DJ Tiesto, DJ Qbert and others. In terms of elements removed from DJ Hero, DJ vs. Guitar, has been removed as Activision told me it did not represent the culture surrounding the game. It was a bit gimmicky in the first, so it was a relief knowing it’s been replaced by the mic. The best removal of the game is $20 from its launch price for the game and the turntable. This is good news, as the first game launched at a very unsavory $120 for the bundle. This is really going to make it much more accessible for newcomers. The turntable remains untouched in design, other than the new white turntable available in the “Party” bundle along with another table, the game and a mic. Other encouraging news I received from the production team at Activision, was that DLC will be a much bigger focus with DJ Hero 2 than it was with its predecessor. Seeing as how the first game only received a handful of additional tracks, each boasting a pretty unfavorable price, I can’t wait to see overall support increased.
All of the changes to DJ Hero 2 bode well for the franchise. I felt as though my control over each song was greater, making for a different experience every time you play a mashup. The multiplayer is now one of the best pieces of the game, especially the stand out “Party” mode, which truly lives up to its name and will easily be great set up at any party. I also really dig the new soundtrack which boasts an impressive 83 mixes, featuring a wide variety of genres, artists, and much less repetitive than the soundtrack of the first game. I bought the first one on launch at a price that was rather high for the contents of the box, but this time around the price is much less cringe-worthy. All the new freestyle mechanics are small gameplay changes, but they make you feel much more like a DJ. DJ Hero 2 is just a much better package than the first game. That’s the easiest way to put it. If you’ve never played it, this is the best place to start. I can easily say this is my favorite rhythm game, as the soundtrack is well thought out for the audience it’s aimed towards and in DJ Hero 2, you feel even more so like you’re mixing these tracks. If you loved or even slightly enjoyed the first game, then you have plenty of reasons to be excited come October 19th when the game releases for the Xbox 360. Until then, keep an eye on PlanetXbox360 for the review in just a few short weeks.
