DJ Hero (Xbox 360) Review
Posted by Jon Seddon on 11.16.2009
Grandmaster Flash and FreeStyleGames make for a good combination
Title: DJ Hero Publisher: Activision Developer: FreeStyleGames Genre: Music Players: 1-2 Rated: T for Teen
You might think that the latest Hero game is shameless cash in on the whole Guitar Hero franchise, but FreeStyleGames were working on this title well before they were bought wholesale by Activision. The game borrows a lot from the series, but the developers have done enough to give it it's own personality.
Before you've got the game disc anywhere near your console there are two very noticeable aspects to this release. Firstly, at $120 for the standard edition and $200 for the Renegade edition, it's amongst the more expensive games you're going to buy this year. The second thing you'll notice is that you get a very well made piece of plastic, which looks like a miniature turntable with buttons on the platter.
Please note: this review is for the Xbox 360 version, but the PS3 version is identical except for the USB dongle required for the wireless DJ Hero controller. This isn't required for the 360 version.
Gameplay
DJ Hero is presented in similarly to your favourite music game from the last couple of years, with it's note highway. You're presented with the option of a tutorial with Grandmaster Flash, which would be a wise option as the controls are pretty different even for a plastic instrument veteran. Once you've familiarised yourself with the controls it's time to pick a DJ and get into the gamer proper, which presents you with a series of 3-5 track performances, with the latter ones needing to be unlocked. Each set might be presented by a particular DJ or have a theme running through it like hip hop.
In play you'll see the familiar note highway, but this time there are just 3 colors which correspond to the green, red and blue buttons on the turntable platter and these represent your left and right records, replacing the need for two turntables. The red button activates sounds from your sample bank. If that sounds simple then there are a few more things to worry about. The record deck platter revolves just like a real turntable and the notes on the highway show up and down arrows indicating where you have to scratch the record and on harder difficulties, the direction of scratching is important. On the left of the turntable is the crossfader, your sample selector and the button you use to trigger Euphoria, which is this game's Star Power. The cross fader is used to fade in either record, which can get very hectic at times as you move from one side to the other whilst trying to scratch, press buttons and change your samples. If that gets too difficult, Euphoria mode will automatically fade the records and if you manage to get enough consecutive notes you get to rewind the whole track with a spin of the decks and score mega points. The sample selector does what it says and you score points for playing different samples as opposed to relying on the same "yeah, boys" proclamation.
Progression through the game is all about earning stars, which unlock more of the game, including costumes, DJs, and most importantly additional set lists. There's no money in the game with stars forming your only currency and with the absence of money, comes the absence of choice. The game awarding you items rather than letting you to choose them from a shop. To be honest, this always felt like a superfluous feature of the previous games.
Outside of the main mode you can create your own custom set, play a set alongside another player playing a guitar track or play local or online competitive multi-player. Playing with a guitar might make you think you're getting something akin to a Rock Band experience, but somehow it never captures the excitement of the full band, but it's all DJ Hero has to offer for those wanting to play together. As there are just a handful of mixes which allow you to combine guitar and decks, ultimately it feels like a tacked on mode that provides and extra bullet point on the box.
Graphics
You're probably familiar with the graphical style of the Guitar Hero games, which have a certain style, but are hardly cutting edge and to be honest were looking a little long in the tooth by the time World Tour was released. The good news is that this time round, they have completely overhauled or replaced the graphics engine and whilst it's still stylized it fits the mood of the game really well. Gone are the ridiculous stages with their crazy props and instead you have a club environments with an impressive light shows and people dancing.
Sound
There are 93 mixes in the game and they cover a wider variety of musical genres than you might at first think. There are obvious choices like Jay-Z and Eminem, but there are also plenty of other styles in the mix like The Jackson 5, The Killers and Queen. These are then included in mixes or "mash ups" from a bunch of famous DJs including Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow and DJ AM. Surprisingly, the Grandmaster Flash mix is amongst the worst in the game, but perhaps if you're a fans you will think differently. On the whole, whilst I wouldn't have previously listened to most of the tracks chosen for the game, it's hard not to really enjoy the way they've been mixed and you may even find yourself seeking out more from the likes of Dizzy Rascal.
The other noticeable point about the sound is how quiet the Dolby Digital mix is requiring my home theater system to be turned up to 11 before I felt I was doing the game justice. By default the game is presented in stereo, but it does support full Dolby Digital surround, which increases the default volume.
Lasting Appeal
With 93 mixes and the various difficulties there's plenty to do if you want to get 5 stars at expert, but you may find yourself on a steep learning curve on the harder difficulties. As a guide, you will probably find it relatively easy to get 5 stars on medium on most of the tracks, but step it up and you may get frustrated before you get good enough.
The guitar co-op mode won't hold your attention for very long, but there is the online and local competitive play , but again it's just a single mode, so the challenge is limited.
How long you're going to play is going to depend on how much you like the music and how much you want to unlock stars and the corresponding clobber. The game does support DLC, but these don't add anything to the game other than new standalone mixes and how long these continue to appear will depend on how they sell. On release there were two more DLC songs available and next week will see the second set. DLC is more expensive than standard Guitar Hero songs, but there is some justification based on the fact that they have to licence two songs for each mix and then have to pay someone to create the mix.
Fun Factor
After a never ending number of Guitar Hero/ Rock Band games this year, DJ Hero is something that is genuinely different and fun to play. The sets on offer vary though in their appeal and depending on your own tastes they will either have you tapping your feet or just waiting for them to finish.
DJ Hero is essentially a single player affair, which removes a lot of the fun that is inherent in getting 4 people together to share a Rock Band evening, but if you're used to playing Guitar Hero on your own, then this is at least as good and certainly a breath of fresh air.
The 411:
DJ Hero is a successful first attempt at developing Activison's Hero franchise and gives you high production values, a decent track listing and a lot of tracks to get through. It's a lot of fun, but it's not a total triumph as once you've played through each of the mixes, you might not go back to the game. This makes it an expensive game at $120. The real value from the experience thought might come in DJ Hero 2, where the investment will be smaller and will give FreeStyleGames an opportunity to develop new game modes and challenges to give you and extended and more varied gameplay experience. By the way, Activision have all but confirmed a sequel, despite initially poor sales.
Graphics
8.0
Better than those in Guitar Hero, but still only serviceable
Gameplay
8.0
An excellent combination and peripheral and game
Sound
9.0
Excellent collection of tunes, expertly mixed
Lasting Appeal
7.0
Not as much longevity as the multi player focused Hero Games
