DJ Hero 2 (Wii) Review

Music-based games have become all the rage in the last couple of years, and on the back of the mega success that franchises such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band have seen, it is likely to continue for some time. The Guitar Hero franchise is perhaps the most popular and well known of them all, and has evolved substantially over the years and now offers a whole band experience where players can choose the guitar, bass, drums or even keyboard as their instrument of choice. Like band-related games, singing-based games have also surged in popularity, while dancing-based games have also started to gain some momentum. Then there is DJ Hero, a game that should have trumped all others in terms of commercial success, considering the popularity of DJs in modern times, a recent interview with Tiesto I read quoted him saying that picking up a DJ kit is now more popular than picking up a guitar.

However, for probably a number of different reasons, DJ Hero was not a huge success – it wasn’t long after its release before it was discounted heavily. I picked it up a few weeks after launch and enjoyed it quite a bit. However, it did grow tiresome pretty quickly, due to a lack of multiplayer. Another problem with the first DJ Hero was the inability to let your creative side out. Deejaying, after all, is all about finding a couple of songs and mixing them together to create something that is entirely new. A complete lack of creative freedom really hurt this first instalment. Now, about a year later, DJ Hero 2 is out but has it rectified some of the issues of the first game?

To get straight to the point, DJ Hero 2 is a big improvement over the original mainly due to better songs, a great multiplayer mode and some creative freedom allowed. You still cannot create an entire new song [like you can in Guitar Hero], but the developers have introduced certain segments of songs that can be played freestyle. These freestyle sections might be for the “red line” [samples], or you might get a scratch section that is completely freestyle. You can also get sections where you can cross-fade to your delight, allowing you to fade in and out between the two main tracks. The scratch and cross-fade sections are a great way to put your own style into the mix, and are welcome additions to the game. However, the ability to completely customise/mix songs of your own accord is sadly not available – yet. Hopefully DJ Hero 3 takes this step further.

Along with the freestyle sections, DJ Hero 2 also includes another new note type, although it should be noted that the game controller [the DJ set] is exactly the same. This new addition, prolonged notes, requires you need to tap and hold a certain button before releasing. As with the first DJ Hero, playing on higher difficulties increases the amount and type of notes in the game, as well as introducing more difficult skills such as directional scratching and fade spikes.

The main game mode in DJ Hero 2 is the Empire Mode, which involves progressing through a series of different places as you build an empire as a DJ. Each venue [e.g. Ibiza, Berlin] involves a series of different sets where you play through [usually three] songs, attempting to earn as many stars as possible. Each venue also involves DJ battles, where you battle various real world DJs [such as David Guetta]. Earning more stars opens up new venues, characters and extras for character customisation [e.g. clothes, DJ sets and so on]. There is no real story to this mode, but it serves its function well as a means of guiding you through the various songs in the game.

The multiplayer component of DJ Hero 2 is a great deal of fun if you have two sets of DJ controllers. You can play against a friend in a number of different modes, including Head to Head Star Battle [most stars wins], Checkpoint [song is divided into checkpoints, most checkpoints win], and Accumulator [bank streaks of notes, higher note count at end wins]. There is a good variety of play modes available, and the game can also be played online which is a massive bonus.

Another important component of any music-based game is the song choice. DJ Hero 2 has an impressive collection of over 80 mixed by some of the most famous DJs from around the world, including the likes of Tiesto and David Guetta. There some great remixes here which means DJ Hero 2 also doubles as a great party soundtrack. The songs in the game include a good mix of hip-hop, dance and pop songs meaning there is a good variety of songs that will appeal to just about anybody.

Overall, DJ Hero 2 is a big improvement over the original game in a number of different ways. At its core, you have a game that makes use of a clever control system that does a good job of representing what it might be like to be a DJ, albeit on a much more simplistic level. The addition of freestyle sections is a massive plus, and the multiplayer mode along with a great selection of songs make it a great purchase. This offers plenty of value for money and fans of the original game can do no wrong by picking this one up.

Please note that the online component of the game was not assessed for this review.

Graphics 8.0

The main in-game characters look good, but the surroundings are bland and the crowd utilises the same character sprite over and over again with the same animation. The focus when playing is on the note chart, so this is not a major concern.

Gameplay 6.0

A great instrument-based music game, the additions of freestyle sections and the multiplayer mode are very welcome.

Sound 9.0

An impressive quantity of songs that is matched by their quality. Plenty of variety and mixed by some of the worlds best DJs.

Tilt 8.0

It does get old playing by yourself after a while, but the multiplayer modes and online are bonuses. A fully fleshed out mode that allows you to make your own songs would be nice.

Value 8.0

A big improvement over the original DJ Hero and a positive step in terms of evolving a game franchise such as this.