I entered into a shaky alliance with dark forces to procure a DJ Hero bundle. I'm sure many of you shared my sentiments earlier in the year when this title was announced by Activision, something of a cross between an exasperated sigh, an incredulous "Really?! Seriously.", and that expression your dog has when he hears your voice coming out of the voicemail machine. I saw this, however, and was immediately sold.
What DJ Hero brings to the table is the charm, fresh gameplay and new method of experiencing music that the first Guitar Hero did. Pressing buttons in response to colored gems flowing down that familiar highway is still a basic staple, but more than enough has changed around that tried-and-true rhythm game mechanic to set it apart from its band-driven cousins.
The real challenge of the game comes in scratching and crossfading. You scratch by holding down a button and moving the "record", sometimes in a specific direction. Scratching feels solid and, I can only assume, fairly realistic (in the same way that holding a plastic guitar and strumming feels realistic). Crossfading is somewhat difficult to grasp at first. Using your other hand, you flick the crossfader to switch between the left track, both tracks combined, and the right track. There's also an "effects dial" that distorts certain portions of the song and doubles your multiplier, and also selects between sound clips that can be triggered during red "freestyle zones". Once you get the hang of it, it's every bit as fun as playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band—that is, if you enjoy the music.
What Freestyle Games have done musically in this title is nothing short of astounding. Nearly every song in the game is a mashup between two songs, oftentimes from completely different genres. Artists as varied as 2Pac, David Bowie, Rihanna, Beck, Marvin Gaye and Paul van Dyk contribute songs, some of which are mixed by some of the biggest names on the DJ scene, including DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip, and the late DJ AM. Grandmaster Flash and DJ Jazzy Jeff are also present, bringing some old-school flair to the proceedings. But even though there are more famous turntablists represented than you can shake a needle at, it never feels forced, especially with special setlists presented by all the real DJs in the game. The fictional characters are also some of the most interesting seen in a music game (Cleetus Cuts alone deserves his own adventure).
It's a solid setup, but not without its shortcomings. The weight of the turntable controller combined with a lack of stability in most scenarios makes it difficult to perform certain scratch patterns, especially on the faster scratch-centric tracks. The buttons, too, suffer from some inaccuracy at higher levels of play, where one has to press buttons almost ludicrously fast. Really, though, it is only during these few songs that you will feel as though the controller is working against you. Another minor complaint is that though the title boasts over one hundred mixes, there aren't enough unique songs. While many songs are in fact sampled multiple times—"Disturbia" by Rihanna and Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" each appearing in no less than three separate mixes—the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of the music is excellent.
The game does feature a few multiplayer modes, including play over Xbox Live. The mode that I'm sure many followers of the game have been itching to try out—where another player straps on a Guitar Hero controller to accompany the DJ—is solid, if a little flat. The only issue here is that the guitar songs are far too repetitive to be any real fun, and my cohort and I have yet to return to it. DJ vs. DJ was not reviewed, as I hate other people and have chosen Xbox Live Silver as my self-imposed exile, and also neither one of us has another turntable controller. A final mode, while not multiplayer, allows you to set the game to play itself, basically becoming your own personal VJ. With the great background presentation that's actually fun to watch even when you're not playing and the option to jump in at any moment, it's a great mode for parties (so long as no one spills Jack and Coke on your precious turntable).
Having said all of this, I know those of you considering a purchase are still worried about the clincher: the $120 price tag. While I absolutely love the game, I have to say that for a brand-new franchise Activision is trying to launch with the shortcomings it presents, it's too much. Not grossly so, but I think perhaps ninety would have been sufficient (as that's what Guitar Hero II for the 360 cost at launch). One could argue that Activision is cautious about the profit margin and figures if less people buy it they may as well get a bigger cut from those who do, but if someone with no desire to buy it in the first place sees the price, I think it might deter potential new attachers, especially since so few retailers have a demo station set up.
In short, the game is a great first entry in a new franchise which represents a new direction for Activision's massively popular music game/peripheral market. Though a bit pricey, the bundle is a lot of fun so long as you dig the music.
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