DJ Hero Review

Put ya hands up, here comes my DJ



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.

Halo 3: ODST

WARNING: I am a shameless, unabashed Halo nerd. I love the universe, the characters, the plot, everything. I love it. I will make no attempt to conceal that for the duration of this review, but I will try to be as objective as possible. Then again, this is HA, and we do what we want.

Halo 3: ODST - My Xbox 360 refused to function last Monday. It displayed 'System Error: E 74. Contact Support.' I've been without it ever since, but fortunately was granted almost a week with ODST and it's accompanying Mythic disk before I shipped the console off to the repair center.



ODST is the fifth installment in the Halo game series, chronologically (in-universe) taking place in between Halo 2 and Halo 3. The series' preceding entry, Halo Wars (reviewed previously on HA), was a departure from the formula of the first three games. Replacing first person shooting with real time strategy, and the Master Chief with an entire stable of other characters, it was met with mixed reactions from the Halo fanbase. That aside, it was a solid game with good mechanics, and did take steps toward furthering the mythos of the Halo universe. Introducing new locations, scenarios and plot points, Halo Wars filled in a few blanks and gave players a look at another side of the Halo saga.

ODST continues this trend, but also returns to the series' roots. There is no resource management or population cap to be found here, but instead the classic, polished FPS formula which has made the series so famous.

The Master Chief is neither seen nor mentioned. Neither are any of the other Spartans, for that matter. Instead of the genetically and cybernetically enhanced super soldiers, we step into the boots of a team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. ODSTs have been a part of the Halo universe for quite some time, but this is the first opportunity we've been given to play as them (unless you count the ODST armor variants in Halo 3's multiplayer, but I digress).

To summarize the protagonist, you play as an unnamed ODST known only as "The Rookie". As the Rookie investigates the ruined streets of New Mombasa, you play through flashback sequences wherein you discover what happened to the rest of The Rookie's ODST squad, and play as each member respectively.

It should be noted that ODST can almost certainly be considered the greatest example of storytelling within the Halo universe, at least as far as the games are concerned. The dialogue is well written, and delivered to the player via such voice talent as Nathan Filion (!!!). The plot is more subtle, and less straight forward than previous entries. Instead of the standard, "Shoot the aliens because they are bad so save the humans okay?" formula, ODST raises questions at almost every turn. From the start we know only one thing - something has gone horribly wrong in New Mombasa, and the player can hope only to salvage what remains of The Rookie's squad and make it out alive. The art style of the game will remind players of some of Halo 2's early sequences, wherein The Master Chief did battle through New Mombasa, but this is a setting far more polished, and far more human that it's predecessor. It is also far darker, as New Mombasa is no longer the sprawling metropolis it once was, but rather a ruined, burning city. Audio diaries found throughout the map help to flesh out the realism of the story, as well as graffiti scrawled on the walls of derelict buildings, and the bodies of dead UNSC soldiers. This is a gritter, less space-operatic look at the Halo universe. Empathy for the characters is an easier thing to harbor than it was for the faceless Spartan 117, and the wise cracking marines which never made it to the end of a level in the first three games.



This is not, of course, to say that the teeth-gritting action of the early games is not present. Not all of the player's time is spent skulking around in alleyways and side streets. The flashback scenes in particular have the player mowing down wave after wave of Covenant enemies, piloting vehicles, throwing grenades and circle-strafing just like we're used to. If you like Halo's gameplay formula, or ever have, ODST is worth trying out. If you're one of those you simply can't stand it, then you're better off playing something else.

I could probably go on and on about everything I love about this game. As stated, I am a shameless fanboy, and it's unlikely that anything with the Halo moniker on it will fail to impress me. ODST in particular however takes serious steps, and makes a visible attempt at innovating within a series that has followed roughly the same formula for the past eight years. Make no mistake - This is Halo, but it's also something new.

The game's new multiplayer mode, Firefight, will appeal to fans of Gears of War 2's Horde Mode, or to anyone with a taste for co-operative gameplay. Firefight pits up to four players against endless waves of Covenant enemies in a closed off arena, with increasing difficulty at the end of every wave. Difficulty multipliers are activated automatically as you progress, adding a layer of challenge and breaking up some of the monotony. The arcade like point-scoring system encourages competitiveness between players, as well as creativity in how the player scores kills (different weapons yield different points values). It's a nice addition to the Halo universe, and one that Bungie will hopefully expand upon in the future.

All in all ODST is a worthy addition to the library of any fan of first person shooters, and an essential for any Halo fan. I count myself among both groups, and enjoyed nearly every minute I spent with ODST's 6-8 hour campaign. A bonus disk including every Halo 3 map to date, as well as three new ones, and Halo 3's matchmaking system is included. It's also worth noting that with the launch of Halo Waypoint on November 5th 2009, ODST will be one of only three games which (as of that date) supports Avatar awards on the Xbox 360.