DJ Hero 2 Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: PS3, X360, Wii	Review Rating Legend
Dev: FreeStyleGames	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Activision	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Oct. 19, 2010	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-3	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

New to DJ Hero 2 are freestyle sections, which allow you to crossfade, scratch, and perform your own rhythms at will. It’s a shame that there isn’t a mode where you can just freestyle to your heart’s content, but these sections can be quite lengthy and will keep you on your toes.

DJ Hero 2 screenshot

Naturally, being a rhythm game, the lower difficulties don’t offer too much challenge, while the tougher tracks on hard or expert will throw some pretty ridiculous (and often alternating or simultaneous) combinations of crossfading, effects, scratching, and basic rhythms at you. Unlike Guitar Hero, you can’t fail a set in DJ Hero—you just have to tough it out when you screw up, and the game won’t reward you stars to unlock new arenas, tracks, costumes, and other goodies if you’re not bringing you’re A-game.

Of course, a music game is only as good as its track selection, which, though somewhat a matter of taste, varies quite a bit and is for the most part quite good. Basically, if you’ve been in a packed club on a Friday or Saturday night any time in the last year or two (assuming the DJ is any good) chances are you’ve heard a lot of these tracks. FreeStyleGames have done a great job picking and mixing together some great mash-ups, a lot of which skew more towards modern dance pop and hip-hop. If you’re into it, the track selection is fantastic. Drake, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, and B.o.B. (to name a few) are all featured here, though you’ll still find enough old-school hip-hop (Salt N Pepa and 2Pac, spring to mind) and requisites ranging from Jackson 5 to Daft Punk to keep most DJ fans happy.

If you were disappointed in the original DJ Hero’s lack of creative spinning freedom, there’s not much that’s going to change your mind with DJ Hero 2. But with the improvements to freestyling and a more “spin-off” competitive approach to multiplayer battles if you can get behind the Guitar Hero-style design of the game, DJ Hero will keep you busy—and entertained—for quite some time. And honestly, with a soundtrack as solid as this, it’s hard to complain too much.

By Steve Haske
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.8

Graphics
The graphics are good enough, but nothing spectacular. Then again, you’re not looking at them when you play anyway, right?

4.0

Control
The DJ controller works well (though some of the buttons feel a little cheap). It can be a little tricky to balance the crossfade correctly and spinning the record backwards to replay a section of a song can sometimes be a little slippery.

4.8

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
With Lady Gaga, Kanye, Drake, and B.o.B. (among many others), there’s hardly a bad track on here. Expect to hear just about anything you would in a club.

3.7

Play Value
DJ Hero is a lot of fun, although some hardcore DJ and audio engineering types might complain that it offers little of the creative freedom of spinning. Multiplayer modes have been improved, however.

3.9

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Over seventy new mash-ups from today’s hottest hip hop, dance, and pop artists

New multiplayer modes allow for freestyle battles against friends

Sets range between three to five songs, resulting in a complete DJ experience

New freestyle feature lets you control crossfade effects and scratching during sets