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.

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