NerdMentality | PREVIEW: DJ Hero

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PREVIEW: DJ Hero

Posted October 19th 2009 by Frankie Aguilar.

So we've got another rhythm based game coming to us from the juggernaut in control of the Guitar Hero series. DJ Hero sets out to introduce gamers to a new genre of music and style of play. Since this game relies heavily on a type of music not part of the mainstream, and introduces a brand new peripheral, Activision is taking a big gamble, but from the brief time I've had with the demo version, this could be the next big thing in rhythm games.

The newest feature here is the turntable. People flocked to the guitar-based games because of their familiarity the instrument. Even the drums that were introduced through the Rock Band series are easy to get into, on the most basic level. The turntable however is a totally new beast. The turntable itself actually spins with ease and has three buttons on the top of it. These buttons make up the majority of the rhythm play. Holding down the buttons and scratching (moving the turntable back and forth) is also implemented. The other component of the gameplay is represented by a switch that you use as the crossfader. As the beats come down the screen, as per the music game norm, the lines on which the button presses come shift left and right. You manipulate the crossfader to align everything, and if you fail to do this the music and beats drop off.

The peripheral itself is pretty small, but quite sturdy. The crossfader is close to the actual turntable and tends to cramp the space you play in. Other than that, after going through the tutorial mode, I found it quite intuitive. The only issue I had was feeling that I should be standing to play. Not being a DJ myself I don't know how well this represents actual DJ'ing but I'd imagine it's as true to a turntable as the peripherals for the Guitar Hero games are to their counterparts. The equivalent of star power in this game is a mode called Euphoria, and another perk that builds as you scratch is a rewind feature that literally allows you to rewind the song.

The most important part about this game is the music, and that might be where it finds trouble spreading the same fire Guitar Hero did. The demo had a list of three songs that I played through back to back. Each song was a combination of two songs that I "mixed". All the mixes were fun, and I knew all the songs that I played through, but I'm not sure to what extent DJ Hero uses club style music. The most obscure song in the demo was Satisfaction by Benny Benassi, which I knew only because of YouTube. What it will be good for is a change of pace from Rock Band/Guitar Hero. The more dance style music might be able to bring more people into gaming.

The man who leads you through the tutorial process is the venerable Grand Master Flash. He's also the model for the DJ you play as throughout the demo. Other recording artists that add their likeness and music to the game are Eminem, Jay-Z, DJ Shadow, Z-Trip, DJ AM, Cut Chemist, J.Period, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Daft Punk. I don't know if these are the only characters that you can play as in the game, but overall it's just an aesthetic plus. But they look good, in fact this entire game looks great. The dance vibe and club atmosphere that comes from this game lends itself to cool effects and trippy visuals.

DJ Hero adds a gimmick gameplay mode that allows you to use a guitar peripheral to play along with songs, in hopes of attracting some crossover fans. The demo offered up a chance to have a friend play guitar to the Beastie Boys part of a Sabotage/Monkey Wrench mash up. It was cool enough, but something that might not work across all of the 10 songs planned to implement this mode. This won't replace your Rock Band set up as the go to party game, unless your friends just wanna dance. There's a planned DJ on DJ competitive and cooperative mode which seems really awesome.

The demo version and the songs in it were relatively easy. Hopefully, the game has a lot more depth in the full version. Expert mode was locked in the demo, and the hard mode was challenging at times so I'd imagine the beats could get insane. I'm really looking forward to this game coming out, and I think it has a lot of potential to gain a cult following. The game will come in two versions: a regular, and a Renegade edition. The Renegade edition get you a specialized turntable, a carrying case, and a turntable stand. If you're more of a DJ purist, then the Renegade edition is for you. If you're looking for a change of pace, or a way to enjoy some new music, check out DJ Hero October 27th.