DJ Hero 2 is a sequel that should not exist. The solid critical praise of the first DJ Hero was begat with only lukewarm sales, and the rapid collapse of the rhythm game genre and Activision's strategy of flooding the market was a contributing factor to this. Considering DJ Hero 2 was released a year after the first game, and considering the slow crawl of releases for 2010, it's honestly a miracle it even came out.
There is not much to say either about it, which makes reviewing DJ Hero 2 a bit rough. It is, in all sense of the world, the enhanced version of the first DJ Hero without deviating heavily from any mechanics or style. The closest comparison would be Guitar Hero to Guitar Hero 2, same formula, graphics, mechanics, only slightly refined with a more solid presentation and setlist.
That is the secret sauce for a game like DJ Hero 2. Developer FreeStyleGames wisely didn't change up much of the formula, only tweaked it with some improvements. The biggest gameplay tweak is the use of freestyle effects and freestyle sections. DJ Hero 2 would have marked freestyle sections, which allow the player to now freely mix between the two song tracks or use their own scratch effects. They also allow you to add effects hits while in the freestyle sections.
This is a more free-form change than the first game, which had preselected effect packs that were pre-arranged. The addition to use the freestyle sections to freely mix tracks and effects allows for some creative control from the player, which also makes it more fun to play. DJ Hero 2 also added lyrics and microphone usage, allowing a player to sing along with the lyrics of the game mixes, scoring extra points based on your pitch and rhythm. This is a nice, if unnecessary edition, especially since they took out the guitar parity from DJ Hero, meaning only the games turnstile peripheral is usable for all of the songs.
Outside of the gameplay tweaks, you have format changes to the gameplay flow. The new "Empire" career mode provides a playable structure that, if being honest, is similar to every rhythm game structure. The player has to work through a number of pre-made setlists and boss battles against fictional and celebrity DJ's. There is not a lot to it, you gain unlocks for new characters, outfits, and virtual turntable decks for in-game use. Some of the turntables are marked as "power decks" which change the scoring or playstyle of the game, for example, giving you a 5x multiplier when playing a song, but otherwise everything is pretty much cosmetic.
There was one final addition that really does justify DJ Hero 2 as a sequel, the expansion of online multiplayer. FreeStyleGames wanted to focus more on online play, which they felt lacked comparable gameplay modes to the Guitar Hero series. Their inclusions would flesh out the gameplay experience online. First was a "Party Play" mode similar to what was introduced in Guitar Hero 5, the simple drop in and out play that is always a plus for online. New competitive modes would have DJ Battles, a "Checkpoint" racing mini game, and even online progression where playing online nets players DJ Points, which lead to a simple level increase and additional in-game abilities for online modes.
It seems basic, but facilitating online play for DJ Hero 2 is what helps it stand apart from the original game. All of these gameplay tweaks were all settled within the existing framework of the first game. FreeStyleGames said in an interview that DJ Hero 2 took about seven months to complete from the start of development, which is impressive for a short turnaround. This was, of course, also in the midst of their massive restructuring of their rhythm games division, which reportedly didn't really affect the development of DJ Hero 2, at least as much as it influenced Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
One Area DJ Hero 2 also tried to improve its image. The first game was seen more as a hip-hop styled game, while the sequel was marketed with more mainstream appeal. Part of this was the inclusion of a lot more electronic and European mix music, along with hip-hop, dance and pop songs. DJ Hero 2 is the last game from Activision to contain guest acts, and in this case they do get a lot of star power to not only be involved in the game, but help with the creation of their song mixes.
The biggest name (mainly, the one I recognize) is Deadmau5, but you also have prominent DJ's and artists like RZA, DJ Qbert, David Guetta, and Tiësto. Tiësto was actually planned to be in the first game, but FreeStyleGames was unable to secure him for it. They not only got Tiësto for the sequel, but he served as the ambassador for the influx of European dance and electronica music mixes for DJ Hero 2, which opened up mix possibilities that showcased more variety than previously before.
In total, there are 83 original mixes created for the game, spanning 85 artists. Most of the songs here are from hip-hop, dance, pop or electronica genres, and if I'm honest, it is not my style of music. I can, at least, appreciate the artistry at work here. Creating song mixes that sound good is like chemistry, you need the right amount of each song to make it good and not just noise. DJ Hero 2 sounds really good, even if it is not a soundtrack I would normally play for myself.
Some of the key artists featured in the mixes includes LL Cool J's "I Can't Live Without My Radio" mixed with "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash. We also have Lil Wayne and Flo Rida mashed up with "Lolipop" and "Low", and some contributions from Donna Summer, 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, Salt-N-Pepa, and The Jackson 5 thrown in the mix. The most rock-induced one would be an odd mashup of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" with Metallica's "The Day That Never Comes." It is again a mashup that is super creative and showcases the potential power a game like DJ Hero can do.
DJ Hero is a game that has a lot of quality behind it. Despite the short development cycle, FreeStyleGames was able to vastly improve the game in all ways that are significant. It is a shame that, while DJ Hero was a critical darling and well-reviewed, it lacked in sales. This was par for the course though in 2010 for rhythm games, the lack of sales was a death knell for the genre, leaving DJ Hero 2 as a curious relic over a rhythm game classic.
Still, for those who love turntabling, song mixes, or just want to try something different, DJ Hero 2 is probably the game to do it with. It is definitely an improvement over the first game, and manages to capture some of that magic that makes rhythm games fun to play. It's just a shame it didn't get as much support as it could, but it is well worth trying out for yourself.
Authors Note: Some Videos online were used to capture screenshots of gameplay. Links are below for credit.