DJ Hero
Will the DJ move be heroic?
Are those mixing decks, we ask as we take seats in front of the stage, ahead of Activision's pre-E3 presentation? Not quite. Although DJ Hero has been in the elephant in the room for over a year, and it is with genuine surprise that we finally get a proper look at what all the fuss is about. Developer Freestyle Games are here to show of their opus, Chris Lee and Jack Murphy describing this new 'Hero' spin-off as the "evolution of performing arts".
Freestyle tell us that they have always been inspired by the Guitar Hero series, and that the 90-strong developer are now overjoyed to be working on a key part of Activision's monstrously important franchise. The developer believe the game could do for hip-hop, dance and RnB what Guitar Guitar Hero did for rock.
As part of this assault on a new audience Freestyle have joined forces with RedOctane to create a brand new controller for the title, that promises to offer gameplay both challenging and accessible. Rhythm action will once again form the backbone of the gameplay, and there will be a sizable range of modes in which to test your DJing mettle. Over 100 licensed tunes representing various genres will be offered up; Beastie Boys, Beck, Gorrilaz, David Bowie et al, mixed by artists including Blakey, DJ Shadow and other superstar DJs not to mention hip-hop artists.
Most of the game's mixes have been undertaken by a dedicated team in London's trendy Brick Lane, and there will be a number of celebrity appearances in the game - as Freestyle do their best to create an experience representative of the culture. In-game, the visuals clearly take a leaf out of Guitar Hero's book, the screen dominated by spinning record, complete with three coloured tracks that demonstrate what you're actually doing. Beyond this, the scene is jam-packed nightclub, complete with outrageously dressed dancers; lights; and cinematic camera work.
As Murphy starts playing the game it becomes immediately apparent that DJ Hero actually looks very much like real DJing; the player spinning the controller's turntable, applying scratches and flicking switches in-time to the on-screen prompts that whirl around on the 'streams'. The action looks fairly intensive in places, almost fiddly, and as you collect power-ups the music can get very fast indeed.
The controller itself promises to include all the basic features of a real turntable, while given the post-modern themes of the game there's also a 'freestyle' button allowing you to add your own effects on the go. The 'platter' (the disc-wheel part of the controller), rotates through a full 360 degrees, and this incorporates three stream buttons; two for records, and one sample button. A mixer offers cross fading between streams (as directed on-screen), and there is is euphoria button in addition to the effects dial that you'll also need to call upon.
The controller, in line with the music it inspires, is somewhat more complex than Guitar Hero's axes, the in-game 'highway' requiring a little more of the player than merely coloured button reflexes. As well as switching scratch direction, the player needs to look out for button presses in order to trigger samples; while at the same time operating the cross-fader and effects dial. There are even points at which you can hit the rewind meter to move backwards during play, which often leads into euphoria instances. It has to be said the depth present in the gameplay is certainly far from simplistic or cursory, Freestyle having rebuilt Guitar Hero's gameplay from scratch for different kinds of music.
The developers hope they have mustered a deep and satisfying experience that will be quite close to the real deal, and our presenters seem confident despite the obvious risks that they have hit the nail on the head with DJ Hero. On the multiplayer front we're promised DJ vs DJ action, as well as support for both Guitar Hero guitar controllers and microphones. This will make the game more social and allow you to add vocals to boot.
We play out with an impressive Gwen Stefani vs. Rick James mix; Freestyle living us with the impression that they have al to of faith in DJ Hero's ability to shake up the music genre, the game opening up new opportunities for the music business, as demonstrated by the big names involved in Activision's title. We can't wait to spin the wheels of steel with some hands-on time.
DJ Hero will be out towards the end of the year on PS3 and Xbox 360.
