DJ Hero: Suck/Counter-Suck

When I play any game, my enjoyment is always dependent on a balance of two variables. 1) How much do I suck? And 2) How much does the game suck? Griffin the Younger has been reviewing DJ Hero and I sat in for a few sessions, and was able to answer both questions in a short amount of time. The game is brought to us by them Guitar Hero fellas. I've been playing their games since GH1 and I have seen them become more and more difficult. Thank goodness for Rock Band or I would have given up on music games all together.

Now here's the thing, a game being challenging does not make it bad. Everyone enjoys a challenge and I am not looking for a cake walk. I play every instrument on Rock Band at the highest difficulty I can and I just try not to fail in some cases. But there always needs to be training time, and that's what "easy" is for. For the record, there is a "beginner" mode in DJ: Hero. The problem is, it becomes the equivalent of a game for 3-5 year olds. Then, comes the MASSIVE jump in difficulty between beginner and easy. I've been playing video games for as long as I can remember and if it had been possible, I would have failed out on "easy".

It is not the game mechanics themselves that tripped me up, they are easy enough to figure out. The problem comes from the relentless tracking. I feel like "easy" should apply to both the number/variety of obstacles and the room for error. I was not confused during the song, but I also was not pinpoint perfect in my execution. Like a harsh German headmistress, the game is unforgiving.

All that aside, the song selection is incredible. The normal format is one recognizable song with one funky beat song that most people will not recognize right away. All of the mixes are well executed and interesting. It's one of the few rhythm games (besides DDR) that is more fun to watch someone play than to play myself. The problems comes when the observers start to pile up. What is fun for one person to watch, becomes boring around 3 or 4 people. The multi-player modes are obviously tacked on. The game is not a party game; I see it as a game more for the hardcore player who is also a music lover.

I would say this game is 63% I suck and 37% it sucks. If you are rockin' at rhythm/music games then most likely you will dig this game. If, like me, you are more of a "medium" or "hard" kind of player, be ready to get pretty damn frustrated. Make sure to play it before you spend $120 bucks on a game that might not be your cup o' tea.

Uncharted 2: Indistinguishable Accents

Usually I am the video game equivalent of the guy who just started watching the first season of Lost last week. I am often overheard saying things such as "Have you guys ever heard of this 'Assassin's Creed' game?" So I am proud to say, I have actually played Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and BEAT IT! (That's a point of pride considering my incredibly active social life and massive ADHD)

I'll go ahead and get the obligatory comments out of the way. Yes it is beautiful. Yes it is well written. Yes it is the best game I have played this year. Now, onto specifics: unlike some other McElroy's you may know, I am not what you might call a "natural" when it comes to most games. I mostly excel in puzzle games and jumpers/climbers. So I locked down those parts of the game. However, I FAIL at stealth. I can usually score a couple stealth kills and then I flip out and shoot someone in the butt. I appreciate that if I get sick of stealth and shoot someone in the butt, I do not fail and restart. It becomes a full out combat scene. Getting caught and swarmed by 478 dudes could be seen by some as "effin' up". But when the ground is strewn with the bodies of your enemies, that's a score my friend!

I also enjoy little dialogue touches. For example, there's a scene atop a hotel. If you jump into the roof top pool, it launches into a dialogue about the pool. The beautiful thing is, you don't have to jump into the pool. They added dialogue in case you CHOOSE to jump in! Little touches like this are strewn through out the game.

My only complaint is similar to how I felt about Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Besides the special puzzles (i.e., match the diagrams/colors), the average puzzles and climbing areas start to get a little repetitive. They are well dispersed throught out combat and cutscenes, but you can really only climb walls and find a well place 400 year old rope so many times before it wears thin. And yes, I'll admit it! I had to call my younger brother, Griffin McElroy of www.Joystiq.com, in from the other room to direct me where to go in a couple parts.

The game has a beautiful way of being right on the edge of frustrating and then you see the ledge you've been looking for. It is challenging with out being defeating. You don't have to be a "hardcore" to beat the game on normal difficulty. My playing time was about 3 days of 4-5 hours. Its one of the few games I've played in a while where the ending really justifies playing the game. Not only that, but the 5 minutes AFTER the final game play is even more amazing. If you have a PS3 I recommend pickin' her up. If you don't, have a little brother who does and play his copy.