Reviews October 24, 2011
Dance Central 2
Review by: Bryant Crawley
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Dancing
Rated: T
Players: 1-2 (Online and Offline)
Cost: $49.99
Release Date: 10/25/2011
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Harmonix
There are two basic ways developers approach video game sequels. The first is to add in major new features or overhaul components to make a big leap between entries. The second is to focus on refining the rough edges of the original without significantly changing the core gameplay. Some developers try to do both, but I would argue that Harmonix is a prime example of the refinement strategy. The core gameplay of the Rock Band franchise didn't change much from the first game to the third, nor does Dance Central 2 feel like a major evolution.
Like the first game, the core of Dance Central 2 is easily understandable. It teaches you a series of moves, flashcards showing the moves pop up on the screen, and you dance your tail off. You groove along to a selection of popular songs, earning higher scores the more accurately you pull off the moves. It's a simple concept and one that perfectly illustrated the Kinect’s potential at launch. No wonder it was universally praised as the best Kinect launch title.
Yet the original Dance Central had some rough edges that Dance Central 2 mostly eliminates. Major changes have been applied to the "Break It Down" feature, which teaches you the moves. In the first game, you moved through the series of steps in order, with no options to focus on specific moves or retry difficult ones. In the sequel, you can focus on tough moves, tell the game to skip forward or back through moves with voice commands and even have the game record and play back video so you can actually see what you’re doing wrong. Basically, it’s a much-improved tutorial. But in a game like Dance Central 2, knowing how you're supposed to move is the key to success, making these all extremely welcome changes.
The other major addition is two-player simultaneous dancing, a huge step forward over the first game’s turn-taking multiplayer. At the start of a song, a second player can simply step in front of the Kinect to jump in, which is as smooth and simple as starting a solo game. You can dance together or take on a Dance Battle, in which you compete side-by-side. This mode is shockingly fun, largely thanks to the new Free-4-All, where extra points are given to the dancer who can successfully complete a single move before the other. Not only does it inject some surprise and variety, it also encourages friendly trash-talking.
Dance Central 2 has added a thin career mode called, Crew Challenge. Tasked with gaining the respect of the four different crews in the game, you must earn stars by successfully performing songs through solo or co-op play. There's a tough final test at the
end of each crew challenge, but finish it and you'll unlock the next crew and a whole new set of tasks. It’s a reasonable addition, but the heart of the game still lies with the straight-up dance mode. Dance Central 2 also features an improved Fitness mode, the ability to make playlists, and a few other new tweaks. As I said in the intro, the core game has changed little. I'm not personally wowed by the playlist, which feels a little too "of the moment" for me, but I’m thankful for the option to import the first game's tracks into Dance Central 2 for a modest $5 fee.
Dance Central 2 is by all accounts a bang up follow up to the original. It surpasses the original in every way possible and it actually makes you think “why wasn’t this the original game in the first place?”. We’ll have to ask Harmonix that. Truth be told, we’re just happy they’ve improved DC2 as much as they have. The only true negative I can think of is that because of Dance Central 2, one of the Kinect library’s best games is now pretty much worthless. You’ll never go back to the original Dance Central after you try the sequel.
Gameplay: 9
The old saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix it doesn’t apply to DC2. The core aspect of the gameplay is largely the same but it has been tweaked and refined to get the best overall Kinect experience around.
Graphics: 9
A very pretty game. Slightly better looking then the original.
Sound: 9
Nice soundtrack to get your “boogie-woogie” on!
What’s New: 9
The Crew Challenge is a great “campaign style” feature that has been added but the best feature to me is two player simultaneous dancing. This should have been in the first game and I’m happy that its in DC2.
Replay Value: 9:
With the Crew Challenge, 2 player simultaneous dancing, Playlists, Fitness Mode, etc. there is a lot to do in this game that will keep you coming back for more.
Final Score:
9