Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 review

The ways in which Universe 2 diverges from the blueprint of its predecessor are relatively minor, but appreciated. Freestyle mode marks the lone gameplay addition and essentially functions as Konami's response to EA's recent rhythm foray, Boogie. Rather than toss a stream of arrows on the screen, you can simply dance in any way you see fit, so long as you step to the beat of the track and vary your movements. The DDR faithful won't give it a second glance, but their parents, children or younger siblings certainly might - this is a party game, after all.

Quest mode should have changed the way Dance Dance Revolution is experienced from a single-player perspective, but in Universe, the voyage was highly frustrating and often confusing. The alterations here are both structural and superficial in nature (you can create your own character now), but the core issues remain - namely that the mode doesn't track how well you play, but rather the quantity of arrows hit during a song (which creates issues with slower/simpler tracks). The experience improves (and makes more sense) after the first couple of hours, but it still takes entirely too long to unlock all the bonus tracks.