Michael Jackson The Experience Xbox 360
User Score
6.2 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 7 out of 24

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  1. Pellissier
    Apr 18, 2011
    7
    It will be difficult not to compare this to Dance Central as the latter has set the standard for dancing games on Kinect, but having said that, if you liked Dance Central, this is the closest to it that you will get. So until Dance Central 2 comes along or something better, I'd advise you to go for Michael Jackson: The Experience.
    Cons:
    1 - Navigation can be clunky by times. I don't unders    tand why developers make the fonts so small when they should know by now we use our hands to navigate through the menus.
    2 - The initial feel to the game can be...well, overwhelming. Basic moves seem a bit difficult and complex from the get go.
    3 - Singing is not as shaped as made out to be. Yes, you can throw your vocals in there, but it seems to mess it up more than enhance the game.
    Pros
    1 - You get to be MJ. Dance and discover how his moves were choreographed. My wife and I tried a few and was rather surprised by the complexity, yet ease with the execution.
    2 - If you can't 'beat it' the first time, the set up allows you to practice again and again.
    3 - Visual and audio are excellent. That's what one would want.
    Gameplay:
    Songs are broken down into dance steps, not unlike that of Dance Dentral. Difficulty varies and you start off with low settings. Learn the moves, and then get graded on them.
    You can choose songs differing from just dancing, or just singing (like The Earth Song) or a combination of both.
    Multiplayer - only online - allows you to get down with friends. The ultimate future of these dancing games will be when we can fit at least 2 people comfortably in front of the Kinect and have them show off together ~ something that seems to be still problematic for game developers of Kinect at this moment.

    I've read some reviews saying this is a great game for a party starter, but I won't totally agree with that. You need to know a little how this game works and have mastered a few moves before I'd throw it on for the party.
    Also, choose songs with a slower beat, like Billie Jean, before you jump into Smooth Criminal (my biggest mistake) as it will give you a better feel and you will adapt more naturally.

    If you want a dance game and you haven't bought Dance Central yet, then go buy that first. If you have that already and need something else to tie you over for the time, then Michael Jackson: The Experience is it. If you own a Wii, a PS3 and an Xbox and can't decide which one to go for, trust me on this: Kinect will give you the closest to satisfaction needed for this purchase.    … Expand
  2. BubblegumImp
    Apr 14, 2011
    8
    There's only one question you need to ask yourself before considering this as a purchase: Do you like his music? If the answer is yes, what is available in this dance title will be more than enough to satisfy your moonwalking dreams. However, If you aren't a huge Jacko fan, there's little in this package to dissuade you from picking up the older, but more polished Dance Central.
  3. Adam4tvs
    Apr 14, 2011
    3
    Incredibly disappointing to write this... this game was the only reason I bought the Kinect. Saw it at a Best Buy demo a couple of weeks ago and bought everything. Thankfully, I really like the Kinect (Dance Central especially) and bought MJE the second Best Buy opened yesterday. This version is TOTALLY gimped. Would any of you bought this had you known the following? There's only 15 of 29 songs you can "Dance Only" to. And that's not the worst part. You can only do it on "easy". That's right, there's no way to up the difficulty. The dance only versions are completely dumbed down. To be able to dance the moves closer to what is on the Wii? You have to sing in what they've called the "master performance" - the catch? THERE'S ONLY 9 OF 29 SONGS that even HAVE that option. NINE. I am FLOORED at how much of an opportunity was missed here. The game looks incredible. The projection technology is amazing, the tracking is perfect - and they took the lazy way out. No difficulty settings? No option to "just" dance on ALL the songs? They only did the REAL MJ moves on NINE tracks? And those tracks you have NO CHOICE but to sing on? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Ubisoft - Patch this. Give Dance only options and for the love of MJ let us do it on a difficulty other than 2-star EASY. What a mess.… Expand
  4. crovax
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    Probably the game that makes you close as being the real MJ. PROS: Greatest song choices!!! almost the best of MJ, only 2 or 3 songs missing MJ school teaches you the dance moves with REAL choreographers!! Ability to sing, dance, sing and dance! with 2 levels of difficulty Impressive visuals and graphics; great feeling to be on a MJ stage, execution is awsome! Multiplayer up to 4 players local, very fun, 2 modes (battle and coop)
    Great feeling of being into the King of Pop shoes!!!
    Full body tracking and accurate!
    CONS:
    You need to practice to be the king of pop!!!
    Dance move could be better illustrated
    Too bad that all songs don't have the full karaoke function...and singing might be to easy...
    If you are a big MJ fan then I would recommend it If you are a fan of dance central and want another game, go for it!
    it's gonna be party time!!!
    Overall I'll rate the game 9 out of 10    … Expand
  5. izio
    Apr 21, 2011
    7
    I like this game!... music, graphics and animation are good. The Kinect controls make this game feeling so realistic like Fitness evolved. The game is easy and is for casual gamers only but is very very fun.
  6. MJ4EVA420
    May 13, 2011
    10
    I must admit I was slightly hesitant at first when it came to picking up this game, as I was devastated when MJ died. But once I slipped on my official Michael Jackson collectors edition glove, and began breaking it down oh so low to 'Billy Jean' I felt Michael was alive again, living through the rhythmic undulations of my pelvis! I especially like the bonus levels, racking up points touching as many prepubescent boys possible while the timer counts down is almost as thrilling as the real thing! Or so I've heard. I've often fallen back onto my sofa, in a sweaty mess after a good 2 hour session of the game just to let my gloved hand do the walking... wink wink. It's almost like Michael is in the room with me. This is a must buy for die hard fans.… Expand
  7. williamdun
    May 18, 2011
    4
    Kinda disappointed with this game. It is fun 2 dance like Mj on the kinect however the gameplay is too easy and the dance moves are dumb down too much for me.The kinect does a gud job of being responsive however the game is very flawed. Please release a patch to fix this and this game will be much better.
  8. Pwnz0r3d
    Jun 28, 2011
    5
    I tried really hard to love this game. I really did. I am a huge fan of the King of Pop, may he rest in peace, however this game does him very little justice; im going to be quick and to the point, this game is mediocre at best. The Kinect sensor is pretty good at detecting your movements (albeit not as good as dance central) however as a microphone its useless; buy a mic if you want to sing. The major selling point for me was the ability to sing and dance on specific songs; this feature is, for lack of a better term, half assed. The mode is only available on a few songs, and all it is is dancing and then taking a break to sing. It feels awkward, and the singing aspect is merely reading words on the screen.

    In conclusion, buy Dance Central, much much more polished and excellent choreography.    … Expand
  9. IKEDIE
    Nov 25, 2011
    0
    I find it disappointing that this game was made. MJ was a largely hated person by the sane population of the US, and now hes dead he becomes a hero? Dont forget this POS molested children, I dont care that he wasnt convicted, we all know the truth. Now hes idolized in a game. I hope hes burning in hell with the most extreme pain possible for eternity. Ubisoft should be punched in the face for making this game.… Expand
  10. Kirink
    Dec 30, 2011
    8
    I just think it's a gorgeous game!! It has the 29 best MJ 's music, it puts you in his clothes; the graphics are really good; you can sing and dance in one same song; the MJJ School is great . However, there are some things that still bother me in this game: some fails in the evaluation of the performance, there could have some DLCs with more music from the other albums of the King of Pop, MJ don't appear that much, it has a party mode, but not a multiplayer mode, not even on line.
    Ubisoft, please, if you have time, create a "Michael Jackson: The Experience 2", and I'm sure people will like it more than the first. Thank you for the game, I still give it an 8,0 score!!!    … Expand
  11. SergentLeClair
    Aug 2, 2012
    7
    If you are a huge fan of Michael Jackson like I am then you will love this game. This game is fun to play with friends. I find that I have competitions with friends instead of playing party mode. I find that when playing with alot of people at once it gets very crowded and sloppy. Sometimes you will do a move right but the game will not recognize that you have done it right. All in all this is a fun game to play. It is even better if you have a passion for Michael's music!… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 31
  3. Negative: 3 out of 31
  1. DailyGame
    Dec 12, 2011
    80
    With its focus on fun over competition-like accuracy, this is the first dancing game to grab and hold my attention beyond just a couple of songs. Plus, the soundtrack is just plain hard to top.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 20, 2011
    68
    This game isn't a Thriller. It's actually much closer to Bad. The motion controls aren't as Smooth as Criminal and the low difficulty level makes me stop before I get enough. The way this game makes me feel is somewhat mixed, because The Experience is occasionally fun replacement for aerobic. If a game made from the King of Pop generates to an muscle exercise, does it do justice for the memory of a legend? [May 2011]
  3. GamesRadar
    Jun 27, 2011
    70
    Fans will still find the game fun, because the dances are going to either impress with their novelty or their nostalgia factor, and because the Kinect gets this game a lot closer to what it should've been all along.
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