Def Jam: Icon
| Developer: EA Chicago | Publisher: Electronic Arts |
| Release Date: March 6, 2007 | Also On: PS3 & Xbox 360 |
Two months ago I was one of the lucky few to got to hang out with the EA Chicago and Def Jam crew and play Def Jam: ICON. I was absolutely blown away by what I played and had a blast playing the game with Kudo Tsunoda and other Def Jam: ICON Community Day members. The final product is finally out, and EA Chicago’s hip-hop influenced brawler is a fantastic fighting game that introduces several creative, entertaining ideas to a brutal but otherwise simple and intuitive fighting engine.
Def Jam: ICON’s big single-player attraction is the Build a Label mode. Alongside record icon Curtis Carver you’ll build a label from the ground up, signing artists feature in the game while dealing with annoying pests, media, the law, and competition from other labels. Build a Label is a lot of fun and is deep enough to avoid the “just a reason to be fighting” moniker. You’ll be asked by Carver and your artists to do special favors, called “appointments.” Before each appointment you’ll find yourself at your crib, staying stylish with new clothes and accessories, reading emails from the restless hip-hop community, and pleasing girlfriends with gifts and attention.. Then you’ll have the freedom of choosing what you do for your label: sometimes you’ll have to choose between helping out an artist for his signing interests or protecting one of your current artists from crazed fans, the press, the law...it’s a little far-fetched to feel realistic, but it is still an interesting concept that works as better motivation than the typical “go out and fight because you should” excuse.
Fighting in Def Jam: ICON is much different than in previous titles. Rather than a wrestling feel, the game seems more like a brawler, which is appropriate. After all, the game’s artists in real life situations would probably throw punches long before they’d ever try to grapple their victim. The combat is simple and uses face buttons for simple combos as well as the right analog stick for more complicated attacks. Def Jam: ICON’s most original feature is the turntable mechanic that interacts with the background music and environmental hazards; using the left trigger and the analog sticks you can skip beats and even change songs. Both situations cause different set pieces in the game’s levels to explode, spew out steam or water, and more. Using these hazards and the turntable mechanics to your advantage are the keys to winning every fight, and as the game’s difficulty increases, your opponents will do a better job of throwing you into the dangerous hazards. The only combat-related problem is that there isn’t a ton of variety; there are only six different fighting styles. There also don’t seem to be a ton of moves, though each style has its own strengths and weaknesses versus others. The game’s fluid system allows you to link moves together very well, though, and the result is a fighting system that isn’t too deep but flows smoothly.
There are a lot of characters found in Def Jam: ICON, many of which return from previous Def Jam titles. Ludacris, my personal favorite, is joined by series vets Method Man, Redman, and more. Newer characters like Pall Wall, Young Jeezy, E-40, and Big Boi fit in pretty well and add some variety into not only the character roster but the selection of songs found in the game. Def Jam fans will be disappointed that a few characters from Def Jam Vendetta and Def Jam: Fight For New York are missing (no Snoop Dog this time around), but there is a solid character editor and several other brawlers that are unlocked by playing through Build a Label. I was disappointed with the F.A.C.E. editor (the character editor); it didn’t seem as intuitive or expansive as GameFace, MobFace, and character editors from other Electronic Arts games, but it is nice that it’s still around for those who want to personalize a character.
Just as important as the characters and fighting styles are Def Jam: ICON’s levels. Each of the eight venues bump to the music and interact dynamically, as mentioned earlier, so never do they feel like lifeless arenas. Each level is a different experience, and I wouldn’t want to ruin all of them, but I’ll mention a few. My personal favorites included the Penthouse, where opponents could be thrown to their demise through a huge window, and the Rooftop, with a dangerous and exposed fuse box as well as an out-of-control helicopter whose blades often spin into the path of fighting characters.
For those of you who aren’t into the obligation of story modes, plenty of fun can be had in Def Jam: ICON’s Throwdown mode. In fact, Throwdown mode is the only thing I personally experienced at EA Chicago, other than a preview of Build a Label, and I enjoyed every second of it. In Throwdown mode you’ll pick a character, an opponent, a venue, and get busy kicking ass. It’s that simple. A good chunk of Def Jam: ICON’s Xbox 360 Achievements can be earned here for finishing battles with the different environmental hazards found in each level, so Throwdown will appeal to Achievement buffs as well as those looking for a multiplayer experience. What had me pumped most during my stay at EA Chicago was Def Jam: ICON’s multiplayer. Playing alongside a friend is an extremely exciting thing to do, and going onto Xbox Live is just as entertaining. The multiplayer modes are simple but they’re addictive, and all of the trash-talk that goes along with violently pounding your buddy into a pulp makes Def Jam: ICON incredibly tough to put down. Simply put, this is a game where you’ll want to sit down with friends, throw back a few drinks, and have a blast playing.
Visually there isn’t a better-looking fighting game on the market; Def Jam: ICON’s super-detailed character models are only a small piece of the detailed pie. Each of the game’s levels move with the music and animate just as well as the characters, and the visual filters that are used as characters wither away are creative ways to show the intensity of the fight. Particle effects explode around the screen as you scratch beats and send your opponents flying through the air, and it just adds more excitement to the fighting system. Def Jam: ICON clearly benefits from “next-generation” graphics. The uncut music and appropriately vulgar dialogue are welcome additions to a game that features uncut, vulgar music and equally offensive stars.
Def Jam: ICON isn’t perfect. The lack of variety in the combat system is definitely something that will irk fighting fans, and the huge shift in the series’ direction might really turn off fans of previous titles. Still, I was absolutely enthralled with my experience and enjoyed almost everything Def Jam: ICON had to offer. I don’t normally enjoy hip-hop, but found myself absorbed by everything in this game. That goes to show how well EA Chicago did with their product, and I commend them on their efforts in bringing something new to the fighter’s table. Check it out, give it a try–you just might find yourself tapping your feet to the music as you inflict all sorts of virtual pain.
| Graphics: | 9.5 |
| Sound: | 9.5 |
| Gameplay: | 8.5 |
| Creativity: | 8 |
| Replay Value/Game Length: | 8.5 |
| Final: | 8.5 |
| Written by Cliff | Review Guide |
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