Title Def Jam: Icon Date 03.21.2006 Genre Fighting Platform Xbox 360 Developer Electronic Arts Publisher Electronic Arts

I'm such a huge fan of the previous Def Jam games, and was ecstatic when I heard there would be a sequel for the next-gen consoles. After reading articles in magazines about how they were taking a new direction with the game, I thought "Hey, that might work" as long as they kept a few key elements.

After playing the game extensively, I can tell you that change is not always a good thing. As you'll soon find out after reading this review.

Graphics
This is easily the highlight of Icon, everything from the characters to the environments are absolutely jaw-dropping! All the rappers from Method Man, Lil Jon, Young Jeezy, E-40 are spitting images of themselves. The various venues through the game such as Penthouse, 106 & Park, Gas Station, The Club all feature stunning visuals! Graphics are obviously what EA's attention was strictly focused on during the making of the game, and it definitely shows!

Icon is heavily based on music; during the gameplay you'll see the environment bounce up and down to the beat of a song. After first witnessing it, I was completely blown away by that feature; it’s definitely a nice touch.

The explosions, sparks and all around pizzazz that occur in all 8 (yes, only 8) of the destructible environments, certainly makes the other sour notes of the game easier to swallow.

Gameplay
Gameplay is obviously the most important factor in practically any game and sadly this is where the game fails miserably at. For starters, the fighting system is very much what I'd consider lacking in most basic fundamental area, and that it has absolutely zero depth!

The game is shallower than a mud puddle. All the matches consist of very slow moving rappers that can barely fart straight, let alone toss a punch. I swear it feels like you're fighting deep underwater during some of these fights.

Not to mention the game has very unresponsive controls, which is incredibly frustrating at times! Oh, and did I mention the fighting is controlled "partially" by the right analog and d-pad control stick?! Which the AI gladly seems to take advantage of during matches, thanks to the new horrible control scheme. Oh, and did I mention the fighting is controlled by the analog and d-pad control stick? Seriously, what on earth was EA thinking when they implemented these controls?

I know they thought in their minds they'd just steal Fight Night's controls and possibly have a successful game. Did they honestly think that would work well with a fighting game? Either way, the game boils down to your "favorite" rapper using incredibly repetitive, stiff movement as they lay waste to another mainstream rapper. None of the fighting styles that each rapper uses doesn't really play a factor into the game, cause all the controls and responses are exactly the same.

For instances, if you toss a kick to your opponent they'll either stumble backwards, or end up flying back as if they're in some low-budget action film. That's for practically any movement you do, even punches have the exact same result. As for the throws, (which look very wimpy) are controlled by the right analog stick, you'll just grab them and toss them into the nearest environmental hazard. You can use the d-pad to execute 4 different throws, all of which are fairly lame looking, wouldn't impress anyone who've played previous Def Jam games.

Icon features brand new DJ controls, which Kudo (EA Chicago's manager) seems so highly proud of to the point you'd think it wouldn't be shallow but trust me, it is! To use the DJ controls just toss your opponent into the nearest hazard which are scattered throughout the stages and basically make the environment smack your opponent silly. Sure, at first the DJ controls are kind of neat but I soon got over that feeling, as I realized that's the only way I'll ever win a fight!

Toss in the fact that the game is only 1 on 1, no weapons or special moves for the rappers, immediately left me with an empty feeling inside. The feeling that EA really didn't care about Def Jam and wanted to make a quick buck off its fans.

Sound
Like I've mentioned before, Icon is a very musically based game which is strange, considered it's a fighting game not like a Amplitude or Guitar Hero. This is also probably one of its strength is the fact that the sound of the music and effects are done with style that makes you almost enjoy the game. (Key word there "almost")
Having songs like "Get Back" from Ludacris in the background as you pound your opponent is a bit of a adrenaline rush. It's just too bad that in the gameplay department doesn't make this such a satisfying aspect. Some of the featured songs from the many rappers aren't exactly to my taste, thankfully for the 360 (Sorry PS3) we have custom soundtracks!

In my opinion, the featured songs are a bit of a hit and a miss, since they aren't quite done as well as the featured tracks. They can only be used in one particular mode which is called "My Soundtracks" and can't be used online or in the Build a label mode. Thus, making the custom soundtrack feature a total bust in my opinion. Hey, at least they tried....I guess.

One part of where music plays a big part of the gameplay is when your character is using his signature song in the background. Basically, what that means is if your rapper has his song playing in the background his attacks will be quicker and be able to knock your opponent down easier. Thankfully, you'll be able to choose your signature song regardless of what rapper you're using.

Replay Value
Even with "the Build a Label" mode, which you'll get to create your own character to follow through a very short ho-hum story. Oh, If you're planning on creating a Caucasian or someone of Latino descent you better think twice! They'll typically end up looking creepy or like monsters with cat eyes. (Trust me, it's not pretty)
After winning a few fights in Build a Label mode, you'll be able to deck out your character in the finest jewelry, clothes, and even grillz! (Got to keep those teeth shining!) Best of all, they have a lot of pieces to make your character look nice or standout from the known rappers in the game.

Apparently, there are six fighting styles you'll eventually have to unlock during Build a label mode. The six are called Street Kwon Do, Muay Fly, Jah Breaka, Beatboxer, Black Panther, and finally Ghetto Blaster. None of these styles have any real bearing on the matches because many of the animations even look alike and all end in the same fashion as the last.

There is also a online portion of the game which I've been messing around with for a few hours. It's safe to say it's pretty darn solid, which definitely is a positive point for the game. Being that the game is already so slow-paced in terms of it's fighting, it would have worried me if I managed to get lag while online. By the grace's of the gaming Gods, I didn't get any lag on any of the 13 matches I've played.

I must warn you, while online I heard plenty of wannabe rappers on the mic that instantly made me want to cringe and quit playing online. (Which, I'm not going to imitate) Just imagine the worst rapper that sounds like they're about 10 yrs old, trying to spit rhymes while you're playing. Certainly not a good sign, when you start hearing that on the first day of its release. I guess I should have expected that sort of behavior.

I strongly feel that EA has ruined an amazing series. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll rethink the direction they're taking Def Jam and bring it back to its roots. If they don't decide to do this, then they might as well kiss any Def Jam purchases from me in the future.  Right now, I wouldn't recommend anyone to purchase this game; just rent it and move on or wait for the price to drop.

Game Score

C-

Reviewed By: Contributed