Def Jam Vendetta
by Electronic Arts

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Product Summary

• Over 45 characters
• Unique, original storyline that complements explosive gameplay action the plot thickens as you fight your way through the underground circuit
• Continuous play with over 1,500 unique moves

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Video Game Reviews of Def Jam Vendetta

Customer Review: Not Just a Game for Rap Fans
Summary: 5 Stars

Graphics- 8.5/10 While DJV does have decent graphics, I have seen better on the GAMECUBE. The girlfriends in particular look pretty shoddy, and the large size of the characters make annoying ropebreaks frequent. The backgrounds are nice, but could've been improved.

Control- 8.75/10 The tutorial in the game really helps out with the controls, which may seem difficult at first, but after a few matches, it'll become second nature.

Game Design- 9.75/10 I like how you need to progress in the game to unlock more characters, although I wish there were more. 35 gets old surprisingly fast. The story mode is pretty enthralling, though, and is mildly interesting. The combos and finisher moves are sweet too.

Story- 9/10 It's hard to believe a wrestling game has a story, but there is one. You pick one of four generic characters and then begin. You're a former wrestler who quit but when your manager Manny needed to pay back a few loans, you got back into the game. Now you're off to make it back to the top and claim Def Jam. You'll need to fight your way through street punks and wannabees, plus beat several Def Jam artists, including DMX, Ludacris, Method Man, Redman, N.O.R.E., and Scarface, to have a shot at winning it all.

Sound- 8/10 While rapping isn't my genre of choice, the music is varied and rarely a distraction. The commentary is a nice touch but gets old pretty quickly.

Satisfaction- 9.5/10 Simply put, this game is fun to play. It'll have a controller in your hand for a long time to come.

Overall, this game is definitely worth trying out, so you may want to rent it first if wrestling games aren't your style. But hey, I'm not a big fan of wrestling and I love it, so you might like it too. Give it a shot, something here will be worth your time.

Description of Def Jam Vendetta

Despite being a wrestling game at heart, DJV deviates from the standard path in a few ways by providing a story steeped in rap culture, established rap personalities, and even the ability to choose girlfriends for your fighter of choice. Unfortunately, these deviations are done poorly, and are probably the most disappointing aspect of the game. The storyline is laughable at best, and a textbook case of stereotyping at worst. When you encounter famous rappers like DMX or Method Man, they don't display any personality or affect the story in any significant way. They threaten you in one or two sentences, you fight them, and that's about it. The girlfriend routine is amusing exactly twice: The first time two girls get in a catfight over your player, and again when your girlfriend leaves you for another woman. Even the highly touted rap soundtrack is lame; they play stripped down muzak versions of rap during the game, and you only hear the full songs during menus.

The wrestling itself is stupendously mediocre. Your controls include the very standard attack, grapple, run, and block buttons. When your fighter gains enough "momentum" (read: fills up the blue meter), he can perform a devastating "Blazin' move" (read: special attack). It's precisely like every wrestling game made since Pro-Wrestling for the NES, except DJV is slower, unusually difficult, and the wrestlers are wearing FUBU.

The bottom line is that unless you've desperately got to settle a schoolyard debate over whether DMX or Ludacris would win in a fight, there are better wrestling titles out there to play that offer a whole lot more entertainment value, most notably the WWE Smackdown series. Fear not, Rock. Sleep soundly, Stone Cold. Your legacy lives on. --Jon "Safety Monkey" Grover

Pros:

• Conceptually an interesting idea
• Blazin' attacks are really cool to watch
• Perfect if you have a lot of aggression directed at rappers that you need to vent somehow

• Storyline is bland, none of the featured wrestlers or rappers have any personality
• No real innovation
• Slow-paced and unusually difficult

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