At first, I looked at Def Jam Vendetta as a pathetic hip-hop promo. Not being a hip hop fan myself it just baffled me that EA BIG would want to make a wrestling/fighting game featuring all rappers. However, after playing it, I can say that Def Jam Vendetta is one of the best fighting games ever with deep and intriguing gameplay. The game includes several modes like Versus, Free For All and Tag Team yet those are just icing on the cake when it comes to the story mode, which is the deepest part of the entire game. During Story mode, you guide one of four retired Def Jam rappers/fighters from rags to riches.

The head honcho of Def Jam, D. Mob, has a real problem with you, since you once dated his girl, Angel. You show up to help your buddy Manny in a match, since his arm is broken and he is unable to fight. After partaking in a few tournaments you win fights, and eventually fight top Def Jam artists such as DMX, Method Man, Redman, Ludacris, and N.O.R.E plus many more. As you beat up on the other nobodys and Def Jam stars, you eventually get a girl making Angel jealous and enraging D. Mob.

The story isn't very original, but it sure is good material for a wrestling/fighting game. The fight mechanics are what make DJV stand out the most. At first, you'll probably do poorly, but after the tutorial and about 5 fights you should be blowing through the story mode. You can do some truly punishing moves, such as strong punches, kicks, jabs, and the like. There are also TONS of grapple combos, ranging from simply hitting your enemy so hard they fall, to nearly breaking their arm and making them fall.

Def Jam Vendetta is even more painful to hear and see when you unleash one of your special moves, which will make you cringe in pain the first few times you see them. The most painful of them all seems to be N.O.R.E.'s, in which he pile-drives you into the ground, splits your legs apart, jumps in the air, and comes crashing down on your groin. It is moves like that which will make you want to master the game, just to see how crazy they get later on.

Graphically, DJV shines. The character models and faces are a little exaggerated, just to hold the style of the game better. I really like how all the rappers frown and scold you before each fight. They have great facial animation in the pre-fight introductions. I already said how painfully real the moves and special attacks look, but just as a refresher course, you'll cringe every time you see a new painful move. The different stages are pretty cool, ranging from Def Jam's huge arena to a spot under a bridge, to DMX's junkyard level. All of them showcase a lot of clubbers and some even have dancers in the background, and everyone's always moving around. Overall, graphically, there is a lot going on, and nothing ever slows down.

As far as the audio goes (one of the most important parts), the music is great if you love rap. There are tons of tracks, most from characters in the game. The only songs I actually like are DMX's, but the music will definitely appeal to rap lovers. Also, the voice-overs are amazing. Everything said in the game reflects the character's personalities, because, well, the real-life people did the voices themselves.

Overall, Def Jam Vendetta is a great game. I enjoyed the Story mode a lot, and anyone who loves rap/hip hop shouldn't think twice about DJV, they should just rush out and buy it. It isn't very long, it takes about four hours to beat the Story mode with a single character, but there is a bit of replay value to keep you hooked for a while afterward. Plus, if you beat up all your friends or cooperatively fight in multiplayer, that adds twice as much of replay. Overall: just another great game from EA Big. -cliff

Posted: April 26th