Def Jam VENDETTA – PS2 – Review

In the world of
underground fight clubs, losers are tossed aside like used Kleenex while the
winners gain not only a reputation but also respect.  After all, who are we in
this unlicensed and illegal world of bruisers if we don’t have the respect of
others?  In Def Jam Vendetta, you are the one fighting your way to the very top
to win the respect of those in your neighborhood and to win back the girl that
got away.  To do this, not only do you have to fight hardened bone-crushers, but
also Def Jam artists like Method Man and DMX.  So is this what rap artists do in
their spare time?

One thing you’ll notice
right away is that Vendetta doesn’t make with the amount of game modes seen in
wrestling titles like the WWE SmackDown games.  There are no cage matches or
ladder matches here, but the game modes you do find here certainly won’t
disappoint.  There is a Story mode, Survival (that puts you up against a string
of fighters), a single match, a tag team match, a handicap match (you against
multiple fighters) and a Free For All (every fighter for him or herself).

The heart of Vendetta is
the Story mode.  You start by choosing one of the four fictional fighters and
watch as the story unravels after that.  Your character has retired from the
underground fighting circuit when your good friend Manny calls you in for a few
fights as a favor to him.  You see Manny owes underworld kingpin D-Mob a lot of
green but since he has a broken arm, he needs you to step into the ring in his
place.  When you get there, you notice that hanging on D-Mob’s arm is your old
girlfriend Angel who you still love.  Determined to win her back, you fight your
way to the Def Jam tournament where waiting at the end is D-Mob himself.

Not only do you go up
against a number of fighters you never heard seen before; you also go up against
Def Jam rap artists that take up the place of level bosses.  As you climb up the
ladder, taking on brawler after brawler, you gain cash you can use on upgrading
your stats like strength, grappling, stamina or speed.  A new concept that also
shows up quickly in the game is the girlfriend feature.  Because everyone likes
a winner, especially these girls, you’ll find that the ladies will not only
flock to your side but also actually fight for you in the ring.  While this has
nothing to do with the story itself, the girl fights are a refreshing change of
pace mid-game . . . they also open up FHM-like photo spreads of each of the five
ladies.  What happens is the girls will take to the ring and give you the option
to chose your current girl or trade her in for another one.  You’ll control the
girl you chose and if she wins, she becomes your girl while the loser quietly
makes her exit.

The controls featured in
this game are a dream come true.  Not only are they smooth and executed
tightly–like all wrestling games should be–but the controls are so easy to
manage that you’ll find more room to concentrate on each fighter’s long list of
moves.  Your grappler can perform slams, kicks, chops and even the occasional
low blow.  There’s a meter that fills up each time you successfully land blows
to your opponent (it lowers when you get hit), but when it becomes full the
powerful Blazin’ attack becomes ready (a single tap of the right analog stick
unleashes this deadly finishing move).

And while the characters
in Story mode are not fleshed out all that well or dramatizes the conflict
between you and the Def Jam artists (they just challenge you via a pager).
You’ll find that each artist–like all the other fighters out there–possess
enough style to make each one a unique opponent.  As you climb up the tournament
ladder, you’ll see that N.O.R.E doesn’t hold a candle to DMX in stamina and
speed.   The opponent AI is good at providing a challenge without being overly
frustrating.

One of the game’s most
stunning features besides the solid controls is the amazing visuals.  Vendetta
is truly a beautiful looking game and you’ll see that right away the minute the
characters step into the ring.  Each character is wonderfully detailed down to
the expressions on their faces as well as the unique clothes they wear.  You’ll
be astonished how artists such as Ludacris or Redman look EXACTLY like their
real-life counterparts.  Even the fictional characters look amazing out there.
And although parts of the background could have looked a bit better, what is
featured here is still a sweet sight, especially the junkyard surrounding or the
nightclub.

The soundtrack, as it was
to be expected, features plenty of gangsta rap tunes that are cleaned of
profanity and actually sounds good while it’s at it.  The music blends with the
atmosphere so nicely that you’ll just feel as if you’re in a movie starring rap
artists.  The sound effects are all standard: body slams, bodies dropping on the
canvas and the usual cries of pain.  This would have been forgettable if the
cries didn’t come from the artists themselves; luckily every cry and dialogue
comes from the Def Jam artists featured in the game.

To put it simply: Def Jam
Vendetta is one of the most addictive and fun PS2 brawlers to come along this
year.  Aside from the great visuals, fresh concept and perfect gameplay,
Vendetta’s action will have fight fans playing this one over and over again.  If
you don’t think this game is addictive, I have two very sore thumbs that say
otherwise.  Do yourself a favor and pick this one up right away.

#Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 9.5
Quite possibly one of the best
control interfaces seen in a wrestling game thus far, Def Jam Vendetta
definitely wins big points in this department.  Not only are the controls
smooth, responsive and easy to master but the game’s plentiful moves make for a
really addictive fighting game.  Gamers will spend a large portion of the game
just inventing new ways of laying the smack down on each opponent.  It’s also
something of a rare treat to have ladies fight over your wrestler and giving you
the choice of who you want to keep as a girlfriend.

Graphics: 8.9
Vendetta’s graphics are the kind
that will leave you with your jaw wide open and amazed by the level of detail of
each grappler that steps into the various rings.  Although they’re more
caricature-like in design, the Def Jam artists look so much like their real-life
counterparts that watching them get their legs twisted back by a fictitious
fighter is truly a surreal sight to behold.  Their gestures are also life-like
and are a joy to watch as they smoothly execute their own unique moves.  The
only time you will encounter some ugly clipping is when the fighter exists the
ring in certain cut scenes.

The backgrounds are also a
pleasant sight, although sometimes certain textures make for some plain spots
here and there.  This is certainly nothing to sneeze at, really, since the
locations themselves are both full of detailed onlookers as well as interesting
interiors.  One fight takes place in a nightclub with shapely ladies swinging
against poles as a colorful neon sign reveals the name of the club.  The crowds
are filled with fight fans pumping their fists in the air.

Sound: 8.8
If you like a full line-up of rap
tunes, this game has you covered.  Not only does it feature the majority of Def
Jam artists featured as wrestlers, but some old-school tunes from Public Enemy.
The tunes are mixed in nicely throughout the game with instrumental versions of
the songs playing during matches and clean versions of the actual songs playing
over the menu selection screens.  If you’re worried about profanity, its been
cleaned up in all the tunes–especially those from DMX (who is known for using
more “colorful” language than Chris Rock and all the characters in The Sopranos
put together).

The voice acting is also
excellently done and it does keep away from the profanity as well–except when
the ladies start fighting over you that is.  Yet none of the language is coarse
enough that a parent should be concerned about it.   You’ll also find a ring
announcer of sorts in Funkmaster Flex as he tells it like it is before and
during each fight.

Difficulty: Medium
Story mode puts you through a long
list of fighters starting with some easy opponents used as warm-up chumps until
you reach the first Def Jam artist.  From there the CPU opponents become
increasingly harder to pin or the weaken enough to cause some serious damage.
DMX, for example, is one of the more difficult opponents since he’s got strength
and stamina on his side.  At one point, your fighter goes up against three thugs
at the same time–upping the difficulty.  Still, this is nothing that will leave
a gamer highly frustrated.

Concept: 9.0
If you ever dreamed about showing
Ludacris your elbow . . . up close to his face, this is the game that will allow
you to do just that.  Aside from the assortment of Def Jam artists that lent
their likenesses as well as their voices, the game’s most unique feature is the
girlfriend options (as well as unlocking their various FHM-styled photo
galleries).  The only thing missing here–and would have put this game at the
very top–is a Create-A-Wrestler option.

Multiplayer: 9.0
If there were ever a true definition
of what a “party game” is in the Webster Dictionary, a picture of the box cover
of this game would be found right next to it.  With a slew of grapplers to
choose from and a long list of specialty moves, this is one of those game gamers
just have to share with a group of friends.  The game allows up to four players
(using the PS3 Multitap) to get in the ring as tag team partners or an all-out
fight where only one fighter is left standing.  Sure the game lacks a number of
modes seen in games like WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth, but what is here is
great multiplayer stuff.

Overall: 9.2
Def Jam Vendetta is one of the most
highly addictive and thoroughly entertaining wrestling titles to come along in a
long time and it’s a game no fighting fan should miss out on.  Be prepared to
gladly spend countless hours with this game that will keep you busy for months
to come.  Yes, faithful readers, it’s that good.  Go ahead and buy this one
without even thinking about it, you won’t regret it.