Video Game Reviews
Title: Def Jam Vendetta
Review rating: ***
Platform/console: GameCube, Playstation2
Release date: March 2003
Genre: Fighting / Action
Players allowed: 1 to 4
ESRB rating: T (language, suggestive themes, violence)
Production company: Electronic Arts
Lots of talk, insults, broken bones and black eyes in this
urban fight club where you have approximately 1,500 different
moves as a fighter working your way up the ranks. Not only
do DMX, Ludacris, N.O.R.E. and Redman contribute to the 18-song
soundtrack (it's edited to keep the Teen rating), but they
also are characters in this fun fighting title with familiar
"work up the ladder to succeed" storyline and cut
scenes. The storyline of the game focuses around making money
and earning a reputation, then advances to the head mogul
of the fighting, a large brother named D-Mobb.
No girls compete for money in this fighting game, but they
do fight for your attention and the "honor" of being
your girlfriend. You actually control most of the girl fight
experience and get to add pictures of your acquired ladies
in your gallery which can be expanded even further in content
(the outfits get smaller) and quantity when you make more
money. A degrading way to spend your hard earned dollars (don't
even get me started on attempts in video games to objectify
women and create a new media for porn), so try to enhance
your fighting characteristics with your dough instead.
Besides some questionable content issues, the gameplay of
this title surpasses most fighting and wrestling titles with
ease. Most of the fighting techniques utilize mostly wrestling
techniques and some quick hand-to-hand, including some great
finishing moves that are easy to master once you've learned
the controls. You also get taunts to pump up the crowd, which
helps because this game makes players work for audience participation.
The more they love the fight, the more money you make. This
recommended game that has plenty of room for growth in the
next title including additions of more Def Jam artists and
the option of creating a fighter from scratch.
Review by Michael Siebenaler
© Electronic Arts
®
