Icon presents some interesting concepts but falls short
Def Jam Icon is the next-gen installment in the popular Def Jam fighting franchise. The previous installments were not only fun due to their gameplay but due to the fact that they felt like an actual game and not quick cash-in ala 50 Cent Bulletproof. DJ Icon does retain some elements that made the previous titles interesting while completely revamping others.
Def Jam Icon is developed by EA Chicago, the team responsible for the Fight Night series and not by Aki who handled the first two Def Jam titles. EA Chicago’s influence clearly shows through the amazing visuals and the games combat system which heavily utilizes the right analog stick. The combat in Icon consists the normal face button setup which covers your basic heavy and light punches/kicks. The right analog stick handles throws and extreme punches and kicks. For those familiar with the Fight Night games should feel at home with Icon since the combat is essentially ‘Fight Night Street Combat’. For those unfamiliar with the Fight Night scheme you control extreme punches and kicks by arcing the right analog stick in different directions. You’ll have to time your punches well or face getting owned by your opponent. The core concept of the combat system is good but pales in comparison to the previous titles, which heavily focused on grappling and over the top finishing moves. A fan favorite from the previous game, the Blazing moves, is MIA in Icon and there are no real finishing moves in the game. Icon’s combat also feels a bit sluggish and methodical and doesn’t have that quick fire feel of previous Def Jam title.
The actual implementation of the right analog stick in combat is a bit of a mixed bag. While the moves that are mapped to the right analog stick are flashy, at times they’re a bit hard to pull off since there is slight delay from when you press the button to the actual on-screen reaction. It also takes awhile to get used to using the face buttons for the main attacks and then switch to the right analog stick and hope you can pull off a move before the enemy disrupts your flow. That being said Icon does have a steep learning curve compared to the previous Def Jams. Don’t be expecting to go into a match on your first try and winning, chances are you will probably lose or barely win the match. Icon does have a practice mode in which you can practice your skills on the various stages in the game but there no explanations to performing specific moves in the game. An example of Icon’s mixed bag fighting is that there is no grappling or submissions in the game. The previous Def Jam’s were a mix of fighting and wrestling style moves. None of that is in Icon but there are some small grapple moves you can perform such as a suplex but how you perform that is based on properly blocking your opponents attack. At the end of the day the combat in Icon isn’t a lot of fun due to the sloppy combat controls and the overall lack of moves.
However Icon does have a highlight and that’s the music integration. The music in the game is a weapon in itself and the player can actually manipulate it to their advantage. Each environment in the game has certain hazardous that react to the beat of the music. The player can manipulate the beat of the music by using the DJ Turntable controls. By holding down the L2 button and rotating the left or right analog stick the player can speed up the music to activate an environment hazard. Not only does the music activate hazards but the environment animates to it. So some levels will have lights on skyscrapers animate to the beat of the music while others will have debris moving to the beat. Also over time the environment will break so pieces of a building or even a car will be in pieces. This feature, of having music as a weapon, certainly sets Icon apart from other fighting games and is a nice addition to the Def Jam franchise. Icon of course has a good soundtrack or else this feature would be a waste. Each of the artists in the game has a song of theirs to represent them. You can also select a song before you battle. So if there’s a song that you like a lot and really know the rhythm of you can choose that to use to your advantage during combat.
EA Chicago set the bar in terms of visuals with Fight Night and they matched and in some respects exceeded what they did in Fight Night. All of the character models match their real world counter parts with eerie realism. Characters clothing and jewelry will sway realistically and over time their clothing will accumulate dirt and blood as the fight intensifies. The animations in the game are pretty slick but at times can seem a bit too stiff compared to the previous Def Jam. The games 8 environments each have certain visual characteristics that set them apart whether it’s a rooftop with a swaying helicopter or a packed night club. There is some noticeable aliasing with some aspects of the environments but it’s not something that is so noticeable that it takes you out of the experience.
Just like its predecessor Icon features a story mode that encompasses your rise in the rap industry, corrupt cops, rival record labels and a politician with a mysterious agenda. The game starts out with you talking to your mentor on the streets of New York when suddenly he’s shot in a drive by and the game then goes 2 years in the past to when you first encounter your mentor. From there you become part of the rap industry and that means pleasing your talent and signing new talent. A new element to the Def Jam franchise is that you can manage your label. You can decide what artists you sign, allocate money for album releases and receive email from your artists and enemies. This aspect of the game is a nice addition but it never has any impact on the story itself. The only effect the album managing has is your Icon ranking which consists of how many albums have gone gold or platinum and your total respect. The story in Icon is somewhat puzzling. While it is pretty well written and is probably one of the best stories in a fighting game it does find itself in a way embracing several stereotypes. Unlike the other Def Jams which featured rappers but took place in a fantasy world of underground fight clubs, Icon takes place in the record industry. So in a way the game is portraying the stereotype that the rap industry is filled with nothing but thugs and several of the artists requests such as buying Lil Jon’s entourage a fleet of cars or a members being arrested for ‘mysterious’ charges further play into this. It’s a bit unclear if EA was trying to play into that ‘glam’ factor the street aspect of the rap industry has or if they were taking a tongue in cheek aspect to it. The story however shouldn’t offend anyone based on its portrayals of the main cast, so in the end it’s a matter of preference whether the story in Icon pleases you or not. And in typical hip-hop fashion the game ends in a twist with a conspiracy and the games credits even acknowledges this.
Icon also allows you to create your own fighter to use both in the story mode and regular mode. If you’re familiar with the Fight Night create-a-character system then that’s pretty much what Icon uses. The options for some attributes such as hair and facial hair are a bit limiting and you also can’t choose a different head type for further customization. Unlike Fight For New York you can’t choose the voice of your character so it’s missing that final unique touch. Of course you can pimp your character out with clothing from Sean John, Adidas, Nike Air Jordan and all the latest bling such as massive chains that would put Ali G to shame. While you can create your own character you can’t customize his attributes like the previous Def Jams. This hampers the game in a way since you never feel more powerful as you progress through the game.
The biggest problem with Icon is its lack of features. While the music integration and story aspects are good there are a handful of features missing from Icon. The first and perhaps biggest issue with the game is the roster of rappers is a bit ‘meh.’ You do have artists like Ludacris, Big Boi, The Game, E-40, Ghost Face Killah and Fat Joe but there are still several Def Jam icons missing in action. Where’s LL Cool J, Jay-Z, or perhaps even Run DMC as the ultimate legend unlockable? You also can’t play as any female fighters. While there are several female characters in the games story mode you sadly can’t unlock any of them so you can’t have your ultimate cat fight fantasy. Icon is also lacking in game modes. While the game does feature online play for the first time, there is no 4 player support in the game. So you and some buddies can’t compete in a Battle Royale or compete in a tag team competition. This lack of variety also affects Icon’s single game mode. While its predecessor, Fight For New York, featured different stages that had different element such as Ring matches, Fire matches, and area’s that changed how you play such as the Subway level, Icon features none of that. All the stages in the game are essentially the same except for the few environmental hazards. So it may get a bit boring after awhile when you play the Club level for the 15th time and know all the hazards like the back of your hand.
Def Jam Icon represents an interesting step for the franchise but for every positive feature there are a handful of things that take the game down. The graphics are good, the concept of using the music as a weapon is good but is held down by a poor fighting system and lack of features. Many fans wanted the Def Jam: Fight For New York fighting system to return but instead they get a street version of the Fight Night controls. Icon also doesn’t have that long term replay factor the other titles have so once you’ve finished the story mode there isn’t a lot to go back to. And while EA Chicago should be applauded in trying to do something original they deviated so far from what made the previous Def Jams fun that they ultimately alienate the Def Jam fans and their core audience. The game definitely has good visuals and a solid soundtrack but as a fighting game Icon falls flat.
Def Jam Icon is developed by EA Chicago, the team responsible for the Fight Night series and not by Aki who handled the first two Def Jam titles. EA Chicago’s influence clearly shows through the amazing visuals and the games combat system which heavily utilizes the right analog stick. The combat in Icon consists the normal face button setup which covers your basic heavy and light punches/kicks. The right analog stick handles throws and extreme punches and kicks. For those familiar with the Fight Night games should feel at home with Icon since the combat is essentially ‘Fight Night Street Combat’. For those unfamiliar with the Fight Night scheme you control extreme punches and kicks by arcing the right analog stick in different directions. You’ll have to time your punches well or face getting owned by your opponent. The core concept of the combat system is good but pales in comparison to the previous titles, which heavily focused on grappling and over the top finishing moves. A fan favorite from the previous game, the Blazing moves, is MIA in Icon and there are no real finishing moves in the game. Icon’s combat also feels a bit sluggish and methodical and doesn’t have that quick fire feel of previous Def Jam title.
The actual implementation of the right analog stick in combat is a bit of a mixed bag. While the moves that are mapped to the right analog stick are flashy, at times they’re a bit hard to pull off since there is slight delay from when you press the button to the actual on-screen reaction. It also takes awhile to get used to using the face buttons for the main attacks and then switch to the right analog stick and hope you can pull off a move before the enemy disrupts your flow. That being said Icon does have a steep learning curve compared to the previous Def Jams. Don’t be expecting to go into a match on your first try and winning, chances are you will probably lose or barely win the match. Icon does have a practice mode in which you can practice your skills on the various stages in the game but there no explanations to performing specific moves in the game. An example of Icon’s mixed bag fighting is that there is no grappling or submissions in the game. The previous Def Jam’s were a mix of fighting and wrestling style moves. None of that is in Icon but there are some small grapple moves you can perform such as a suplex but how you perform that is based on properly blocking your opponents attack. At the end of the day the combat in Icon isn’t a lot of fun due to the sloppy combat controls and the overall lack of moves.
However Icon does have a highlight and that’s the music integration. The music in the game is a weapon in itself and the player can actually manipulate it to their advantage. Each environment in the game has certain hazardous that react to the beat of the music. The player can manipulate the beat of the music by using the DJ Turntable controls. By holding down the L2 button and rotating the left or right analog stick the player can speed up the music to activate an environment hazard. Not only does the music activate hazards but the environment animates to it. So some levels will have lights on skyscrapers animate to the beat of the music while others will have debris moving to the beat. Also over time the environment will break so pieces of a building or even a car will be in pieces. This feature, of having music as a weapon, certainly sets Icon apart from other fighting games and is a nice addition to the Def Jam franchise. Icon of course has a good soundtrack or else this feature would be a waste. Each of the artists in the game has a song of theirs to represent them. You can also select a song before you battle. So if there’s a song that you like a lot and really know the rhythm of you can choose that to use to your advantage during combat.
EA Chicago set the bar in terms of visuals with Fight Night and they matched and in some respects exceeded what they did in Fight Night. All of the character models match their real world counter parts with eerie realism. Characters clothing and jewelry will sway realistically and over time their clothing will accumulate dirt and blood as the fight intensifies. The animations in the game are pretty slick but at times can seem a bit too stiff compared to the previous Def Jam. The games 8 environments each have certain visual characteristics that set them apart whether it’s a rooftop with a swaying helicopter or a packed night club. There is some noticeable aliasing with some aspects of the environments but it’s not something that is so noticeable that it takes you out of the experience.
Just like its predecessor Icon features a story mode that encompasses your rise in the rap industry, corrupt cops, rival record labels and a politician with a mysterious agenda. The game starts out with you talking to your mentor on the streets of New York when suddenly he’s shot in a drive by and the game then goes 2 years in the past to when you first encounter your mentor. From there you become part of the rap industry and that means pleasing your talent and signing new talent. A new element to the Def Jam franchise is that you can manage your label. You can decide what artists you sign, allocate money for album releases and receive email from your artists and enemies. This aspect of the game is a nice addition but it never has any impact on the story itself. The only effect the album managing has is your Icon ranking which consists of how many albums have gone gold or platinum and your total respect. The story in Icon is somewhat puzzling. While it is pretty well written and is probably one of the best stories in a fighting game it does find itself in a way embracing several stereotypes. Unlike the other Def Jams which featured rappers but took place in a fantasy world of underground fight clubs, Icon takes place in the record industry. So in a way the game is portraying the stereotype that the rap industry is filled with nothing but thugs and several of the artists requests such as buying Lil Jon’s entourage a fleet of cars or a members being arrested for ‘mysterious’ charges further play into this. It’s a bit unclear if EA was trying to play into that ‘glam’ factor the street aspect of the rap industry has or if they were taking a tongue in cheek aspect to it. The story however shouldn’t offend anyone based on its portrayals of the main cast, so in the end it’s a matter of preference whether the story in Icon pleases you or not. And in typical hip-hop fashion the game ends in a twist with a conspiracy and the games credits even acknowledges this.
Icon also allows you to create your own fighter to use both in the story mode and regular mode. If you’re familiar with the Fight Night create-a-character system then that’s pretty much what Icon uses. The options for some attributes such as hair and facial hair are a bit limiting and you also can’t choose a different head type for further customization. Unlike Fight For New York you can’t choose the voice of your character so it’s missing that final unique touch. Of course you can pimp your character out with clothing from Sean John, Adidas, Nike Air Jordan and all the latest bling such as massive chains that would put Ali G to shame. While you can create your own character you can’t customize his attributes like the previous Def Jams. This hampers the game in a way since you never feel more powerful as you progress through the game.
The biggest problem with Icon is its lack of features. While the music integration and story aspects are good there are a handful of features missing from Icon. The first and perhaps biggest issue with the game is the roster of rappers is a bit ‘meh.’ You do have artists like Ludacris, Big Boi, The Game, E-40, Ghost Face Killah and Fat Joe but there are still several Def Jam icons missing in action. Where’s LL Cool J, Jay-Z, or perhaps even Run DMC as the ultimate legend unlockable? You also can’t play as any female fighters. While there are several female characters in the games story mode you sadly can’t unlock any of them so you can’t have your ultimate cat fight fantasy. Icon is also lacking in game modes. While the game does feature online play for the first time, there is no 4 player support in the game. So you and some buddies can’t compete in a Battle Royale or compete in a tag team competition. This lack of variety also affects Icon’s single game mode. While its predecessor, Fight For New York, featured different stages that had different element such as Ring matches, Fire matches, and area’s that changed how you play such as the Subway level, Icon features none of that. All the stages in the game are essentially the same except for the few environmental hazards. So it may get a bit boring after awhile when you play the Club level for the 15th time and know all the hazards like the back of your hand.
Def Jam Icon represents an interesting step for the franchise but for every positive feature there are a handful of things that take the game down. The graphics are good, the concept of using the music as a weapon is good but is held down by a poor fighting system and lack of features. Many fans wanted the Def Jam: Fight For New York fighting system to return but instead they get a street version of the Fight Night controls. Icon also doesn’t have that long term replay factor the other titles have so once you’ve finished the story mode there isn’t a lot to go back to. And while EA Chicago should be applauded in trying to do something original they deviated so far from what made the previous Def Jams fun that they ultimately alienate the Def Jam fans and their core audience. The game definitely has good visuals and a solid soundtrack but as a fighting game Icon falls flat.