Def Jam Vendetta

"Make way WWE, here comes Def Jam Vendetta"

I must say, this game really surprised me. When I first heard about it being a wrestling game about rappers i was skeptical, but when I heard it was being made by AKI my worries were gone. As you may or may not know AKI were the creators of most of the N64's wrestling games which many people think were the best ones. And I am one of them.

Graphics: 7/10

The graphics in this game are okay I would say. There really isn't any thing special about them, but there isn't really anything wrong with them. There are like 30 different people you can choose from and while they all have their own unique look, they are still kind of generic. Stuff you've seen a ton of times. And some of the larger characters really seem kind of blocky. And the women in it seem like walking tooth picks.

Controls: 10/10

Like I mentioned earlier, this game is made by AKI, and seem to use the same engine in all of their games, not that that is a bad thing. So if you have played No Mercy
or WCW/NWO Revenge, or any of their other wrestling games you should have no problem adjusting.
Unlike the WWE Smack Down series, in this game you can do two types of grapples, a weak or strong one. And based on what which one you do decides on how strong the move will be, but you can't just do strong grapples since they are easier to counter.

Game play: 8/10

The game play in this is just great. It never really seems to get repetitive since each person has different stats that will effect how you engage them. Like there are some that counter more easily that others so you have to be care full about doing strong grapples and such. Others are really fast so you have to be care full about keeping them down and giving them a chance to fight back. And others are just huge guys that can take a beating and dish it back out.

Replay 8/10

This game replay is not in the story mode but in just playing with the different fighters. Since they are all unique in there own way, With real unique finisher moves.
I guarantee you that you find your self play with all of them just to watch their over the top finishers.
The reason the replay isn't in the story mode is because you only get 4 people to chose from, and they are the plainest ones in the game.

Sound 4/10

I must say, you would think that this game would have a great sound track having all of those rappers in it, but it doesn't. And the voices in the game are horrible. The sound in this game is just sub-par.

My major problem with this game:

Their is no create a wrestler mode. I guess they figured since the have so many people in it that are all unique you will find some one you like and that if you did make a character he would resemble him. And while I did find people like that in this game it would have been nice to give them my own choice of moves.

Over all, this is a pretty great game. If you are are a wrestling fan it is a must have. Even if you aren't a rap fan don't worry, you will forget about that the moment you play it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/11/03, Updated 07/11/03