Def Jam Vendetta

"Another Hit From Aki"

The return of wrestling’s best game developer. The emergence of a wrestling game without the burden of WWE. EA’s decision to take a little risk. The convergence of all this is Def Jam Vendetta, a game that is at once the best wrestling game in years, an awesome showcase for some damn good hip-hop, and an example of what can happen when a game company takes a chance.

Time To Throw Some ’Bos
Vendetta casts you as a street fighter in the inner city, where brawlers clash for cash, groupies, and bragging rights. D-Mob, the fictional leader of the underground, has assembled some of Def Jam Records’ most popular artists to rule the ring on his behalf, and you have to beat them down to reach the top. Along the way, you’ll get involved in some tag-team drama and girlfriend trauma, unlocking playable characters, outfits, and galleries as you go.

DJV speaks to a problem in the wrestling genre—the whole thing has gotten stale, and it’s time for some new blood. EA snagged AKI, developer of the awesome N64 WCW/WWF titles, to make Def Jam a contender. The result is a wrestling game that’s fun, exciting, and imminently playable—one that makes the most recent WWE games look like patty cake in comparison.

Ludacris Speed
Style is a huge part of why Vendetta succeeds. The characters, arenas, moves, and taunts all invoke an urban feel that screams Def Jam while proving that you don’t need Y2J and The Rock to make a compelling brawler. Tracks from Def Jam’s stable of artists pound all over the game, and though they repeat a bit too much, it’s nice to have great music playing during a beat-down.

DJV’s other high point is the way it plays. Strikes, grapples, and reversals seem perfectly balanced and easy to do, and every match is exciting and gripping. What’s more, the matches seem to make sense—quick series of moves will wear a guy down, but give him a chance to rest and he’s back, almost as good as new. The game’s A.I. is cheap, to say the least (there’s one throw that’s reversed 100 percent of the time by computer-controlled opponents), but multiplayer is a blast.

Jam on It
Finally, a wrestling game that doesn’t require a WWE Fan Club membership to enjoy. If you like hip-hop, brawling, or just good games, go get Vendetta now.

Graphics - 9
Stylish and cool, Def Jam’s graphics perfectly call out the attitude and groove of hip-hop-based brawling, and nearly perfect character models and animation only make it better. Only blockiness and jagginess threaten the otherwise perfect score.

Sound - 10
With a soundtrack full of actual Def Jam artists and voice acting that ranks among the best in the business (shout out to D-Mob), Vendetta means happiness for your ears.

Controls - 10
Everyone uses the same button presses to perform moves, but the move lists are different. There’s depth here, mostly in reversal timing, and AKI’s wrestling system is the best on the planet, bar none. Oh, and AKI: Stop with the button-banging, please.

Fun Factor - 9
“Solid and challenging” A.I. will make you go through three or four PS2 controllers before you’re all done. The huge character list and perfectly brutal brawling makes DJV a great multiplayer game. Create-a-Wrestler would have been nice, though.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/04/03, Updated 04/04/03