Def Jam: Fight for NY

"A no-holds barred lesson in brutality"

The fighting genre has been around since the early days of video games. Despite this, there have been relatively few groundbreaking innovations. Mortal Kombat introduced us to lengthy combos, over the top violence, finishing moves (and the ESRB ratings system). From there… well, really that's about it. As you can see, Mortal Kombat has introduced some of the most influential trends and mainstays for fighting games. Unfortunately, it would seem (at least in this reviewer's eyes) that the Mortal Kombat series has slacked off in the past few iterations. The violence has gotten cartoonish and commonplace. And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us to this game. While Fight for NY doesn't introduce any new concepts it does one thing, and it does it well. It brings brutality back.
GRAPHICS
The game doesn't try to be super-realistic and for that, I commend it. Instead it relies on crisp, wonderfully rendered, brightly colored character models. The environments are just as well rendered and possess a real vibrancy. Unlike other games, the environments (bars, clubs) seem like they are places people would actually go, places you could actually expect to see a fight.

SOUND
There is actually an extensive soundtrack for the game; the problem is you never really hear much of it. I won't bother trying to go into detail about it because it's all rap and I don't know rap. What I will say is that pretty much every character in the game (those who are musicians) have at least one song present.

The main reason I don't mind the absence of the music is the fact that the sound of two guys beating the crap out of each other is music enough. The crowds cheer as the fight drags on, weapons crack as you smash them over your enemy's heads. Most wonderful of all is the sound somebody's skull makes when it hits a concrete wall. I love it.

For those that actually know and recognize the fighters in this game, they'll be happy to know that their real-life likenesses provided the voices. Although I only know a few (Ice-T, Danny Trejo, Sean Paul) it's great to actually hear them taunting you before a fight (even if I can't understand a word Sean Paul says).

GAMEPLAY
There are several different styles of fighting that you can choose from; Kickboxing, Streetfighting, Martial Arts, Wrestling and Submissions. Initially you can only use one style but later you'll be able to pick a second and transform yourself into a fighting machine. Of course, half the time you don't even have to use your movesets, since there are plenty of weapons to beat your opponent down with.

So, what can be said about a game that doesn't punish someone who plays dirty, encourages it even? How about “Hell yeah!” Since most of the fighting takes place in bars and clubs, there is always an audience to throw weaponry to the fighters or hold your opponent as you beat him senseless. And in almost every level, there is a something to thrown your opponent through (fences, juke boxes… the usual stuff). And of course there are plenty of things to throw your opponent INTO, which is one of the most satisfying parts of the game. If you throw your opponent against a wall, you can then trigger a move to turn him around and ram him, headfirst, right back into the wall. This is a very damaging maneuver, and can typically end a match.

Which brings me to my only real complaint. Matches are far too easy. Even without playing dirty, you can typically bring down the opposition in under two minutes. Using the aforementioned “head to wall” technique you can beat an enemy (with full health) into submission after just three uses. This means you can breeze through most of the matches in no time flat. Add that to the fact that the game isn't very long, and you've got a game that is beatable under six hours.

On a sidenote, there is an extensive variety of ways to customize your character. There is a large selection of clothing to choose from (all real clothing lines) as well as the ability to buy “bling”. Rings, earrings, chains, all available in silver, gold and platinum. You can also change hairstyles and get tattoos.

THE VERDICT
It is, hands down, one of the best fighting games to come out recently. Despite the fact that the game is so short, it could be played through a couple of more times before it becomes boring, due to the various fighting styles. Since the game can be found for less than ten dollars, I highly recommend buying it. It's brutally violent and serves as a great stress relief.

HIGHS
- Large character variety
- Brutal fighting

LOWS
- Not very challenging
- Short

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/02/07, Updated 05/04/09

Game Release: Def Jam: Fight for NY (US, 09/20/04)