|
Nothing is more native to rap music than money, hos, or rims. It's all about what you've got. If you can't stack the cash to the roof of your solid gold crib, then you don't have what it takes to make thousand dollar hos flock to you in their tricked out Hummers. Most importantly, the rap game is about how much game you can spit in lyrical form; but even if you're dead broke, and Vanilla Ice's weak lyrics can put yours to shame, there's still a small glimmer of hope that you'll become the next icon.
Fans of the Def Jam series should expect a few changes from this next-gen addition. Some of these changes ruin almost every aspect that makes the series great. Icon is strictly a 1-on-1 fighting game now, and the stats system has been snatched away like a gold chain. A handful of fighting styles is all that remains. The character list is also much smaller, which means a shorter soundtrack. Sorry, but Flava Flav won't be making an appearance this time. You can still purchase new clothes, accessories, jewelry, and even tattoos, but with such comparatively minimal choices, it's a miracle Xbox Live even made the cut.
It's as much a game of tug-of-war in a fight as it is on the musical front, because music is also the key to victory.
|
Next-gen games have a reputation for evolving, but Icon only does so in one way (aside from the graphics); an entirely new mechanic that deserves credit for originality alone has been added. The staple soundtracks known to compliment the Def Jam series have always set the tone and solidified the rap theme, but the music isn't just added for flavor anymore. It plays a pivotal role in how you throw down, making Icon almost impossible to play without it.
Music becomes a living, breathing extension of the world as it animates the landscape like a music video set to go off on queue. The backgrounds dance along to each track, and compliment the venues with amazing visuals. Speakers shake and thump to dropping bass lines. Clouds mimic turn tables as they scratch themselves across the sky. Lights flicker with the rhythm of the music, and hazards go off when triggered by verses littered with "F Bombs". The hazards are interactive death-traps (unique to each venue) that you'll either want to avoid or use to your advantage, since they do far more damage than fists ever could.
It's as much a game of tug-of-war in a fight as it is on the musical front, because music is also the key to victory. Players pick a theme song to dominate with using the DJ controls. Any decent DJ knows that to master turn-tables you've got to be able to match a beat. In this case you'll be matching the moment between throwing an opponent into a hazard, and a song dropping an "F bomb". Good timing can have painfully rewarding results. The left trigger activates the DJ controls and the thumb-sticks become your virtual turn-tables. Scratch a record to trigger a hazard or pull off a mix to switch between theme songs.
Unfortunately things don't always go smoothly. The game consistently suffers from camera issues. Occasionally the angle hides one player behind the other, making it impossible to plan the next move. The controls can also be a bit sluggish, making it seem like your boy walked into a fight after downing a few forty ounces.
The focus of the story mode is signing artists to your record label so they can produce hit tracks, making you rich in the process. As a producer, you'll manage your artists' PR appearances, how much air play their tracks get, and how much money goes into production of their albums. Your main goal is to have to have an album go multi-platinum, but, as they say, "more money, more problems".
To keep your artists happy enough to produce more tracks, you'll occasionally have to put up with their ridiculous requests, most of which involve money. Your job as a producer also doubles as hired muscle. The competition doesn't play nicely, and they constantly need their asses handed to them. Some fights seem to happen just because they can. If you're looking for a cohesive story to tie all the events together, don't expect an Oscar winning screen-play, but if all you want is to "throw some bows", multiplayer's waiting to knock your block off.
Unlike the story mode, your trash talk gets recognized on Xbox Live. Without a human opponent to play against, fighting games are only half the experience. There's no greater joy than knowing you've inspired someone to give their controller flying lessons. By default the HUD is turned off to showcase the graphics, but can be turned on at any point to show who's dominating, Even without the HUD on, when you're getting your ass beat, you'll know it. The characters become significantly less attractive as the fight goes on.
Even as an Xbox 360 exclusive title, Def Jam: Icon has less bling than the previous games in the series. The majority of achievements can only be unlocked during frustratingly cheap hard mode or on Xbox Live. The combat is also about as deep as a glass of Cavosier, though it does give this game a very short learning curve. However, the attitude is undeniably convincing. Every single portion of Icon represents what it is with a gun in your face and an surprisingly calm expression on its face. The integration of the DJ controls saves us from a complete let down. It's that one great track that stands out amongst songs you've already heard. Sometimes that one great cut alone is reason enough to buy the entire album.
Discuss this article in our forums
|
