In 2000 EA Sports, one of the most popular and successful game companies of all time, released SSX under what they called a new category of sports games, EA Big. This marked a new direction for EA which had always focused on utilizing the natural excitement of sports action to fuel their games. While EA continued to release its popular franchises like Triple Pay and Madden, EA Big and SSX represented a movement toward more arcade-style action sports games. Hugely popular, SSX was followed by the extremely successful titles Street and SSX Tricky.
This month, EA released the sixth title in the EA Big series, Def Jam Vendetta. For the first time, DJV logically brings together two worlds that have been dying to collide: pro-wrestling and gansta rap. All your favorites are here: Ghostface Killah, N.O.R.E., Redman, Method Man and DMX, just to name a few. This time, however, they're not just boozing and disrespecting women (although there is some of each), but they're cracking skulls as well. DJV allows you to play as your favorite artist, whooping up on your buddies in one-on-one action, tag team or brawl. But even more exciting is the new story mode in which you can assume the identity of one of four lackeys as you work your way to the top fighting for the "ultimate supremacy" of the underground!
Unfortunately, EA was unable to scare up any of its magic for this title, "ultimate supremacy" not excepted, as DJV relies on flash, glitz and a little skin in an attempt to entertain. The game play is indistinguishable from the last eight WWE wrestling titles and even the soundtrack, so hyped in advertising, is a bastardized version of some decent Def Jam tracks. The visuals are solid and the concept is intriguing, but neither can shadow the fact that this is just your average wrestling game with a little more polish than usual. My suggestion: Download some Keith Murray and Method Man, turn down the sound on your other slamfest games and you won't even know the difference.
- Jon Schnaars
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