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While Icon is the best looking of the Def Jam games, the combat system isn’t quite as entertaining, dropping the previous games’ over-the-top wrestling moves for more straightforward street fighting. It’s not a bad system, but it’s just not as wild and entertaining.
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Too bad the slow-as-molasses combat (and too-savvy computer-controlled opponents) keep this fighter from rivaling classics like "Tekken," "Street Fighter" and "Soul Calibur," but the innovative use of music, as both an aesthetic and a weapon, adds depth.
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If you are a fan of Hip-Hop, and don’t mind the slower pace of the fighting compared to the last Def Jam games then definitely check this one out.
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games(TM)Isn’t it amazing that a game featuring rappers fighting, and one made by EA no less, can be considered one of the most original games so far this generation? [Apr 2007, p.98]
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Ultimately, there's not enough to do in the game to keep you occupied for very long. The Build a Label mode only offers a maximum of six to seven hours of play, and the bare-bones online mode isn't going to give you much more than that.
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Electronic Gaming MonthlyLike the previous Def jams, Icon can't decide what kind of game it wants to be. [Apr 2007, p.88]
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The move towards the slower paced boxing style of Fight Night was an interesting concept, but everything else in the game screams wrestler. The combination just doesn't work well.
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Even if you don't own every Ludacris album, watching the rich environments rattle to the music is reason enough to give this a play. Just don't expect much depth from this beat 'em up.
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Weak fighting moves, a lackluster story mode and inconsistent game mechanics complicate what would otherwise be the evolution of the franchise.
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Play MagazineThere's no way to imagine these fights as anything but someone's absurd rap fantasy that was somehow shoehorned onto a fighting game. [Mar 2007, p.53]
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This one's fun, no doubt about it, and the way the beats bang the environment is a must-see. But its lack of fighting depth definitely keeps it on the casual tip.
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Despite a few different fighting styles, matches tend to play exactly the same way no matter what environment you’re in or who’s doing the fighting. It’s like an album where every song sounds the same.
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Def Jam's most damaging flaw is the single-mindedness of the combat. Unleash all the punch and kick combos you want, but in very short order it will become obvious that environmental hazards are the only way to take an opponent down.
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If this game still had the previous (or an even deeper) fighting system, a run button, and weapons, it would probably already be a classic. While the visuals are amazing, the game just doesn't deliver as well in the fighting as it should.
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For anyone who feels like hip-hop is more than the soundtrack to the suburban mall thug experience, the game is really a disservice to a rich culture that involves more than misogyny and violence.
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Pure Magazine UKEvery move seems to take a split second from your button press to its actual execution, which means chaining combos becomes a very taxing endeavour. [Apr 2007, p.52]
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EA gets blinded by the bling-bling and forgets to focus on the gameplay, leaving gamers with a painfully basic and shallow fighting game.
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Icon is serviceable, but it’s not something you’ll be spinning in your disc tray for very long.
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The DJ system is unique and intuitive, the visuals well polished and, even with my rock/punk roots, the soundtrack is a commendable mix of uncensored beats. Nevertheless, the broken fighting mechanics and sluggish pacing are enough to keep this game from reaching true icon status.
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It’s strange that EA Chicago responsible for the amazing Fight Night series couldn’t capitalize on the Def Jam series.
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Games Master UKA disappointment, especially considering how daft and intoxicating "Fight for New York" was. [Apr 2007, p.72]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 52
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Mixed: 11 out of 52
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Negative: 30 out of 52
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Oct 8, 2017
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Aug 8, 2023
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Aug 26, 2022O What the developers had in mind when they invented producing this crap