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[DarienA]

Highs:
Def Jam looks great characters, backgrounds, lighting, and though you can't control what moves you get from mixing styles the idea of mixing is pretty cool. Customizing your character is cool, and it's nice to see everything on your character even in cutscenes...bling bling bitch! The fight engine itself opens up as you progess so you the limits you have at the beginning quickly vanish away as you get more grapples attacks against based on the type of styles you've fused. A nice mix of finisher's as well... though I myself didn't find a whole punch that I liked there are alot to choose from. The counter system works well once you get use to it... the same thing goes for the control system... that L1 attack modifier is a weird decision but once you get use to it you'll be ok. Musically what can I say? Lots of good tracks, some folks strangely not represented musically though. And surprisingly the story is kinda cool.

Lows:
AI... what the hell... if you thought DJV had some cheap AI OMG you'll be screaming bloody f'n murder at the end of this one... Snoop....goddamn Snoop.... <sigh> It's crazy that in all these modification of using the AKI engine since the N64 days one thing has not changed.... high end fighters/high difficulty equals a counter alot, do alot of damage AI opponent, oh yes and those counters cause the AI opponent to gain mad meter, mad quickly. The Women are not used NEARLY enough in the story mode... such a disappointment. I also wish there were more two player free for all's I had OE as my partner and he was wreckin shop.... don't get me started on that 2 on 2 fight near the end... that's some crazy shit. It seems like EA feels... ok let's have one absolutely ridiculously lopsided match per game.

Did I miss anything?

 

[WarPig]

It's funny, I'm not feeling the same complaints about the difficulty as a lot of people. I dunno what it is. My first trip through I finished with a 92-16 record (Xbox version). Second time through I lost all of one fight (a cheap ringout, PS2 version). I never lost to Snoop. Second trip through I beat that last two-on-two fight on the first try. Go fig.

The game DOES need a better tutorial mode, though. It doesn't teach how to use the environment, doesn't teach reflex KOs for the martial-arts style, doesn't teach how to grab and use objects, zilch. Big big oversight there.

DFS.

 

[element]

i feel lost with doing moves in the game. I have a street fighter and all i do is the 3 punch combo. I need more time with it.

 

[DaCocoBrova]

So which is it...?

Is the game hard as fuck and cheap like DarienA suggests... Or does he just suck and WarPig is a gaming God?

 

[Kamille]

The game DOES need a better tutorial mode, though. It doesn't teach how to use the environment, doesn't teach reflex KOs for the martial-arts style, doesn't teach how to grab and use objects, zilch. Big big oversight there.

My #1 complaint. Doesn't help that the instructional manual doesn't tell u sh*t either. I've lost many matches just trying to learn simple moves and manuevers. Great game otherwise.

 

[Wario64]

It's probably not that hard if you know how to fight and stuff. The tutorial really sucks. It's like they're forcing you to buy a strategy guide

 

[DarienA]

So which is it...?

Is the game hard as fuck and cheap like DarienA suggests... Or does he just suck and WarPig is a gaming God?

Various reviews online and in magazines have mentioned the cheap AI. That's all I'm going to say in response. I didn't say it isn't beatable... just that it can be cheap. Biggest way to show that is this.

Beat up an opponent without them being anywhere near red but you have full meter. Blaze but don't get to your opponent quick enough to grapple and do the move(either you might be too far away or the move you used just before didn't put them into the heavy dizzy... your opponent becomes Heman... you can get past the burst of energy they get... but it's funny cause it's real simliar to how the AKI wrestlers use to act. The AI is predictable though, that's a good thing. Remember in the wrestlers if you weren't right up on the AI but fairly close it would do two attacks, then a grapple? There's a pattern of predictability like that in the AI opponents. Not exactly, but you'll see them act certain ways in certain situations each time.

The manual is shit... and the in game tutorial is lame.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

OMFG the AI is really cheap in this game. Without a doubt. The thing is...it's an arcade style fighter and personally I expect it to be so. The fact that I have to learn how to do everything from random experience or small game board tidbits isn't helping either. But the beat downs are fun as hell and the game looks great. Definitely more positives to the experience.

and again...WORST FUCKING MANUAL EVAR!

 

[WarPig]

I suck at games, so I don't know what the fuck's going on. A bunch of the other guys at the office have had a rough time of it, certainly, although for a while that was mostly unbalanced preview versions at work.

Some mixes of styles have it easier than others, especially early on. It helps a LOT to pick a faster style to start with and then add a grappling style later.

Also, saving up for a second style early on is a waste -- it helps to stick with one style and just spend those points on stats until a ways into the story mode.

DFS.

 

[DarienA]

War does story mode ever stop? or are there scripted tournaments that continues forever? or is it random? I friggin love the 2 on 2 matches.... Obviously the story ends but I keep getting paged for matches....

 

[WarPig]

There are...uh...I think three FFA tournaments, one team tournament, and one one-on-one match after the story mode ends. Might be four FFA tournaments, I forget.

It's worth noting that you have to beat those tournaments in one sitting. If you quit out and decide to go back, they won't be available on the map anymore, and that means you can't unlock every blazin' move in the library (at least two are hidden in those tournaments, the Over Hard and the Pogo Stick).

DFS.

 

[dskillzhtown]

So which is it...?

Is the game hard as fuck and cheap like DarienA suggests... Or does he just suck and WarPig is a gaming God?

DarienA hit the nail right on the head with this one. Very frustrating game that sucks all the fun out of the game because of the cheapness, IMO.

 

[Biff Hardbody]

I never posted my impressions for Def Jam here, so here they are.

I think Def Jam is a good game if you are looking for a semi deep brawler/wrestler/fighter. Its basically the evolution of Pit Fighter, althought its a far better game then Pit Fighter ever was. The moves are the brutal, the action is very fast, and there's a good deal of things to do with your character.

That being said, I don't find the gameplay very rewarding. I don't want to compare Def Jam with KOC2, because they are different games. However, playing Def Jam has driven me back to playing KOC2 when I need my wrasslin/fighting fix.

I'd have liked to see more moves for the characters. Most of them have differnet moves, but when you are using them I feel like I am repeating the same few moves.

I'd recommend Def Jam, but I can see it getting old quick for some people. However, if you want something fast paced and over the top, its your game.

 

[Hotsuma]

Darien, do three mid level kicks and then press the grapple button. It looks like as long as you put one or two kicks in before a grapple, the computer will not counter it 100% of the time.

 

[Kingpen]

Biff, about the lack of moves. It seems that the developers just spread out many of the moves to individual characters rather then have each and every character stacked. It all depends on the style too. For example, if you want to see a mofo with a very nice move set, check out Cruz... His Blazing isn't all that, but he has a bunch of good strong grapples that are normally finishers in WWE games. The AI can be cheap, but I like the feel of the game and the control system so much, I don't care. This game always has me coming back for more matches... That punk Xzibit probably beat me 15 times before I beat him. Cheap? Yes? Frustratingly hard and something that saps the fun out of the challenge? Not for me by a long shot.

 

[Ryck]

I agree with pretty much all the negative reviews, I am truly disapointed in this game.... and the 16x9 support wtf happened there..... DJV>DJFFNY

 

[Biff Hardbody]

Biff, about the lack of moves. It seems that the developers just spread out many of the moves to individual characters rather then have each and every character stacked. It all depends on the style too. For example, if you want to see a mofo with a very nice move set, check out Cruz... His Blazing isn't all that, but he has a bunch of good strong grapples that are normally finishers in WWE games. The AI can be cheap, but I like the feel of the game and the control system so much, I don't care. This game always has me coming back for more matches... That punk Xzibit probably beat me 15 times before I beat him. Cheap? Yes? Frustratingly hard and something that saps the fun out of the challenge? Not for me by a long shot.

Yeah, I see what your saying. I think its a good game, definitely.

 

[LakeEarth]

I have a hard time knocking people out without using the environment or a weapon. The worst is having a character who's blazing move doesn't knock you out, I mean what IS that?

 

[DaCocoBrova]

Do you guys have friends? Seriously...

No mention at all of multiplayer.

How is it?

 

[Megafoo Chavez]

multiplayer is fantastic. you and 3 buddys beating the shit out of each other can't go wrong. specially when you got the hookah broke out

 

[LakeEarth]

Do you guys have friends? Seriously...

No mention at all of multiplayer.

How is it?

It's cool. The screen does go a bit too far back though, and in the dark backgrounds you lose your character if you're playing as a black guy with dark clothes (which of course is a LOT of characters). When it goes from 4 people to 3 people though, it just becomes a 2 on 1 really.

But all those problems are expected for this type of game. It still kicks ass.

 

[KAOS]

DJFFNY > Tekken 4

 

[DarienA]

Do you guys have friends? Seriously...

No mention at all of multiplayer.

How is it?

Bah even the shittiest games (Rise of the Robots) can be fun multiplayer.... DJ is good, as someone else said though sometimes the camera pulls WAAAAY the hell back... geez... oh and on 4 player... on the subway match.... the subway does still come IIRC though it just takes longer to come than in the 2player matches.

Did THQ ever get a Inferno match in one of their Smackdowns? I think it's funny that AKI and EA beat them to it if they did not. Those matches do not last long....

 

[WarPig]

I have a hard time knocking people out without using the environment or a weapon.

Ain't it the point of the game to use all the tools offered you, though? I thought that was half the fun of it, myself.

Darien, good question about the Inferno match. I know Acclaim put it in their games, because it stuck around in the ECW titles, but now that you mention it I don't recall seeing it in a Smackdown. It was a stupid gimmick anyway, I ain't missing it, but that's a funny kinda irony.

DFS.

 

[Malleymal]

JUST beat it... and now I can get free for all in teh subway, i like this... Unless I missed something I couldnt do that before with my friends

 

[MarkRyan]

The game DOES need a better tutorial mode, though. It doesn't teach how to use the environment, doesn't teach reflex KOs for the martial-arts style, doesn't teach how to grab and use objects, zilch. Big big oversight there.

What are the reflex KOs? Just jumping off walls and getting flying kick KOs?

 

[LakeEarth]

Ain't it the point of the game to use all the tools offered you, though? I thought that was half the fun of it, myself.

It's just stupid how complex high impact wrestling moves can't KO someone and some finishers that don't, you know, FINISH someone off.... somehow having someone fly in the air and getting crushed in every way imaginable doesn't equal the brutal force of a broom.

 

[Tabs]

I agree with Darien's pros and cons 100%.

This was my review for Def Jam Vendetta. Tim must have had the devs read it Here were a couple of issues I had:

"If it's a fighting game, then why does it have a ring and submissions and pins? If it's a wrestling game, why do most matches end in a KO, and why is it so fast?"..."Not bad for a first effort this generation from AKI and EA, but I think they need to sort out if they want this series to be a full blown wrestling game or not." - Fixed It's a fighting game now.

"The animation is superior to pretty much everything else on the American market, but I think it's a tad too fast. Some of the bigger moves look great but animate so quickly that the intense awe and power of them is lost." - Fixed Looks absolutely amazing.

"...be prepared to get reversed and countered at the drop of a hat and naturally when it hurts the most (controller throwing type frustration here)." - Broken broken broken This is akin to rubber band AI in racing games and has no place here.

I only have 3 or 4 losses through Ice-T in the story mode and those were from trying to fight people at the bar before finishing all the fights at the first venue and getting the associated Dev Points from them. But, playing in the Versus mode, I lost at least 10 times in a row with Henry Rollins facing off against Danny Trejo (who looks awesome by the way). They were almost all really great matches though, as I repeated wore him down to danger health (usually outpointed him in the end too). Catching him with the knock out blow or submission was incredibly difficult though. Then of course he'd catch me on a counter and have me KO'ed before I knew what hit me.

The learning curve is steep, especially without any clue as to how to do 80% of the things in the game, but excellence is attainable. You just have to have the reflexes of a Beatmaina player, or get lucky with your guesses as to which counter to use, cause everything moves at lightspeed. I'm incredibly frustrated at times, but at the same time really enjoying the game as it keeps drawing me back to it.

 

[DarienA]

You just have to have the reflexes of a Beatmaina player, or get lucky with your guesses as to which counter to use, cause everything moves at lightspeed. I'm incredibly frustrated at times, but at the same time really enjoying the game as it keeps drawing me back to it.

It definitely helps to pay attention to see what type of styles your opponent is using oftentimes this will help you guess which type of counter to use after you've been knocked down and are being picked up....though MOST characters will go for a grapple close on, many of the martial artists will not preferring to hit you with another combo. Definitely take a look at their speed as well and see what there strengths and weakness are in other stats. With martial artists... grapple the hell out of them, with wrestlers... if your character has a high speed rating use attack combo's to put them down, then pick them back up for a grapple, etc... there's definitely some thinking, and you feel very rewarded once the system clicks in your head... but as you said Trav... the learning curve CAN be steep.

I just wish the story mode went on forever just randomally getting pages for different match types and challenges etc... that would rock.

 

[Tabs]

There seems to be two types of dizzies when you're picked up by the opponent. One where you can't move or attack but CAN counter, and one where you're majorly dizzy and can't do anything. Does this sound right? I also don't think you can counter if you are held by the crowd, not sure about against the environment (jukebox, pool table). Again, not having the fighting system be a secret in a fighting game would have been great, yeah.

 

[DarienA]

There seems to be two types of dizzies when you're picked up by the opponent. One where you can't move or attack but CAN counter, and one where you're majorly dizzy and can't do anything. Does this sound right? I also don't think you can counter if you are held by the crowd, not sure about against the environment (jukebox, pool table). Again, not having the fighting system be a secret in a fighting game would have been great, yeah.

Yup. I've never been able to counter out of being held by the crowd or an environment move... but you can grab weapons as they are being swung which is something from past AKI engine games and you can still put up a good fight even when your opponent goes "Blaze".

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

god this game is a pile of shit



barring the fact the manuel and in game tutorial are a complete joke the game is WAY to fast and the framerate is shit on the xbox (cmon I woulda rather had locked 60 fps) then a buncha tied togther "box people" on the out skirts hopping around.



for getting it at 35 used I feel fucking ripped off

 

[SalientOne]

But that's because you are a typical wrestling nerd.

I poop in your general direction for your lack of gaming taste.

 

[Kintaro]

But that's because you are a typical wrestling nerd.

I poop in your general direction for your lack of gaming taste.

Nerd he may be, but he's not off the mark. The game looks awesome, that's for sure. But it does play too fast, along with all the points Darien mentioned (good and bad) I feel there wasn't enough story to keep going...and the ladies were severly underused. I'm almost finished with the story mode myself (on some BS 2 on 2 fight which is nigh impossible without some luck personally). Switching between opponents in this mode (on Xbox anyways) is stupidly awkward.

*point!*

Who the hell did he just point to??? Maybe I missed some indicator or something, I don't know. =/

God Aki needs a kick in the ass for that AI though. It's unacceptable now.