Right from the start, when EA Chicago showcased to the public it's secondo fighting game in only a few months, it was clear that Def Jam:Icon will present itself as an innovative game with a great gameplay concept. Before Dej Jam, EA Chicago developed the successful 'Fight Night' series; titles that simulated pretty good the elements of boxing. So pedigree carrying has to be sensed in some sort of way.

This hip-hop culture glimpse is suffering a bit from the plot perspective. You're the typical low level unestablished rapper which wants to end up as a multi millionaire platinum selling ICON. All kind of dirty actions can be pursued to reach that goal whether that consists in beating up stalker fans, bribing journalists, switching parties or finding and punishing accordingly inside informers that corrupt activities in which you are involved.
On top of this you'll have the power to fund any artist you consider valuable , release multiple records at the same time and pretty much do what hip-hopers do and like to do. Certain tools are available to track the public response to your media releases or for seeing after protege artists.
A personal computer holds all this information needed. Players has to check mail and watch the news for important notices and events. Banking account has to be kept under attention as much as other things that could make your shot to the glory successful or not. It was interesting to see how your crib and subsequent belongings modify for the better as you evolve. Laptops, clothes, jewelery and so on...

All recent EA titles feature an improved character build-up module that increases the level of realism significantly. We saw that in Tiger Woods with great results and it's the case here too.
You literally have the opportunity to build a virtual you using basic face elements like (skin type, eye color and shape, head conformation, eyebrow shape, hairstyles, facial hair, nose shape, mouth shape, chin shape, body structure ). Additional ones like: tattoos, earrings, arm blings, chains, grills personalize the look of the player even more. As for the stuff to wear, lots of wearable items are available at the virtual clothing store to satisfy every taste.

The visual representation of this hip-hop universe is full of distinctive and representative elements that not only look good but have a damage inflicting characteristic too. The locations where the fights take place: gas station, club, block, penthouse, executive suite, rooftop, nightclub all are very familiar landscapes in the life of a rapper, with each of the them bringing proper environmental hazards. Learning their particularities and getting the most of them in each fight is desired because this kind of damage is superior to a punch, kick, throw, combo damage.
Hazard like: malfunctioning roller brush sticking out of the car wash, fiery blasts produced by a gas pump or by power transformers, fire hydrant geysers, stage pyrotechnics are just a few of them. To use them properly you'll have to master the beats and know what hazard is triggered and at what time in the song. Once you've mastered it, grab, throw or use directional attacks to force rivals into the triggered hazard.

As for the fighting system although it features lots of kicks, throws and punches it feels like you are throwing telegraphed punches and kicks when pushing those buttons. And that has nothing to do with the stamina concept 'Fight Night' franchise uses.
The diversity of fighting styles players can choose when building up a 'suspect' with F.A.C.E. editor bodes well for the gameplay. Each fighting style has strengths and tradeoffs. Exotic and spectacular styles like: 'black panther', 'muay fly', 'street kwon do' complete the basic street fighting techniques of 'jah breaka', 'beatboxer', 'ghetto blaster'. Although spectacular, the fights are sometimes pretty unbalanced due to unbalanced fighting styles.
Building up directional attacks can be done either by softening the opponent with fast/strong attack combos or by using 'taunts'. Without using directional attacks you'll become punching bag in no time.

'Build a label' game mode is the essence of Def Jam:Icon. This is where the ultimate goal of becoming a hip hop Icon can be fulfilled. A number of factors have to be managed if it's desired to become one, cash flow being at the top of priorities. As you sign artists and release song after song, the amounts of money earned will constantly increase. It is not a given fact that this pre-supposed wealth is guaranteed, so spending wisely is the most appropriate option.

'Royality rate' means that when you sign an artist you decide how much profit he gets from a release and how he will come to honor his part of the deal (rate at which songs are developed stands for this in principle).
'Pre-release spending' affect how a song release will sell over its lifetime. Once you've chosen your most trusted artists you can start giving credit to them by making more substantial spendings. Not having sufficient fonds for a release not necessary means the song reached a dead end. You have the option of delaying a release until you gain more money.
'Satisfaction' is another important factor that has to be taken care of in Def Jam. Having an above zero score for your artists and other gang members is desired. Having happy artists under your wing, means that they are productive too. And that at turn translates into more money. So if an artist wants something, saying no can have nasty repercussions. They will ask for parents assurance cover, plane tickets, going to luxurious nightclubs.....to test your commitment.

The final factor is 'Style'. This can increase the attention the media gives you , with obvious effects. More albums sold, more ladies attracted (which again can boost style points, but drop them too if they aren't satisfied ). Style points can be also earned by keeping fashionable and groomed, purchasing clothes, jewellery or by having tattoos. Additional style points can be gain
in fights when using taunts for a more stylish victory. As the player progresses through the game (more songs released and the more wealthy you get), new fighting styles and fighting boosts ensure that the player can keep up with the steeper and steeper requirements.

If you want a no rules/no career fight, you can try the 'throw down' game mode. A mode in which the sole objective is to lower your opponent's health down to zero. You have the freedom to pick from any available or created players to test this mode. An interesting option is the 'beating with bass' mode. Here you cannot trigger environmental hazards because you don't have
the control of DJ Turntable. So you have to learn the beats of a song to see what hazard they trigger in order to master it later at the control of the turntable.

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