Screenshots are misleading. It’s not always intentional, but it happens so often that, when gamers see a jaw-dropping still from an unnatural camera angle, we assume it’s a press photo. If it’s real-time content, we assume the shot was taken from an in-game replay sequence.

Def Jam Icon could be the beginning of a change that’s long overdue. Take a look at the screen below. Note the textures, the lighting, and the angle. Examine the background detail and the lifelike clothing.

Are you impressed? Intrigued? In disbelief? You should be. Because what you are looking at it did not come from a replay sequence. It is not a press photo designed to entice. What you see is 100% gameplay. The lack of health bars and other game visuals is not a mistake, but rather a development choice that has helped to bridge the gap between games and movies.

Def Jam Icon is the next-gen debut of EA’s rapper-filled fighting series. Littered with dozens of battles, six fighting styles (one more than the last game), new surprises and a new story, Def Jam Icon is more than a beautiful sequel.

You play as yourself: a homemade thug commissioned to dish out a fist-full of pain to whoever wrongs your peeps. This game features EA’s most realistic create-a-player mode – the facial details will blow you away.

Icon begins with a gorgeous real-time intro that, without revealing anything, pretty much guarantees you’ll want to see the ending. The voice acting is great, with a noteworthy performance by Anthony Anderson, who plays a cocky (and evil?) competitor.

Scratch ‘N’ [Scratch]. No Sniff.

The biggest addition to the Def Jam series is the new scratch function. At any time during a fight, players can hold down the L2 button and “scratch” using the right analog stick. The trick is to drag the stick along the edge and quickly move up and down. On screen your fighter will hold up one hand and move it back and forth in a scratch-like motion. Listen to the music to know if you’re doing it right (you’ll hear a scratching sound similar to those heard in most rap and hip-hop albums).

Scratch successfully and something massive will occur. The world around you will be influenced by your actions and inflict pain on anyone who gets too close. Example: beat down an opponent at the gas station. Throw him toward one of the pumps, then scratch a few times before he stands up. If done correctly the pump will explode, causing damage to your opponent while sending him flying through the air. There will be another chance to beat on him before he can get up. You may also use that time to switch music tracks, which can increase your attack power. Track switching is a lot like scratching. The difference is that you must first switch hands (rotate the left stick).

These moves sound much more complex than they are. Chances are most of Def Jam’s players have already gone a few rounds with Tekken, Street Fighter, or Mortal Kombat. That being the case, it won’t take them more than 30 minutes to start turning Icon’s enemies into, as the Fight Club master himself once said, “a wad of cookie dough.”

To prevent a scratch from going through, press the L2 button just as your opponent begins to scratch. This can only be done while standing, which is why it’s important to save your own scratches for when your opponent is on the ground.

Visually these actions occur in a unique way. Rather than grabbing your opponent to prevent a scratch, you’ll stomp the ground, creating a tiny earthquake that knocks him on his back.

The Environments Are Alive!

Beyond self-inflicted environment actions, players will find that Icon’s landscapes have a mind of their own. Going back to the gas station example, both you and your opponent will have to watch out for spontaneous combustion. It’s possible to catch on fire, get hit by a frantic vehicle, and have your head pounded by the scrubbing brush of a car wash. It’s weird but gorgeous. The world purposely trembles to the beat of the music at specific intervals, breaking up into several layers before snapping back together.

At night on a skyscraper rooftop, street warriors must be weary as they fight next to an unpredictable helicopter. Get too close and the copter will – like a batter upon the image of a speed limit-breaking baseball – swing its tail toward the nearest fighter. A circuit breaker is located on the opposite end of the roof. Get thrown into it and the results will be, to say the least, electrifying.

Inside a recording studio, fighters must watch out for falling fixtures and a deadly sound system. The system, equipped with enormous speakers, may be used like the pumps at the gas station. They may also be triggered on their own, however, especially if you fight too close to them.

Finances

You can’t be a leading thug without money, and you can’t have money without offering thug-approved goods or services. Narcotics and prostitution may be deemed suitable for an M-rated game, but you’re not working for the mayor of Vice City. You’re working for a record label. Thus, the merchandise you’ve got to offer is rap music.

Travel the streets via menu clicks, get into nightclub scuffles, and earn the respect of other rappers. They’ll jump on board and record new music tracks (automatically). After it has been waiting in the pipeline for a while, you’ll gain the option to promote and release the album. Promotion goes to marketing, PR appearances, and airplay. (Yes, you’re paying for airplay. Can any of us really say we’re shocked?) Cost of goods is another area that has to be covered, but it’s limited to the number of units you’re expected to sell and typically amounts to a number far less than what should be spent on airplay and marketing.

Given that the most successful albums are those that get shoved down our throats, I figured a little throat-shoving would do my rappers some good. I started by investing the largest chunk of money into airplay. The rest went to marketing (second), PR (third), and as much as possible went to the cost of goods. Consequently, my first rapper (Ludacris) went platinum, followed by huge sales from the other artists.

Two-Player Combat: Not So Jammin’

The one place where Icon doesn’t deliver is the one place fighting fans will look to most: multiplayer. I wasn’t asking for more than two players – two is fine. Smash Bros. aside, four-player fighting games generally suck. But what I do expect from all great fighting games is a strong two-player experience.

You might be wondering how it’s possible for Icon to be an exciting single-player game, yet boring when played with a friend. The answer lies within its slow (not sluggish, but bordering on snail-like) pace. I can sit for hours and pound away at computer-controlled opponents. The pace doesn’t bother me there. Throw in a real-life opponent and I start to lose interest. It doesn’t feel like anything new or exciting happens; it’s just the same thing repeated until you want to stop. Punch, kick, block, scratch. (Not in that order, but you get the gist.)

Is the negative impact of bland multiplayer so extreme that you should overlook what the single-player gameplay achieves? Not at all. But know what you’re getting into. Def Jam Icon is a really good game in many respects, but you’re not likely to be playing it by this time next year.

Gameplay: 8.4
A face-stomping, body-bashing, get-tossed-and-electrocuted fighting game of unprecedented proportions. Def Jam Icon removes health bars and other gameplay indicators, knowing that we’re experienced enough to play a fighter that doesn’t have any of the common video game signs. This turns the experience of controlling fighters – who look and move uber-realistically – into something much more passionate than if the game had been cluttered with distractions. The combat is highly intense, and the single-player quest is overflowing with battles.

Graphics: 9.4
Unreal!  Actually, they’re very real, and that’s what’s so astonishing. Every character looks amazing. You’ll notice more detail in the characters that are based on real rappers, but that’s partially because we have real faces to compare the images to. Even so, the fictitious thugs are incredibly realistic. Their mouth movements are lacking (a common trait of real-time sequences), but all other details have been so finely polished that you might think you’re looking at real people.

Character beauty came at a price on Xbox and PS2, but not on this generation. You will be blown away – several times over – by the interactive backgrounds, film-quality lighting, and unparalleled special effects.

Sound: 8
Great voice acting and catchy rap/hip-hop from artists like The Game, Big Boi, Lil Jon, and T.I. Believe me when I say that this score, an 8.0, is a huge compliment to the soundtrack. Because if you’ve read other reviews of mine, you’d know that it’s not every day I find a collection of rap songs to be “catchy.”

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
A straightforward fighting game that anyone can master.

Concept: 8.8
Def Jam Icon’s interactive environments add a new dimension to the wide world of fighting games.

Multiplayer: 6
Too slow and basic to provide a thorough and long-lasting multiplayer experience. It’s fun for a bit. If you enjoy the slower style of THQ’s wrestling games, Def Jam Icon will suit your style. But compared to other fighting games, Def Jam’s two-player combat leaves a lot to be desired.

Overall: 7.9
Def Jam Icon has all the makings of a fighting game hit – except for great multiplayer action. The single-player campaign is worth playing through. The combat is generally satisfying, and the new interactive environments are out of this world. For the mainstream crowd, this might very well be the start of great next-gen gaming: its graphics are unprecedented, with gameplay and camera tricks that could not have been pulled off (in this form) in the previous generation. Hardcore fighting fans, however, are likely to be disappointed – and in the long run, turned off – by the lack of multiplayer enthusiasm.