Def Jam Vendetta proved to be a bit of a hit for EA Games, combining some great wrestling action with the whole underground hip-hop feel. Any commercial success for a games producer is going to prompt another attempt to shift some titles onto consoles, hence Def Jam: Fight For NY. The question is, has EA Games produced a game that moves upwards in terms of quality and gameplay or are they just stomping over the same old ground? I can honestly report that not only has EA surpassed the original title, they have done it with great style, panache and more bling than you can shake a weighty gold bracelet at.

The story kicks off where Def Jam Vendetta left off; D-Mob is beaten and being carted off by the police. Out of the blue, a jeep crashes into the side of the police car and someone steps up to rescue D-Mob - you! It is never really explained where you came from or why you chose to rescue D-Mob, but doing this puts you in his good books and he introduces you to the rest of his gang. You're told to prove your worth to the gang lord by engaging in some pretty brutal fights, which of course you agree to.

Brutality really does dominate this game; it's a much nastier version of the original Def Jam Vendetta, the fighting moves being a lot more visceral looking and sounding. Blood is spread quite liberally throughout the ring or arena during a bout, and the impression of fists meeting noses makes you want to wince. This does tie in with the story mode well, which can also be a bit ruthless and the gameplay becomes a lot more interesting as a result. The fights are very tense affairs and you do get the feeling that plenty is at stake, thus adding to the atmosphere.

The combat system is very similar to the original version, being a case of punch, kick, grapple or defend, with one other button determining the strength of the attack you choose. The stronger the attack, the slower it is though, so careful timing is the order of the day. A nice addition to this version is the chance to learn three of five different styles, be it martial arts, submission moves, streetfighting and so on. These open up as you work your way through your opponents, so there is always something new to learn. In fact, these new styles are learnt, along with general stamina training and specialised moves, in a gym run by Henry Rollins! His likeness is remarkable, as is his voice, as he encourages you to train and level up.

There is also the Blazin move in this latest version, as in the original, which opens up once a yellow bar has built up to a sufficient level through a variety of moves and strikes. This bar drops if you run away, lose momentum or if the opponent gets a lock, hold, strike or kick on you. When the bar is full, wiggling the control stick activates the Blazin mode and when you next grapple with your opponent you can bring him to his knees in a spectacular trademark fashion. However, each fighter has an energy bar too; the lower the energy bar, the slower you or your opponent get and the more likely you are to either KO or be KO'd. Using the Blazin mode or a trademark move taught to you by Rollins only drains the energy the opponent has, unless he is in the red danger zone on his health bar; then you're practically guaranteed a knockout in a brutal, red-mist-tinted, slow-motion capture.

The fact that you can upgrade your fighter with new styles, moves and extra training and that each enemy has radically different tactics from yours makes this a very deep fighting game indeed. There seems to be no end to the moves you can learn, the tactics you can try or that your opponents can use on you. Also, when you start feeling comfortable with a particular series of strikes or combos your enemy will learn to start avoiding them! You're forced to use a variety of tactics and methods to keep your adversary on his toes, which is a similar strategy all the fighters use on you.

This makes for excellent gameplay and often had me crying in frustration; just as I was about to deliver a KO blow to Ice-T after taking him on for the nth time I found that the AI had been studying my moves and he was able to block and avoid it. This would be too much to take if it wasn't for the very forgiving retry option at the end of every game. However, after trying to beat Ice-T all evening, I eventually had to stop for fear that either the controller or my thumbs were going to give way. Luckily, this is the type of game where if you sleep on it and rethink your strategy you'll find yourself moving on the next time you play - the sign of a great title.

And there's more! Besides earning skill points for new moves and styles after defeating each opponent, you also earn hard cash. With this you can buy stuff that has a direct effect in the ring. Getting some amazing tattoos or nice clothes, along with some of the smartest jewellery your winnings can buy, increases your charisma, which in turn increases the cheers of the audience, which in gameplay terms helps you maintain momentum and gets you out of locks quicker. This, along with the taunts you can make during lulls in the attacks, helps you demoralise and bring down your opponent quickly. I had overlooked this aspect of the game at first, thinking it was all a bit tacky having to get hip-hop clothes and wear chunky jewellery, but then I bought a platinum heavy chain and a set of four gold rings and my time in the ring was incredibly improved. In fact, it's one of the things I attribute to finally laying waste to Mr Cold Caffeinated Beverage. Besides all this you get regular emails and voice messages on your phone from D-Mob and other hip hop regulars, encouraging you to fight, train, spend money or even cruise clubs looking for ladies (which invariably leads to violence), so there's plenty to do and see.

This hip-hop feel is most certainly carried into the graphics. The character models really stand out, based on musical legends in this field of music and some others besides. They really do look like their real-life counterparts, to such an extent that you really don't mind them thrashing you severely, because you're honoured to go down at their hands. A few fights into the game I couldn't believe I was in the ring with Ice-T; his icy glare over those super cool sunglasses made me drop my jaw for so long that the fight was over before I knew it. It took me some time to beat this character but it gave me plenty of opportunity to wonder at the way his features and facial characteristics had been faithfully transposed. This was the same for all of the real world fighters I came across.

The option to completely model your own face from the mugshot system presented at the start of the game is also great fun. I was able to create a fighter that had more than a passing resemblance to my own visage and even when it ran the gamut of computer generated sneers, cries, stares and other emotions it still worked very well. In fact, it carried across the same quality of the facial models of all the well-known rappers. The fact that you can dress your character up from a vast wardrobe of tattoos, tops, baggies, combats, shoes and the obligatory gold jewellery only adds to the ambience of the game.

Top marks also go to the environments within which you fight; the ring is usually made up of spectators, all of who are very well modelled - there are no flat looking graphics here. The interaction with the audience members is seamless too, such as grabbing weapons from them or having them hold you or the opposition for some killing KO moves. This is a radical departure from the rather flat and static looking crowds of other titles in the whole wrestling/ring-fighting genre.

This quality is also carried over to the sound. If you're into hip-hop beats you're going to love this title. As it is, even those not really into that groove (like me) are still going to find the music of a superb quality and it may even encourage you to check out the vast back-catalogue of music in this genre. The tunes fit perfectly with the action and storyline, as do the various voiceovers. However, I must warn you this has some of the foulest language I've ever heard on any console game (although bizarrely some of the language in the song lyrics has been edited out), so it's not one to get for little Jimmy on Christmas Day, if you know what I mean… I felt this added further to the title though, giving an already raw edge some salt to rub in the wounds inflicted, adding to the air of aggression and testosterone throughout. Then of course you have the sounds of cracking bones, squishy flesh and sprays of blood, sweat and tears. The sound effects alone will definitely make you want to wince, particularly when you hear a glass bottle or pool cue smashed over someone's head - not nice!

Due to the depth and feel of this game you're going to be getting a solid ten to fifteen hours worth of gameplay out of the story mode alone. Then you have the multiplayer option, where four of you can play at once. This is absolute mayhem but never so much that you and your pals end up confused about who is who. Here you can play characters you've unlocked in the story mode, each having their individual strengths and weaknesses. Playing as them can help you suss the single player mode with regards to familiarising yourself with the various styles. However, there isn't an online option, which is slightly annoying; it would be great to strut your stuff in an online match but this lack doesn't really detract from the overall durability of the title.

EA Games has actually taken a franchise and improved it, making Def Jam: Fight For NY a better but far nastier game than the already great Def Jam Vendetta. Although the violence is a lot harsher, the gameplay and tension has been revamped to give a more intuitive feel without losing the need to improve those button tapping skills. The added depth of the extra styles and success affected by the items of jewellery you wear makes this a tactical fighter rather than an out and out button masher. When you combine this thoughtfulness with the visceral sound and graphics and the eclectic mix of rap and non-rap artists alike, you can't help but feel this is a gritty but sure-fire winner in the wrestling and fighting genre.

Reviewed by Dave Wynn for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).