Def Jam Icon Preview

Via IGN

"Music is the weapon."

Kudo Tsunoda proudly proclaimed this statement at EA's Winter Preview today. However, it wasn't a remixed version of Revolution X that we were watching; instead, we were checking out the latest build of Def Jam: Icon, the upcoming brawler from EA Chicago. We've covered some of the basics of the fighting system in previous coverage, mentioning the invisible DJ, but we finally got a deeper grasp of just how music will influence every fight.

At the start of a battle, players choose a specific song that will represent their fighter. Choosing a song that you know well is important, because the downbeat of certain songs can trigger environmental hazards that can damage yourself or your opponent. For instance, one level that we saw had an electrical hazard that released arcing bolts of juice streaking from a malfunctioning power box. While there are some hazards that will constantly be around from the start of a fight, Kudo informed us that as time goes on during a battle, more hazards will be uncovered, making the stage much more dangerous to the combatants. So if your bass is truly banging, you can completely alter the landscape.

Jumping on the virtual ones and twos.

But you aren't limited to waiting for a beat before the environment blows up. Players can literally scratch the beat forward or backwards at any time to trigger hazards. In effect, the fighter becomes a DJ on invisible turntables, mixing up the rhythm of the stage to help him out. The left analog stick represents the left turntable and the right analog stick takes the right turntable. Scratch well enough, and you can use the music to cut through your opponent's defenses, flinging them from one hazard to another. However, your opponent has access to this move as well, meaning that skilled players can engage in scratch battles just like DJs do: the best player on the ones and twos can gain the upper hand.

But how do you defend against these momentum changing attacks? Well, first of all, players have the ability to do scratch stomps to squash a beat, so if your enemy is tearing up the digital vinyl, you can crush their groove. Secondly, if you're knocked down, you can do a quick scratch on the turntables to get back up. You also have the opportunity to try to flip the record to your own song, especially if your adversary has been playing their song for most of the battle. This gives you the chance to pump your fighter up and take your skills out on him. Finally, you have the ability to taunt your foes by hijacking their beats when they're knocked down. We noticed a number of times today where The Game would jump all over Big Boi's preferred song, laying down taunts while the member of Outkast was on the ground. The lyrics of that song would be slightly muted as the insults were hurled, just to make sure that you heard what your rival was saying. Sure, it might increase your beef with that rapper, but it's definitely a good way to flip the script on someone who's got a lot of momentum on their side.

Lay down some taunts while the environment crashes and burns.

Your fighters have a number of attacks that they can launch against their opponents, such as punches, kicks and grabs. Players can vary these attacks by throwing different directional modifiers in with these strikes, so players can knock an enemy to either the left, right or backwards along with just pounding them into the ground. Of course, depending on how you string these moves together, you can create different combos. But here's where the music comes in. Your music will play louder and stronger depending on how well you've been fighting, and that will boost the strength of your attacks, letting you knock enemies around much farther. This means that as time goes on and opponents get weaker, you'll be able to fling them halfway across the screen as you get an adrenaline rush from your song.

Don't know any of the licensed tracks that have been included in the game? Don't worry, because you'll be able to import your favorite songs into the game and use them to beat down your enemies. That means that any song on your system can potentially be a dangerous weapon in the game. Kudo told us about a fellow team member that likes to play with Sade's "Smooth Operator" to throw off his opponents. Others like using 80's tracks, prog rock, or speed metal. It doesn't take an active imagination to see that just about any musical preference can potentially be used against the computer or your friends. You'll also be able to use this to help you create your character, because your fighting style will be based on the kind of beats that you like to listen to.

To check out this system in action, Kudo showed off two new levels that we hadn't seen before. The neighborhood level evoked images of the Dirty South, with a double shotgun style house that had guys sitting on the porch watching the battle. A car pealed its tires on the asphalt and could be used to whip opponents, while fire hydrants sprayed massive jets of water into the air. Another car had a downed power transformer on its trunk that exploded in time with the music. The other level was a rooftop stage with a helicopter that hovered precariously overhead. Beats would drive the tail rotor into the roof for a vicious whip effect. Other areas on the stage featured the aforementioned power box hazard, as well as buildings whose lights were transformed into a virtual equalizer in tune with the rhythm of the songs.

If music is the weapon, then play on, playa, play on.