Def Jam: Fight for NY is the follow-up to the bizarre Def Jam: Vendetta.
The game begins with D-Mobb, the player you defeated in the last game, being arrested. While the cops are driving, an SUV appears out of nowhere and smashes into the car, releasing D-Mobb. After a brief cutscene, it is revealed that the person driving the SUV was you, and you have now joined D-Mobb’s crew.
The story mode of Fight for NY pushes you through the ranks, pitting you against stronger and tougher warriors. You begin as a nobody in D-Mobb’s gang and must work your way up, battling off guys from other teams, including D-Mobb’s adversary, Crow. You’ll usually be involved in one-on-one brawls, with the occasional team match and accessible for tossed in for good measure.
You can use the environment to your advantage during the fighting. People can be smashed into wooden/cement walls or fences or smacked off a wooden pillar. Speakers, drink machines, garbage cans… Everything is there to injure your opponent (or you). Some objects, such as floodlights, are interactive and will change the lighting of the ring once someone is thrown into them. You have weapons, generally a metal pipe, a pool cue, and a broken bottle.
The audience becomes involved in the action, which can benefit or harm you. You can throw an enemy into a crowd and have them push him towards you; you can throw a stunned enemy into a crowd and have them keep him down, giving you free shots; or you can throw an opponent into a section of the group while carrying a weapon and have them use the gun on him.
You can choose from five different fighting styles. Street Fighting focuses on punches; Kickboxing focuses on kick attacks; Martial Arts focus on speed, running, and acrobatic attacks; Wrestling focuses on standard wrestling moves such as bodyslams; and Submissions focus on wearing down a specific part of the enemy until that limb is damaged enough to earn a submission.
In addition to the Story mode, there is the Battle mode, which allows you to compete with up to four players in various matches.
There are numerous unlockables in Fight for New York. Earning reward points from Battle matches allows you to buy more fighters or battle locations.
