The Warriors
Score: 95% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Rockstar Games Developer: Rockstar North Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: Your first glance at The Warriors is all that you’ll need to tell you that this is a Rockstar game. It has the dark, decrepit look of Manhunt with the same types of models and animations of GTA III. However, with this template, Rockstar has put together a very stylish experience that portrays the 1978 New York City of the movie very well. The video game versions of the characters are also well done, and aside from a few odd faces, the developers have done a great job at replicating the unique characters from the movie. The sound is spot on in every aspect. There is plenty of recorded dialogue, and like the GTA games, the people populating the streets spout out different one-liners all the time. The sound effects do a great job at conveying the feeling of large, vicious fights that involve broken bottles, cinder blocks, and all other manner of improvised street weaponry. Lastly, and certainly not the least of the audio package, is the music. The score is a combination of old and new; old tracks from the movie and original content come together in an eclectic mix of electronica, disco, and 70’s rock. Those who have seen the movie will instantly feel nostalgia from the great musical content that The Warriors provides.
Gameplay: The Warriors is based on a cult classic movie from the late 1970’s that told the story of a gang in New York City. Their plight was that they were framed for a murder of a powerful gang lord, and they had to make a dangerous trek back to their home turf of Coney Island, running the gauntlet against every other gang in the city. Though each of the Warriors was a well developed character, the gangs themselves acted as the protagonists and antagonists of the movie, each having a life of their own. The movie was bizarre but amazingly good, and the game captures everything that the movie had going for it. The movie itself would not have made a good game, but the concept of the movie does. Thankfully, Rockstar picked up on that idea and didn’t just attempt to fit gameplay into scenes taken straight out of the movie. Their approach is much more elegant, as the first part of the game is a prequel to the events that happened in the movie. Eventually you reach the starting point of the movie and continue the story from there. Having the historical context not only for reference, but to be able to experience it first hand, makes your involvement in the rest of the game so much better. Most of what you’ll be doing in The Warriors is mostly what happened in the movie: brawling. There is no shortage of violence here nor was there any shortage in the movie. Gangs would clash with each other at every turn, and the results were not pretty. As you take on the role of The Warriors, you will hardly even be alone in your illegal endeavors. You are not restricted to playing as one person; each level will put you in the shoes of a different gang member from the last, and in each level you will be accompanied by any number of other members from the gang. The Warriors progresses in a level-based fashion, but it has some extra stuff in there to keep things feeling dynamic. From the Warriors’ headquarters, you can walk around and access different options, for instance proceeding to the next level, playing mini games, viewing stats, and unlocking extra features. Some of those unlockables are bonus missions that reveal even more of the story. These asides provide even more immersion into the violent world of 1970’s New York. Running around the city and causing mayhem is fun, but it is even better when you have a friend at your side. A two-player cooperative mode is available that allows you and a friend to complete the story together, both taking on the roles of Warriors gang members.
Difficulty: The Warriors provides a range of challenges that covers the entire spectrum. The game isn’t simply button-mashing your way from one end of a level to the next. The fighting system, especially for a platform type game like this, is deep and challenging, and allows you to wield a versatile number of attacks. Other, smaller parts of the game, like spraying gang logos and stealing car radios, are rather simple but add a bit of fun by changing of the tempo of the gameplay.
Game Mechanics: As I said before, The Warriors is not just another button-mashing action game. There are certain times when the chaos gets so thick that you will instinctively resort to pounding the controller, but this decreases your chances of making any headway. Fighting in The Warriors can come from multiple fronts, multiple enemies, and usually involves weapons of some sort. Thankfully, the fighting system is versatile enough to allow you to handle all of these situations on the fly. Weapons are easily picked up and dropped, and fighting when you’re surrounded is as easy as aiming your blows with one of the analog sticks. Other elements of the fighting system, like grapples and special attacks, are more challenging but offer a lot of depth. You can combo your throws with other gang members, and timing special attacks right will down your foes in no time. There is also a Rage meter that builds up as you wreck your enemies, and once full, you can unleash even stronger special attacks. You will not be limited to just fighting in The Warriors though. During each level you may have to steal goods from stores, rob car radios, spray your gang logo on things, or pick cuffs and padlocks. All of these features offer a different mechanic that keeps the level fresh and also offers little challenges that yield larger rewards. The Warriors has everything that most other licensed games don’t. Instead of adapting the game to the movie, they have adapted the movie to the game, yielding a much more elegant game design. While doing this they also managed to add to the original experience of the movie, creating a truly immersive game. On top of it all, the mechanics are solid and there are plenty of features to keep you busy for a long time. If you have never seen the movie, the game is a perfect place to start, as it has the best of both worlds.
-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz
Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie\'s Revenge Armored Core: Nine Breaker