A 70s cult classic made into a game! Another terrific Rockstar game!!
Story:
The game follows almost the same storyline as the movie. The player follows the Warriors, a gang reppin the Coney Island part of NYC. Like them, there is a gang for every terrirtory in NYC. There are the Hurricanes from Spanish Harlem, the Savage Huns from Chinatown, the Baseball Furies from Riverside Park(Manhattan), the Rogues from Hell's Kitchen(Manhattan), the Satans Mothers from Sheepshead Bay(Brooklyn), and a whole bunch of other gangs as well. What happens is that Cyrus from the Riffs, the largest gang in NYC, invites all the gangs to this meeting. He explains to them that if they can all come together, they 'll be able to rule the whole city. Then, Cyrus gets shot. The Warriors are framed, and now they have to run/fight through a whole bunch of gangs, and get to their territory safely. Gameplay:
The main difference with the game and the movie is that the game is much longer, due to the fact that not only will you go through the main storyline, the first 13 levels of the game can be called a "prequel". I say that because you will be fighting gangs, while trying to make a name for yourself. It pays more attention to the individual characters, unlike the movie. This is good, because if you haven't seen the movie, you won't be missing anything. The game has plenty of detail and backstory to keep you up-to-speed with everything that's happening. Also, all of the rival gangs are given a distinct personality, which gives the game its own personality as well. If you haven't noticed by now, this is a beat-em-up type of game. One of my favorite genres. But, it's not in usual 2D level designs anymore. Everything is 3D! If you've played other Rockstar games, you will feel right at home. It has a very basic gameplay system. One button is to attack. Another is to grab. You press two of the face buttons together to do a special attack. You can use weapons that are lying in the street, and beat your opponent with it. You can also do stealth attacks(like in Manhunt) by holding the target button, sneaking up on an opponent, and cracking his neck or something. If you are holding a melee weapon(bat,pipe,etc.), you will smack him over the head with it, snap his neck, or choke him out with it. If you have a knife or a machete, you will basically stab him. There's a lot of variety to be found when doing stealth attacks. You can also do different ground attacks. There's also a "Rage" mode(Def Jam) that your character can go into when you deal enough damage. All of your attacks will do more damage, and you can do a special move. You can also bash people's heads into walls, throw them through a window, or from the top of a building if you wish. You can also "tag" on walls as well like in GTA: San Andreas. The game is almost open-ended in a way. You can bash cars,break into stores and steal goods, steal car radios, mug random civilians, etc. But, like in GTA, the cops will come after you if they see you, or if somebody tells on you. As you can see, there's a lot to do in The Warriors. Graphics:
This topic depends on what graphics you like to see in a game. In The Warriors, no character is more detailed than the next. Not that every character doesn't have their own unique looks and what not. For Example, Snow, Cochise and Rembrant have large Afros. Cowboy is the only member who wears a cowboy hat. Cochise wears Native-American style jewelry. Cleon has a scarf that covers his hair. Also, the world is very gloomy and nitty-gritty like in Max Payne. All of the levels are very dark, which is what the game is trying to portray. And in all fairness to them, parts of NYC are that dark and gloomy. The cut scenes are nothing short of amazing as well. Sound:
This is wear the game shines. The voice-acting is almost flawless. The punches, kicks, and weapons sound like their suppose to. Even when you pass around civilians, they'll speak to you. You will say things as you're fighting as well. And my favorite part, there is a whole bunch of cursing in this game! lol You will probably want to play this game in a room where you can close the door, or keep the volume at a low tone lol.
Value:
This is a pretty long game. You have the standard Story mode, which is 18 levels filled with gore and fun. You also unlock "flashback levels" as you play through the main stroyline. Those levels take you through missions that show hoe Cleon and Vermin created the Warriors, and how the other members joined. There's also Rumble mode, where you can create your own gang, and play through various types of fights like One-on-One, King of the Hill, Warparty, etc. The best aspect of the game is that you can play every mode with a friend, even Story Mode! This makes the overall gaming experience even more enjoyable!
All in All, this has rekindled the beat-em-up genre in a BIG way. Even if you have grown tired of beat-em-ups, i suggest you give this one a try.