Warriors come out to play

"Warriors! Come out to plaaay-yay!"

Sixteen years ago, to the accompaniment of eerily clinking beer bottles, actor David Patrick Kelly first uttered those lines during the finale of The Warriors. Though not a major success at the time, director Walter Hill's action-drama would go on to became a cult classic. Its stylish depiction of a 1970s metropolis overrun by hordes of street gangs in bizarre costumes would eventually make it a cultural touchstone, referenced to in many hip-hop songs and later films.

Today, the Warriors came out to play again--in video game form. Rockstar Games today released The Warriors, a new game based on the classic film. It is rated M for Mature, as one would expect for a game based on an R-rated movie packed with vicious brawls.

The Warriors game will deliver similar bare-knuckle action, as it will also follow the titular gang as they are chased across New York City. The Warriors' flight begins after they are framed for the murder of Cyrus, the charismatic leader of the powerful Riffs gang. Via an underground radio station, all the gangs in the Five Boroughs are asked to hunt down the gang, who must travel the entire length of the thug-laden metropolis to reach their home turf of Coney Island.

Adding to the Warriors' problems is the fact they are unarmed. Although few rival gangs pack guns, many have other weapons, such as the Louisville-slugger-wielding Baseball Furies or the knife-toting Lizzies. This sets the stage for the hand-to-hand combat-centric gameplay of the Warriors game, which will let players deliver light and heavy melee attacks, as well as a series of punishing combinations. The game will offer more than just one-on-one fights, though. It will let players command up to eight gang members in larger-scale brawls, adding a tactical element, and they will commit muggings and robberies to earn cash.

Both versions of The Warriors retail for $49.99. For more details on the game, which was developed at Rockstar's Toronto studio, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.