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The Warriors
Publisher: Rock Star Games
Platform: PS2
ESRB Rating: Mature
Game Type: Action/Adventure

Review by: Lando da Pimp

Rating: 8 out of 10

Based upon a movie that I have never seen or even heard of, ( I was 4 years old when it was released) Rockstar Games has struck gold again with their adaptation of "The Warriors." After doing a little Google searching, I discovered that the film The Warriors was a very violent gang film in which the Warriors are mistakenly accused of killing the gang leader Cyrus. Every gang in the city seeks revenge forcing the Warriors to fight and make it to their own turf. I thought it was appropriate to watch the film before I review the game so I had a good idea of how they both compare.

The game is about two things: violently beating people up and mass destruction of property. Lots of fun! The game begins with you earning your respect and training on how to play the game. You play the role of Rembrandt, a new member of the Warrior gang who is a great tagger. After successfully earning your keep, you are given the opportunity to explore and move through the game on your own. At this point the game works like Grand Theft Auto where the user has the opportunity to explore the world, fight, and continue the different missions to finish the game.

Trivia time: Marcelino Sánchez, who plays Rembrandt in the 1979 movie, was also "Ricardo" on 3-2-1 Contact's Bloodhound Gang. From street wrath to geek math. Word!

A majority of the game does not follow the movie at all. This is a great idea that gives Rockstar the opportunity to expand upon the basic story and create additional missions. The last five missions bring the user into the movie storyline expanding the size of the game.

Rockstar excelled with recreating the world of The Warriors. The overall artistic style is solid. Scenes from the film are recreated along with the style of the year. Hairstyles, gang clothing, and even the advertisements are recreated expertly.

While I enjoyed playing the different levels of the game, it is not nearly as fun as fighting. The player has the opportunity to take opponents to the ground, smash opponents with different objects, and even fight dirty by spraying them in the eyes with paint. The fighting sequences in this game are just as good as other fighting games such as Mortal Kombat. The game has a really great fighting engine. Even on the easy option they are very aggressive and very difficult at times. The only downer on the game is that each gang fights exactly the same. There are no special moves for each gang.

Overall
While most gamers are probably like me and never saw the film, The Warriors is really nothing like the film, with the exception of the last few levels. Rockstar took the Warrior characters, look and feel, and story elements to create a game that is far more interesting than the film. The biggest surprise was the level of violence. While GTA is violent, the scenes of blood and street fighting are extreme. This isn't the greatest Rockstar title, but it is a lot of fun for anybody. The good thing is that even if you haven't seen the film, you will enjoy the basic game play and fighting modes.

You can order this game directly from Amazon.com. And for the truly curious, also check out the Ultimate Director's Cut DVD of the 1979 movie.

All images property of Rockstar Games. Article ©2005 MillionairePlayboy.com.