Just when I thought the "beat 'em up" went the way of Double Dragon after it was made into a crappy movie, Rockstar's The Warriors brings the genre back with style.
Based on a 1979 cult classic movie of the same name, the game tells the story of a New York gang. At the outset, Cyrus, leader of the mysterious Gramercy Riffs, has gathered all the other gangs in town. He observes that those gathered outnumber the police three-to-one - but just when his vision of a unified gang movement is starting to sway the crowd, someone decides he needs a bullet between his eyes and guns him down. I'll bet you know who gets the blame.
Now, I haven't seen the film, but I'm fairly certain the back-story gets tabled in order to showcase how The Warriors make the perilous trip back to Coney. Surprisingly, the narrative of the game fills in the blanks by actually giving some context.
The game plays like a cross between Rockstar's previous efforts Grand Theft Auto 3 and Manhunt, with a dash of the open-world from the former and a dab of the combat system from the latter. Apparent right out of the gates is that Rockstar has absolutely nailed the presentation. Every object and texture in this game looks faded, dirty and unpleasant... positively dripping with despair. Details like channel the post-apocalyptic and timeless New York seen in the cinematic version.
I found the combat system to be shallow, just a couple of grabs coupled with weak and strong attacks that you can combo together. I gave up for a while, but then changed my mind - after all, the fun of a brawler isn't predicated on deep controls. So I recruited a friend to help me bop through the co-op, which was not only enjoyable but changed my mind about the game.
I find that the combat in this game is fun simply because of the sheer potential for mayhem. When you're in the thick of an angry group of combatants, the sense of chaos that you feel is visceral. Can you dig it?
The Warriors is rated M (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol. This game can also be found on PS2.
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