The Warriors (video game)

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The Warriors
PlayStation Portable US game cover
Developer(s) Rockstar Toronto
Rockstar Leeds (PSP)
Publisher(s) Rockstar Games
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Xbox, Playstation Portable
Release date PS2 & Xbox
Flag of the United StatesOctober 17, 2005
Flag of EuropeOctober 21, 2005
PSP
February 13, 2007
Flag of the United StatesFebruary 23, 2007
Genre(s) Third-person action
Mode(s) Single player, 2 Person Multiplayer
Rating(s) BBFC: 18
ESRB: Mature (M)
PEGI: 18+
Media DVD-ROM, UMD

The Warriors is a beat 'em up video game published by Rockstar Games. It was released on October 17, 2005 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and February 12, 2007 for PlayStation Portable. The game is based on the 1979 film, The Warriors. The console versions of game were developed at Rockstar Toronto, while the PSP port was developed by Rockstar Leeds.

Contents

[edit] Setting

In addition to covering events depicted in the movie, the video game also acts as a precursor, establishing the Warriors' reputation all throughout New York City. Levels 1 through 13 (and flashback levels A through E) take place before the movie begins. After Level 13, the player is shown a CG cutscene duplicating, to an extent, the beginnings of the movie, with Cyrus's meeting. Levels 14 through 18 cover the movie itself.

[edit] Gameplay

The Warriors is an action-adventure game which focuses heavily on brawling. Like most games from Rockstar, several minor gameplay elements are mixed into the experience, such as the ability to use spray paint to mark turf or to insult other gangs. Diversity is one of the game's strong points, with missions requiring players to do everything from smashing up shops to collect protection money, to running through rival turf while wearing insulting t-shirts, to capturing opponents and getting information out of them (as opposed to beating them unconscious).

Rather than focusing entirely on the one versus many style found in most brawler games, The Warriors focuses largely on gang rumble style action, with the player being assisted by several other Warriors at once.

Throughout the game, you play as nine different Warriors in all of the levels.

[edit] Armies of the Night

Armies of the Night is an unlockable minigame made available at the gang's headquarters after completing the main game once. The minigame is modeled after the beat-em-up games that were popular during the late 1980's and the early 90's. It starts off with a blatant parody of the opening intro from Double Dragon, in which Mercy is beaten and carried off by Masai of the "Gramercy Riffs"; followed by Swan (and Ajax, if a second player is playing) emerging from the garage at the background. The objective is to fight off against the numerous gangs from the main game in five different stages. After defeating Masai at the fifth stage and rescuing Mercy, the player will control the ghost of Cleon (and Fox) in a final fight against the ghost of Cyrus.

On the PSP version of the game, Armies of the Night is already playable from the first time the player reaches the Warriors hideout.

[edit] Comparison between the video game and the movie

Both the game and the movie involve the same characters and locations. The primary difference, however, is in the fact that a large portion of the game takes place before the actual movie begins, with Rembrandt's initiation. The flashback missions show how Cleon formed the Warriors and how each of the other members joined. The Flashback missions take place in 1978, a full year before the movie is set. The events of the movie itself take place near the end of the game.

The game also looks deeper into various gangs and characters, fleshing them out and giving them personalities and backstories, where they might have only been seen in the background or mentioned in passing in the film. Cleon, for example, is the leader of the Warriors. The game portrays him as somewhat of a protagonist, whereas he is only on screen during the first few minutes in the movie. The Hi-Hats are one of the gangs at Cyrus's conclave, but they are never named in the film, and only appear in the opening of the film. They are named, however, by the narrator of the theatrical trailer. The game has at least two missions in which the Hi-Hats feature prominently, giving a lot of depth to the group that many fans of the film had taken to calling "the mime gang."

The major plot points of the movie are all translated into interactive stages within the game.

The Warriors' insignia, a winged skull, is changed in the game to a cobra, a la the Saracens, with flaming wings.

Many of the original actors voiced their roles in the video game, with the notable exceptions of Roger Hill (see "controversy") and David Patrick Kelly (who played "Luther"). Most of the movie's original soundtrack is included in the game.

[edit] List of the Warriors

  • Cleon: The "Warlord", leader of the Warriors. Although he was Virgil's right-hand man in the Destroyers, Cleon was betrayed by the gang when Virgil thought he was plotting against him, and decided to defect. He started the Warriors alongside Vermin. After Cyrus's assassination, Cleon is falsely accused of the shooting and is brutally beaten to death in the melee. Voiced by Dorsey Wright.
  • Swan: The "Warchief", second-in-command of the Warriors. Quiet and cool-headed, his main goal is to get the surviving gang members home. He was a former member of The Destroyers, and it is implied that he left because he didn't trust Virgil. Voiced by Michael Beck
  • Ajax: A cocky womanizer who is always up for a fight. After the loss of Cleon at the conclave, he engages in a short confrontation with Swan over who should assume command. He is the most aggressive Warrior. He wears fingerless leather gloves and a black tank-top under his Warriors vest. While escaping from all the gangs that thought he shot Cyrus, he tries to rape an undercover cop, who arrests him, separating him from the gang. Voiced by James Remar
  • Vermin: Like Cleon, he is a former Destroyer. A very pessimistic Warrior yet very loyal and can take care of himself in a fight. He wears no shirt under his Warriors vest. Started the gang with Cleon. Voiced by Joe Lo Truglio.
  • Rembrandt: The "Writer", the gang's graffiti artist, he wears the standard Warrior's vest and an afro. The youngest member, Rembrandt is far less battle-hardened and is frequently looked after by the other members of the gang. His job is to spray a large W (Representing The Warriors) with a spray can containing red paint throughout the city. Voiced by Andy Senor
  • Fox: The Scout, Fox is very familiar with other gangs and their rackets, territory, and numbers. While in a subway, he gets into a grapple with a police officer who throws him in front of a subway train which runs him over. Voiced by Thomas G. Waites.
  • Snow: A stoic African-American Warrior with an afro parted down the middle. A bit more reserved, he is still a very talented fighter. Voiced by Sekou Campbell
  • Cowboy: A Warrior who wears a Stetson cowboy hat. He is implied to have been a former member of The Destroyer's who left when Swan did. He is an optimistic, happy-go-lucky Warrior. Voiced by Kurt Bauccio
  • Cochise: A heavy brawler who's always looking for a good time. He wears Native American-style jewelry, leather pants and boots. He also has an afro with a red bandanna tied around it. He was originally from Harlem but moved to Coney Island. Voiced by David Harris.

Supporting Characters:

  • Virgil: Leader of The Destroyers. Cleon's former mentor, he became increasingly paranoid and tried to set Cleon and Vermin up to be killed in a failed drug deal, causing the two to leave the gang and found The Warriors, who became The Destroyer's main rivals. After killing Ash, a young member of the Warriors, Cleon decides he has gone to far, and is killed in a fight with Cleon and Vermin where he is burned to death.
  • Ash: A young member of the Warriors. He takes part in two of the missions in the story. He is beaten to death by The Destroyers, which causes the Warriors to wipe them out.
  • Mercy: Mercy was originally the girlfriend of the Orphan's warlord, but is dragged along with the Warriors during their journey home. She and Swan fall in love, and she is seen in The Warrior's hangout after the main story is concluded.
  • L.C: A junkie and a top member of the Destroyers. He helped Virgil set Cleon and Vermin by providing them with fake drugs. He is later kicked out of the flophouse that would become the Warrior's hangout and is beaten up by Ajax for stealing his vest. He tries to avoid the final confrontation between the Warriors and the Destroyer's, but is knocked out by Cleon. It is unknown if he lives or dies.

[edit] Young Blood Warriors

  • Ash
  • Jones
  • Malcolm
  • Lynx
  • Rhino
  • Cody
  • Royce
  • Ace
  • West
  • Terrance

Although it's mentioned that the Warriors have 120 members, Rockstar only introduce 20 members

[edit] List of Gangs

[edit] The Bronx

  • Moonrunners (bitter rivals of the Van Cortlandt Rangers)
    • Turf: Pelham
      • Warlord (leader): Bullet
      • Warchief (field commander, deputy leader): Unknown
      • Lieutenants (sub bosses): Deke
      • Uniform: silver (red for lieutenants) jackets
  • Orphans
    • Turf: Tremont
      • Warlord: Sully
      • Warchiefs: Jesse (presumed)
      • Lieutenants: Monk
      • Uniform: green t-shirts (w/brown vests for lieutenants)
  • Rangers (bitter rivals of the Moonrunners)
    • Turf: Van Cortlandt
      • Warlord: Pharaoh
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Lucifer
      • Uniform: white long-sleeved tops with purple stripes (reverse for lieutenants)
  • Turnbull AC's
    • Turf: Gunhill
      • Warlord: Unknown.
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Sid, Birdie (presumed)
      • Uniform: blue denim vests, (blue-white overalls for lieutenants)

[edit] Brooklyn

  • Destroyers (bitter rivals of the the Warriors)
    • Turf: East Coney Island
      • Warlord: Virgil
      • Warchief: Cleon, replacement unknown.
      • Lieutenants: Crusty, Beansie, Lemmy, L.C.
      • Uniform: Blue denim vests
  • Jones Street Boys (bitter rivals of the Saracens)
    • Turf: Bensonhurst
      • Warlord: Knox
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Harry
      • Uniform: gold (white for lieutenants) shirts w/black stripes
  • Saracens (bitter rivals of the Jones Street Boys)
    • Turf: Bensonhurst
      • Warlord: Edge
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Mouse
      • Uniform: black shirt-vests w/white trim (reverse for lieutenants)
  • Satan's Mothers (bikers; bitter rivals of the Savage Huns)
    • Turf: Sheepshead Bay
      • Warlord: Spider
      • Warchiefs: Tiny (presumed)
      • Lieutenants: Goober, Kevin K.
      • Uniform: black vests (w/gold t-shirts for lieutenants)
  • Warriors (bitter rivals of the Destroyers)
    • Turf: West Coney Island
      • Warlord: Cleon, later Swan
      • Warchief: Swan, later Snow (presumed)
      • Uniform: red leather vests

[edit] Manhattan

  • Baseball Furies
    • Turf: Riverside, Upper West Side
      • Warlord: Cobb (presumed)
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Thurman
      • Uniform: white (black for lieutenants) baseball uniforms
  • Boppers (bitter rivals of the Hurricanes)
    • Turf: West Harlem
      • Warlord: sing balls (presumed)
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Tubbz
      • Uniform: shiny purple vests over purple (gold for warchief & lieutenants) long-sleeved shirts & fedora hats
  • Electric Eliminators
    • Turf: SoHo
      • Warlord: Tracer
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Header
      • Uniform: gold jackets over purple t-shirts
  • Hi-Hats
    • Turf: SoHo
      • Warlord: Chatterbox, later Crackerjack.
      • Warchiefs: Crackerjack
      • Lieutenants: Marcel
      • Uniform: black long-sleeved tops w/red (white for warchief & lieutenants) stripes, suspender-trousers & top hats
  • Hurricanes (bitter rivals of the Boppers)
    • Turf: East Harlem
      • Warlords: Diego & Vargas (presumed
      • Warchiefs: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Rico, Sanchez (presumed)
      • Uniform: white shirt-vests, w/blue (for lieutenants) or brown (for Warchief) short-sleeved shirts & bowler hats
  • Lizzies
    • Turf: The Bowery
      • Warlord: Starr
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Unknown
      • Uniform: blue or red long-sleeved shirts
  • Punks
    • Turf: The Bowery
      • Overlord: Vance
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Ed
      • Uniform: blue denim overalls w/long-sleeved striped shirts
  • Riffs
    • Turf: Gramercy
      • Overlord: Cyrus, later Masai
      • Warchief: Masai
      • Lieutenants: Spazz, Seal
      • Uniform: red (white for warchief & lieutenants) kung-fu uniforms over black t-shirts
  • Rogues
    • Turf: Hell's Kitchen
      • Overlord: Luther
      • Warchief: Cropsey (presumed)
      • Uniform: blue leather vests & greaser hats
  • Savage Huns (bitter rivals of the Satan's Mothers)
    • Turf: Chinatown, aka Little China
      • Overlord: Ghost
      • Warchief: Unknown
      • Lieutenants: Jimmy Lo, Tam-Tam & Lingo
      • Uniform: green (black for warchief & lieutenants) kung-fu uniforms

The radio and chatter between The Warriors will mention a gang called The Judas Bunch from time to time, saying they tried to rumble with a certain gang, usually one of the heavier sets. Interestingly, during the last cutscene for missions 12 (Set Up) one of the corrupt cops is called Judas.

[edit] Reception

The Warriors received mostly positive reviews. Many praised the game for its deep combat and control, stating that the game helped breathe life into the brawler genre, which was nearly dead at the time. The game was also praised for its unique style, along with a story and music that make the game feel identical to the movie. Complaints with the game were mostly directly towards the multiplayer. Critics complained about how the game's screen would split horizontally for two players, creating a narrow field of vision and often cluttered screens. The Warriors is often looked upon as one of the better movie licensed video games.

[edit] Soundtrack

[edit] Soundtrack songs

[edit] Licensed songs

[edit] Controversy

Roger Hill, who played Cyrus in the movie, filed a lawsuit of $250,000 against Rockstar Games for using his voice and depicting him in the video game. He claimed that it would not have been difficult for Rockstar to pay, since the game made $37 million.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Pfister, Andrew (2005-10-18). The Warriors PS2 Review. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
  2. ^ Navarro, Alex (2005-10-20). The Warriors for PlayStation 2 Review. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
  3. ^ G4 - Reviews - The Warriors. X-Play. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
  4. ^ Helgeson, Matt. PS2 - The Warriors: review. Game Informer. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
  5. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (2005-10-17). The Warriors (PS2) review. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
  6. ^ Jenkins, David (2006-06-27). Gamasutra - Take-Two/Rockstar Sued By The Warriors Actor = Gamasutra. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.

[edit] External links

Danny Mastrogiorgio, the voice of Toni Cipriani in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, also voiced in The Warriors as a tag dealer. His name is mentonied in the handbook that comes with the game. Although his name is spelled differently in The Warriors, as "Dan" Mastrogiorgio, instead of "Danny" Mastrogiorgio, in GTA: LCS.