Wednesday, October 26, 2005
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The Good: Varied gameplay, great sense of general mayhem, good story, music
The Bad: Glitches, muddy and bland graphics
Sets the record for: Most use of the word 'sucka' in a videogame
Rarely do we see old movie licenses brought into the gaming world. We're not going to be seeing A Clockwork Orange or City Slickers: The Game coming to consoles anytime soon. With the upcoming From Russia With Love and Godfather games, however, it appears that The Warriors may be in on the start of a trend. Unlike the two previously mentioned titles, Rockstar didn't go with a massive film to base their game off of they went with a 1979 cult classic, and it turns out to be a great basis for a brawler.
Yes, in true Streets of Rage/Final Fight brawler tradition, you'll march through level after level of thugs and bosses, beating the living snot out of all of them. Unlike the brawlers of old, there's far more to do than just punch and kick in The Warriors. You'll control different characters for different levels, and each of them can steal radios, mug civilians, loot stores, spray graffiti, and shout orders to their fellow boppers. Shouting orders is particularly useful, and is easy to pull off using the R2 button and right analog stick. Getting beat down by a mob of Baseball Furies? Simply hold R2 and select "Watch My Back", and one of your fellow gang members will come clean house. Your Warriors can scatter if the cops show up, destroy store merchandise, or take down all the enemies in the area with just a simple button combination.
Basic combat responds fairly well, but can be a bit stiff at times. The X and square buttons consist of your primary attacks, while circle is used for grabs. Simple combos can be executed, enemies can be thrown, and double-team moves are available. Doing any kind of attack while running can be fairly difficult. The Triangle button is context-sensitive, and can be used to pick up weapons, climb fences, or jump rooftops depending on the situation. Weapon attacks are particularly helpful, especially if you're wielding a pipe or machete. The problem is, all of the weapons mysteriously disintegrate after about 2-3 hits. If you're a gamer who prefers stealth, the Manhunt system for quiet kills is in place. You lock onto an enemy, sneak up behind him, and wait for your characters arm to raise. When this happens, press an attack button to quietly take him out. While there's not many situations in the game that call for stealth, the option is there if you'd like to try.
Mission objectives vary from all-out brawls to situations where you have to escape mobs of angry enemies. It's also the first game I've ever seen that has a mission objective that reads "Wreck 40 Orphans". When you're not getting involved in huge gang fights, you'll be trashing art galleries, framing the cops, participating in graffiti contests, and throwing bricks at a guy in a wheelchair. One mission even requires you to throw enemies into oncoming trains, which was a blast. Most levels feature the Warriors facing off against a specific rival gang, whether it's the Furies, the Rogues, the Destroyers, or even a huge group of mimes called the Hi-Hats. They're taken directly from the film, and all the gangs are interesting and have their own humorous traits.
There are certainly some issues on the visual side of things. Textures and environments are generally muddy, dark, and bland. The camera tends to get stuck sometimes, and mystery glitches may cause your character to fall into a black void, ending the mission at sometimes very inopportune times. Regardless, the art style fits the game, and it really does look like a gritty late-70s New York City. There are little touches that work really well, such as how your eyesight blurs when you get paint sprayed in your face. The Warriors also features one of the best soundtracks of the year, as well as some very competent voice-acting.
Bells and whistles are abound in the title. Your character can work out in a similar fashion as CJ in GTA:SA. There are tons of optional bonus objectives and unlockables throughout the main story mode. After some missions, "Flashback Levels" will become available that tell the story of how the gang was formed. Arenas can be unlocked for the multiplayer Rumble mode, which is a decent enough distraction for a while. As an added bonus, The Warriors features a full-fledged playable homage to the old school side-scrolling brawlers, complete with level bosses and life bars.
The entire game can be played through with a second player, which can be either very fun or at times very frustrating. Some missions are far easier with one person, and the camera can be very jarring in co-op. The vertical split-screen changes to full-screen when you're close to your partner, but the camera has a tendency to do it in the most disorienting way possible.
While the main story can be completed in under ten hours, Rockstar manages to keep the gameplay fresh the entire way through. It never gets repetitive, and you'll always be doing something different. I actually found myself enjoying the game more as I progressed farther through it. Playing The Warriors really does feel like you're in a movie from the late 70s thanks to the slang and soundtrack. Luckily, this game isn't just about style it features enough solid gameplay to make it well worth checking out.
Graphics: C+
Sound: A
First Play: B
Last Play: A-
Gameplay: B+
Overall: 88% B+
