Like most losers, I’ve squandered an inappropriate amount of time pontificating about movies that would make great video games. Although most games obviously should never, ever be made into movies (note: this fact is not obvious to Hollywood), many films have plots and characters that would nicely lend themselves to the gaming format. So when the scientists behind the Grand Theft Auto series, Rockstar Games, announced they would turn Walter Hill’s The Warriors into a game, all I could say was “It’s about goddamn time.”
The movie’s plot is simple: The Warriors are a multi-racial gang of leather vest-wearing street toughs that call Coney Island their turf. After being falsely accused of assassinating the biggest gang leader in the city (Cyrus of the Riffs), they must battle their way through NYC back to Coney while every gang in town angles for the bounty on their heads. The best thing about the game is the additions to this original story. Rockstar has essentially created a prequel to The Warriors by showing the gamer the events that led up to where the movie begins. It also goes even further back in flashback side-missions to show how the Warriors were founded and why each member joined. Righteous!!!
Now I may be a bit biased because I’ve loved this movie since I was 10, but this is easily the best movie game adaptation I’ve ever played. The controls are simple and the action is set up almost exactly like the GTA games. You can follow the story mode or just run around creating random mayhem wherever you please. Like GTA, there are tons of mini-missions that unlock all sorts of secret shit, most involve mugging, tagging, beating... all that wholesome goodness. If that bores you just switch to some straight fighting in rumble-mode, complete with two-player action.
The characters look exactly like they did in the movie and in many cases are voiced by the original actors (Michael Beck, where have you been man?). I’m not sure what more you could ask for in a game like this. Rockstar has done a tremendous job that no true Warriors fan could possibly deny. Here’s hoping they can get the rights to Up the Creek next, the seminal film regarding intercollegiate raft races and booze consumption would undoubtedly take the gaming world by storm.
Best Feature: Playing as Swan, the baddest badass Warrior. Michael Beck you are the king!!!
Worst Feature: Playing as scarf-wearing Rembrandt, the frootiest, greenest Warrior.
Weirdest Feature: The glaring omission of David Patrick Kelly’s voice. Hearing anyone else voicing Luther (“Come out to plaaay”) is just plain sacrilege
