There's only one thing I know about The Warriors, and it's that quote. "Waaaarrriors. Come out to plaaaay-aaayyyy." I have literally no context for it, though. Not a clue. Something about gangs and that's about it. Will my lack of knowledge of the film impact my enjoyment of The Warriors, the video game adaptation, I guess you'd call it, released a quarter of a century after the film?
That's what we're here to find out, as we tear through New York City streets under the cover of darkness to wreak havoc and spray paint and kick the shit out of seemingly everyone. I don't really know what we're going to get up to, to be fair. Just a vibe I'm getting.
Fun Times
The Warriors opens with what is essentially a shot for shot remake of the film intro - I had to check on YouTube for that. I don't know who is who or what they're talking about, but the style is there to see, as is that Rockstar attention to detail. You might think The Warriors would make for a strange choice for a video game adaptation, but Rockstar are here to show you otherwise.
So that's where that comes from? I'm starting to think The Warriors is quite an important film. Once more, the events of the film are rendered in as much glory as the PlayStation 2 can render. I have a disc copy of the game, which came with a cheat disc that were scattered around back in the day. Sadly the disc looks scratched to hell and back, and with a PS2 that's awfully fussy with reading discs, I decided to just hop straight into emulation instead.
Some gang leader, Cyrus, has welcomed all the gangs of New York to a speech, I think to unite them together, or at least steer them in a common direction. No weapons and a limit on attendees per gang are rules adhered to by most of those involved. Apart from this guy.
In three months, Cyrus is getting shot. But what events lead to that? Where do The Warriors find themselves leading up to this pivotal moment? That's what The Warriors explores. I believe the game is set a little earlier than the film, to allow new plot threads to be written into the overall piece, and that seems to include the training of Rembrandt, the newest member of the gang.
The Warriors is primarily a beat 'em up, where you'll be punching, kicking, grabbing, and throwing your opponents around the streets, into walls, through street furniture, the lot. Strong attacks, weak attacks, ground and pound - the system is simple to follow and deep enough to keep you interested in everything.
The addition of weapons and a mechanic for getting so pissed off that you become enraged and hit harder complete the set of tools you have at your disposal for, uh, disposing of drunks or other gang members, whoever gets in your way.
It's not all you'll be getting up to, though. After getting some cuts and bruises, we're told to go and buy some Flash to heal up. Meaning cocaine, by the way. But we're skint, so we can't afford it. But we're in a gang, so we can just break the law.
Through the smallest and shortest of mini-games, you might call them, we steal and mug our way into enough pocket money for some coke. Such is life in a gang. Are you sure you wanted this way of life, Rembrandt?
Whoa, dude, calm down. You've already mugged the poor guy, you don't need to blind him with spray paint - nice move though it is. Controls for all of these activities involve the combat mechanics and some left stick spinning, and that's about it. It's dirt simple to be a criminal.
We head back to the gang but are interrupted by a rival gang throwing Molotov cocktails through the window.
Play switches to Cleon, leader of the Warriors, who introduces us to gang orders. Holding R2 brings up a menu of options for telling your gang what to do - follow, wait, watch my back, run to the hills, and so on. We need to regroup and get some revenge on the Destroyers, so it's time to hunt the dark alleyways and sidestreets of Coney looking for them.
Some of our gang have been arrested and another little mini-game frees them in a few seconds. Others are already fighting for what they believe in (one imagines) and so we can chip in and make up the numbers. The Destroyers need to be taught a lesson.
It's great to see all this chaotic brawling take place, with AI companions picking up trashcans and smacking opponents over the head with them, but I must admit that for the most part, I found myself being a little bit useless.
These guys could handle it and were often already engaged with someone in such a way that you couldn't really help them. Throwing the odd punch was just as likely to hit your own gang than not. Nothing wrong with hanging back, though, is there? I am the leader, after all. I'm allowed to supervise.
The fight soon ends and we return to find our walls covered in paint. The bastards have tagged us. Except that's not the lingo The Warriors uses. What is it? Something like bop. Something stupid. Anyway, that's not important. What are we going to do?
Another mini-game, this time to spray a 'W' over the top of a Destroyers... burner? Nah. I'm sure the word was weirder than that. Anyway, move the left analogue stick in the right direction, following the line as close as possible to save on paint and painful seconds of inactivity if you miss your mark.
It's almost hilarious how slow it takes Rembrandt, the gang's graffiti artist, literally named after that dutch fella - yes, I know my art - to spay the worst looking 'W' you've ever seen, but that's what we've got to do. Again and again. While defending ourselves from other gangs and getting enough money to buy spray paint.
Frustrations
The mission objectives for this section are simple. Spray paint some 'W's. First, it's one, then two or three, then two or three more. Each need to be sprayed in a certain spot, each takes an entire can of spraypaint, for which you'll need $5 to purchase, so if you run out of money, you need to find someone to mug or something to steal.
Just what you think you're done, there's another round of spraying to do, fighting to avoid, lines to follow... it drags, and the emulation slowdown didn't help, but was playable enough.
Further Fun Times
I'm not too sure what to think of the writing and dialogue of The Warriors. In terms of language, it's very different from what you've seen in video games. It doesn't quite make sense in places, but I guess that's what 25 years of evolving language will do.
It also sounds a little weird, and I can't put my finger on why. The original cast was brought back to record lines, where possible, which would naturally add a little difference in places, but I don't know what they sounded like in the '70s to spot any differences.
Ultimately, for all its quirks, it is compelling. It's framed like a video game when you're in control but plays like a movie when you're not, and the developers really want that side of things to feel seamless with the film. Does it work? I guess I'd have to watch the film and play much more of the game to know for sure, but I do know that The Warriors seems to have that seal of approval you'd expect from a Rockstar title. Whichever team worked on this game really wanted to do it justice, and with the clout of Rockstar behind them, they've the resources to get it done.
Speaking of getting it done, we get stealthy in the darkness, sneaking up on enemies and throwing bottles to distract them. The radar can help you navigate the levels, though there isn't much chance of getting lost in such small, closed-off environments.
Ah, Rembrandt, you've remembered that you're an artist. With a box of paints and more shapes to follow than a 'W', we cover up the Destroyer's efforts with a mark of our own. An impressive one, too. That'll make an impression.
Yup, that's an impression. And The Warriors has made an impression on me, too. It doesn't play amazingly, partly because of emulation, I'm sure, but the story - simple as it is - is pulling me along into yet another level. Less stealth this time, more chaos.
Looting! Violence! Destruction! It's a bit mindless, a bit opportunistic, certainly, but it's probably teaching or reinforcing the mechanics I should have learned by now. And then the police show up to show me some more.
I hope you can see through all the darkness, but that's me getting beaten up by the police. Ash got arrested - we'll have to spend a few seconds freeing him from his cuffs once we find a break in the action.
Slamming some heads into walls ought to do it, but the fighting is relentless. If you get overwhelmed or outnumbered, you really need to pay attention to what's going on to get out of the sticky situation you're in.
And I say that's a good time to call it for the moment too before I get sucked into this dark criminal underworld. Though The Warriors does everything it can to keep me watching. Who are those guys? Who are these guys?
Final Word
What's the best course of action to take from here? Continue the game? Watch the film? The game does mostly take place before the film but does include the events of the film too. Does it matter which order I do it in? Will seeing the film first mean the game makes more sense? Will it make me appreciate the efforts in being accurate to the film even more? I think the answer is probably to just consume them both, somehow, in whatever order is available to you. And then read the book?
Let's assume you're only concerned about video games, though. Is The Warriors a highlight of video gaming? It definitely stands out. It's stylish in its own way. Dark and gritty, yes, but stylish all the same. Dated? Perhaps, but it's depicting the '70s, so of course it's going to look a little dated.
Does it feel it, though? I'd say not. It controls well, and there are a great many controls for you to make use of. Might it get old, stealing, mugging, and brawling? Maybe. It did feel like it was dragging already with all that spray paint.
You've seen video games that want to be films, and you've seen video games based on films, but you've probably not seen them done this well, and with this much polish - if polish is even the right word for such a grimy game.
I went into The Warriors knowing nothing about the other The Warriors, and I expect that I'll come out of playing it knowing an awful lot more. That's got to be a good thing. I'm looking forward to playing some more and seeing how it goes, and have another movie that I should keep an eye out for.
Will gang wars in late '70s America resonate with me? Probably not, but I might find the origins to a load more quotes that are floating around my head. Can you dig it?
Fun Facts
Roger Hill, who played Cyrus in the film, didn't return to record lines for the game for whatever reason. He did try to sue for the game using his likeness without permission, though. Did Rockstar just not ask him to feature? Did they think they could get away with not needing him? I don't have all the facts. I don't even have fun ones half of the time...
The Warriors, developed by Rockstar Toronto, first released in 2005.
Version played: PlayStation 2, 2005, via emulation.