The Warriors is a 2005 beat 'em up video game developed by Rockstar Toronto and published by Rockstar Games. Based on the 1979 film of the same name; it was released in October 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and February 2007 for the PlayStation Portable; the PSP port was developed by Rockstar Leeds. The game was re-released on the PlayStation 3 in May 2013 and PlayStation 4 in July 2016, via the PlayStation Network. Set in gritty 1970s New York City, the story follows the eponymous street gang, who are framed for the murder of a respected gang leader and must return to their home turf in Coney Island while being hunted by rival gangs and the police. The game expands on the film's plot, with the first half covering events that took place three months before the events of the film.

The gameplay revolves around large scale brawling in 3D environments interspersed with other activities such as chase sequences.Navarro, Alex, The Warriors Review , GameSpot, October 21, 2005, Accessed March 22, 2009 The game features songs from the film's soundtrack; however, as of 2016, some of them have been removed from the PS3 and PS4 versions, including "I Love Livin' in the City" and "In the City", due to licensing restrictions. Several cast members from the film returned to voice their characters in the game."Full Cast & Crew: The Warriors (2005 Video Game)" Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on December 24, 2013. Following its release, The Warriors received very positive reviews, with critics praising its controls, design, sound, music, and plot; many deemed the game to be a worthy adaptation of the film.

Gameplay The Warriors is an action-adventure survival game with a heavy focus on melee combat (specifically brawling). Other MAJOR gameplay elements are mixed into the experience, such as the ability to use spray paint to mark turf or insult people. The game features multiple playable characters, including the Warriors' Warchief (leader) Cleon, lieutenant Swan, heavy muscles Ajax and Snow, Cleon and Swan's friends Vermin and Cowboy, the scout Fox, Harlem native Cochise, and graffiti artist Rembrandt.Navarro, Alex "The Warriors delivers as a completely stand-alone work, and any fan of beat-'em-up games is certain to enjoy it on some level.". GameSpot. (December 24, 2013). The player can control only one character per mission, while the others are computer-controlled. Cleon, Swan, Ajax, and Rembrandt are the most heavily featured characters.McCullough, Tim. (June 23, 2007). "PSP Review – 'The Warriors'". Worthplaying. (2013-12-24). Most missions revolve around the Warriors attacking rival gangs' territory, though there are five bonus "flashback" missions that explain how certain members joined the gang; all gangs, save for the Destroyers, are taken from the film, even though they were only mentioned or briefly featured in the film itself, such as the Electric Eliminators, the Panzers and the Van Cortlandt Rangers. An arcade game called Armies of the Night (heavily based on Double Dragon) is unlocked after the main storyline of the game is completed. The playable characters are Swan and Ajax.

The Warriors' headquarters serves as a hub. From inside, the player can train (10 ranks of physical fitness such as, sit-ups, press ups, chin ups, and heavy bag, that increase stamina), talk to fellow gang members, play through rumble mode and other bonus material, walk outside to Coney Island for extra missions, or begin the next level of the story proper. The player is presented with mission objectives such as beating up a certain number of enemy gang members or stealing a certain amount of items, with more complex and creative tasks like winning a graffiti competition in SoHo, stealing goods to plant on crooked cops and rival gang members, and wild chases away from baseball bat wielding members of the Baseball Furies. Fighting takes the form of gang rumble style action with the player being assisted by other Warriors at the same time (a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 8). Combos are performed with 2-3 button chains for weak attacks, strong attacks, holds and throws. Grab attacks can be used for the playable character to perform their own unique power attack that will quickly decrease the enemy's health. The game sees the Warriors fight their way through the ranks, building a heavy rep and getting their colors out in force, until they get an invite to a meeting of all of the gangs of New York City, which is where the events of the film (and the last few missions of the game) begin.

The game progresses linearly from one mission event to the next, usually presented as a cutscene. Combat in The Warriors occurs in real-time and involves pressing buttons to initiate attacks by the on-screen character. By pausing the game, the player can find combat techniques―2-3 combos, wall smash, grab and throws, charges, body cross attack, snap attacks, weapon attacks, and counter-attacks. The player can look at the character's stats. This menu is manipulated by using the right analog stick, while movement is controlled in the 3D environment using the joystick, and camera controls are managed using the up arrow on the digital pad and the analog joystick, allowing the player to navigate the menu while avoiding or approaching enemies. In addition, players can choose to mug people, receiving money, flash, and spray graffiti. Each level contains items the player can collect or steal, such as car radios and jewelry. Completing these actions earn the player points, which count towards unlocking soldiers, arenas and game modes for Rumble Mode, the game's free-for-all multiplayer mode.Calvin, Andrew. (April 3, 2007). "The Warriors A quality retreat to the gang world of 1970s NYC". The Next Level. (2013-12-24).

The playable character has a bar below their feet to determine their health level, reducing whenever the character takes damage, although it can be replenished by using flash. The circular grey bar inside the health bar represents the player's grappling stamina, draining upon grabbing or mounting an opponent. The top-left hand side represents the character rage meter, which, when filled, allows the player to pull off a variety of combos and styles. In rage, the player will become temporarily invincible, using finishing moves and inflicting serious damage on the opponent. The player's allies, if they are knocked out, the player can use flash to replenish their health. However, if the playable character loses all of their health, the mission ends and the player will be prompted to resume from the checkpoint or restart the mission from the beginning. Defeating enemies will cause items to fall from their bodies; flash to restore health; spray to spray over enemy gang territories; and money which can be used to purchase items from dealers.

Character development The player can choose to help other people in Coney Island. In return for helping these people, the Warriors will learn abilities, such as defeating policemen to receive cuffs to subdue and arrest anybody, cuff-keys that will allow the player to free Warriors with keys instead of breaking cuffs, escape from cuffs themselves with cuff-keys, increase flash capacity, and earn brass knuckles and steel-toed boots to inflict more damage to the enemy."Review of The Warriors". The Warriors Retrieved on December 24, 2013. The player can choose to have the Warriors exercise in the headquarters to increase stamina.

Synopsis

Setting During The Warriors, there are a collection of levels, referred to as missions, which the player must progress through. Eighteen can be accessed, along with five more bonus missions, known as "Flashbacks", which show how the Warriors were formed, and how each member of the Warriors came to join the gang,"The Warriors" . MobyGames. Retrieved on December 24, 2013. and to unlock an arcade machine that will allow you to play Armies of the Night. The setting in the game for the Warriors is their home territory, Coney Island. Throughout the game, the player travels to other areas of New York City visiting other gangs' territories in the process. Completing the missions allows the player to replay levels, to improve on the player's score, and unlock new characters, and a game mode called "Unleash the Fury", where the Baseball Furies are controlled, though it serves as the hardest difficulty setting.(2005-11-16). . PlayStation 2. (December 24, 2013).

The design and casting of the characters was faithful to what was seen in The Warriors. Each character is portrayed as their respective role from the film ― Cyrus, the Riffs leader, inhabits Gramercy Park. Luther, the Rogues leader, is based out of his hearse. The Baseball Furies' territory is Riverside Park, the Lizzies' their apartment, with other smaller gangs based around the city. When starting a mission, the Warriors will occasionally stay at their home turf or travel to another place via train to use as a starting point.Rockstar Games. (2005). The Warriors Instruction Booklet. Rockstar Games., Limited.

Missions and events normally begin at the Coney Island headquarters, which is mostly used as a launching point throughout the game. The player can travel to places across New York City, including Tremont where the Warriors encounters the Orphans, a low-class gang, and Riverside Park which is run by the Baseball Furies, a well-respected gang. The main players travel from one turf to another across New York, to let the public radio station know there is a new gang in town. This sometimes results in the Warriors brawling with the rival gangs. The Warriors' hangout features mini-games such as a weight section and a punching bag, and a machine resembling a pinball table that gives access to the "Rumble Mode" which upon completion of missions, unlocks special stages where the player can fight all of the gangs in New York City."The Warriors Overview". Giantbomb. Published on October 17, 2005, Retrieved on December 24, 2013.

Characters The primary protagonist is Cleon, the Warriors' leader in the first two-thirds of the game until after the meeting. Cleon's role was to increase the Warriors' reputation and rid Coney Island of the Destroyers.Cleon: Virgil's gone way too far this time! We're going to war tonight! I want all the Destroyers stomped out. Now they know we're coming and Virgil's gonna be holed up in the hangout. If we bop right in there, we're gonna get wasted. We're gonna have to-- / Vermin: Bullshit! I'll kill 'em all! /.../ Cleon: Vermin! / Vermin: But, Warlord, they killed Ash! They-- / Cleon: Listen to me! We gotta use our heads! We gonna have to draw them out! Take 'em down bit by bit! Everyone split up into warparties. Divide and conquer! Take out everything they got! Gambling, pimping, and their stores! They won't have no choice but to send out their soldiers. It's time to end these fools! Let's do it! The major protagonist is Swan, the second-in-command throughout most of the game, covering the film itself. Swan's role was to bring the Warriors back to Coney Island from the meeting where they were set up as the murderers of Cyrus.Swan: We're going back. If this truce is off, anything could hit us between here and that train. If you get separated, make it back to the platform at Union Square. The other Warriors feature an important role with each Warrior having a role, like the heavy muscles Ajax and Snow, Vermin is the bread man, which means he is the one who carries the money, Cowboy keeps track of the Warriors' inventory, although this is only mentioned in the film. Fox is the scout who goes ahead of the Warriors, warning them if trouble is ahead, Harlem native Cochise is the watchman who watches their back when walking in a group, and Rembrandt is the Warriors' graffiti artist.