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The Warriors (video game)
Encyclopedia
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 the game were developed at Rockstar Toronto
, while the PSP port was developed by Rockstar Leeds
.
is an action-adventure game which focuses heavily on brawling
. Like most games from Rockstar Games
, several minor gameplay elements are mixed into the experience, such as the ability to use spray paint to mark turf or to insult other people.
The Warriors focuses largely on gang rumble style action, with the player being assisted by other Warriors at once (minimum of 1, maximum of 8). The player plays as all nine of the main Warriors at different points throughout the game, but largely using Cleon, Swan and Rembrandt. Levels 1-13 take place three months before the meeting and 14-18 covers the movie itself. The game also includes five bonus levels called "Flashbacks".
Complaints were mostly directed towards the multiplayer. Critics complained about how the game's screen splits vertically for two players, creating a narrow field of vision—when compared to the "normal" view—and often cluttered screens. However, in the PSP version, this problem is rectified by virtue of the fact that the game is already being played on two separate screens.
, who also played Cyrus in the movie, filed a lawsuit of $250,000 against Take-Two for using his voice and depiction
in the video game. He claimed that it would not have been difficult for Take-Two to pay, since the game made $37 million.
brawls.
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
video game published by Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
. It was released on October 17, 2005 for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and February 12, 2007 for PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. The game is based on the 1979 film, The Warriors. The console versions of the game were developed at Rockstar Toronto
Rockstar Toronto
Rockstar Toronto is an in-house game development team for Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive, located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, a town located approximately thirty-five kilometres west of Toronto...
, while the PSP port was developed by Rockstar Leeds
Rockstar Leeds
Rockstar Leeds is a British video game developer. Based in the eponymous city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, Rockstar Leeds has primarily published handheld games for Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance , as well as developing Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition and the Grand Theft Auto Stories games for the...
.
Setting
The game takes place in New York City, and expands to NYC Boroughs, including Coney Island and The Bronx.Gameplay
The WarriorsThe Warriors
The Warriors is a 1979 American cult action/thriller film directed by Walter Hill and based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name. Like the novel, the film borrows elements from the Anabasis by Xenophon.-Plot:...
is an action-adventure game which focuses heavily on brawling
Brawling
Brawling or Brawl can refer to:* Brawl, a large-scale fist fight usually involving multiple participants*Brawl, Scotland, a crofting community on the north coast of Scotland*Brawling , a rowdy argument on church property...
. Like most games from Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
, several minor gameplay elements are mixed into the experience, such as the ability to use spray paint to mark turf or to insult other people.
The Warriors focuses largely on gang rumble style action, with the player being assisted by other Warriors at once (minimum of 1, maximum of 8). The player plays as all nine of the main Warriors at different points throughout the game, but largely using Cleon, Swan and Rembrandt. Levels 1-13 take place three months before the meeting and 14-18 covers the movie itself. The game also includes five bonus levels called "Flashbacks".
The Warriors
The following nine Warriors are playable in the game.- Cleon: The Warlord, leader and co-founder of The Warriors. Cleon used to be a Destroyer with his former best friend and leader Virgil. After Cleon questioned a series of bad judgments, Virgil assumed that Cleon was plotting against him. So Virgil sent Cleon and fellow member Vermin on a phony drug deal with another gang called the Satan's Mothers, expecting both to be killed. The duo survived, and Cleon vowed revenge against Virgil. Cleon and Vermin would found the Warriors, being the first two inaugural members. Like in the film, Cleon is accused of killing Cyrus, and is promptly beaten and killed by the Riffs. He is the character that players use most in the main game until this point when he becomes inactive. Dorsey WrightDorsey WrightDorsey Wright is an American actor, best known for his role as Cleon in the 1979 film The Warriors.Wright was born in The Bronx, New York City in 1957 and earned his first acting role in 1979, in The Warriors, for which he is best remembered. He also co-starred in the film version of Hair that...
reprises his role by providing the voice for Cleon.
- Swan: The Warchief, second in command of The Warriors. Quiet and cool-headed, but possesses strong fighting and leadership skills. He has a friendship with Cleon from before joining the Destroyers. It is hinted that Swan also left the Destroyers to form his own, but the offer to join Cleon in the Warriors came up. After Cleon's capture, he becomes the main character used by the player. His main role is to ensure the survival of the Warriors, especially after Cleon is murdered. Michael BeckMichael BeckJohn Michael Beck Taylor , commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Swan in the 1979 film, The Warriors.-Life and career:...
reprises his role by providing the voice for Swan.
- Ajax: The Muscle. A fearless and cocky womanizer, who is always up for a fight. He prefers to solve his problems through brawling, and his attitude tends to cause trouble for himself and the others in the gang. 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, toughest, roughest, and possibly the strongest Warrior. He wears fingerless leather gloves and a black tank-top under his Warriors vest. While escaping from all the gangs that thought The Warriors shot Cyrus, he tries to have sex with an undercover cop, who arrests him, separating him from the gang. From this point, he too becomes unavailable as a playable character. James RemarJames RemarJames Remar is an American actor and voice artist. He has appeared in movies, video games, and TV shows. He is perhaps best known as Richard, the on-off tycoon boyfriend of Kim Cattrall's character in Sex and the City, as Ajax in The Warriors, as the homicidal maniac Albert Ganz in the 1982...
reprises his role as Ajax.
- Vermin: Like Cleon, he is a former Destroyer. He also a co-founder of The Warriors after he and Cleon left the gang. 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 TruglioJoe Lo TruglioJoseph "Joe" Lo Truglio is an American actor, writer and comedian best known for his work as a cast member on the cult MTV sketch comedy series The State...
.
- Rembrandt: The Writer. The gang's talented graffitiGraffitiGraffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artist, he wears the standard Warrior's vest and an afroAfroAfro, sometimes shortened to fro and also known as a "natural", is a hairstyle worn naturally by people with lengthy kinky hair texture or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair...
. The game starts with the player using Rembrandt, who is trying to get initiated into the Warriors. In multiple levels, he takes the lead with a smaller group in spite of his inexperience. The youngest member, Rembrandt is far less battle-hardened and is looked after by the other members of the gang. His job is to paint large W's (representing The Warriors) with a spray can containing red paint throughout the city. He also paints much more elaborate tags, so that the whole city will know The Warriors name. Voiced by Andy Senor
- Fox: The Scout, Fox is very familiar with other gangs and their rackets, territory, and numbers. Fox assists on most missions. What he lacks in fighting skill, he makes up for in other skills (like aiding fallen friends). After the meeting, he gets into a grappling situation with a police officer while trying to protect Mercy. The Police Officer accidentally throws him off the side of the train subway platform in front of an oncoming train. While it is implied that he has died, a later scene in the game a mysterious man informs the Riffs of The Warriors' innocence who is believed by some to be an injured and disguised Fox. Thomas G. WaitesThomas G. WaitesThomas G. Waites is an American actor and acting instructor born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Waites runs an acting studio in New York City which is named for him. He has been a member of the Actor's Studio since 1984....
reprises his role as Fox.
- Snow: A stoicSTOICSTOIC was a variant of Forth.It started out at the MIT and Harvard Biomedical Engineering Centre in Boston, and was written in the mid 1970s by Jonathan Sachs...
African-American Warrior with an afro parted down the middle. A bit more reserved, he is nevertheless a very talented fighter. Voiced by Sekou Campbell .
- Cowboy: A Warrior who wears a StetsonStetsonStetsons are the brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri.Stetson eventually became the world’s largest hat maker, producing over 3.3 million hats a year in a factory spread over . Today Stetson remains a family-owned concern...
cowboy hatCowboy hatThe cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
. He was a former member of The Destroyers who left when Swan did. He is an optimistic, happy-go-lucky Warrior. He wears a hat that can be knocked off his head when he is hit hard. Like all characters, he can pick up disgarded hats, but he complains if the hat is not his own. Voiced by Kurt Bauccio. He is the character that players get to use the least in the game.
- Cochise: A heavy brawler, who's always looking for a good time. He wears Native American-style jewelry, leather pants and boots. He has an afro with a red bandanna tied around it. He was originally from HarlemHarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
but moved to Coney IslandConey IslandConey Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
. His initial intent to join the Warriors is mocked at first, but he proves himself by stealing the hat of the Boppers' leader. A hat which he does not wear at any other time. David HarrisDavid Harris (actor)David Harris , also known as David D. Harris, is an American television and film actor, most notable for his portrayal of Cochise, a young gang member, in the 1979 film The Warriors...
reprises his role as Cochise.
Supporting characters
- Virgil: Leader of The Destroyers. Cleon's and Vermin's former boss, he became increasingly paranoid and tried to set them up to be killed in a botched drug deal, causing Cleon to retaliate and found The Warriors, who became The Destroyers' main rivals. After killing Ash, a young member of the Warriors, and attempting to burn Cleon and Swan to death, all through his Destroyers, Cleon decides this time he has gone too far. Virgil engages in a fight with Cleon and Vermin where thereafter he is burned to death in a building fire. Following his death, it's presumed the surviving Destroyers disband as they are not present at the Cyrus meeting, or assuming that they are still active despite Virgil's death much like other gangs, despite the deaths of their leaders (e.g.: the Hi-Hats), they are not part of the Riffs' network, just like the Orphans. Voiced by Curtis Cook.
- 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, and his vest removed. His body is then used as bait to also kill Cleon and Swan, which they fail to do. That same night The Warriors invade the Destroyers turf to wipe them out for good, thus avenging Ash. Voiced by Ephraim BentonEphraim BentonEphraim Benton is an American actor.-Roles:Benton has appeared on television dramas as Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and The Sopranos, comedy programming including the Chappelle's Show, and the films Baby Boy, Anne B. Real and Prison Song. He voiced the character of Ash in the video game The...
.
- Mercy: Mercy was originally the girlfriend of the Orphans' warlord (in the film, she is a prostitute, but this is not implied in the game). At first, she follows the Warriors, and then they accept her presence on their journey home. She and Swan fall in love, and she is seen in The Warriors' hangout after the main story is concluded. She cannot be used in the main levels and it is implied that she becomes the only female Warrior. Deborah Van ValkenburghDeborah Van ValkenburghDeborah Gaye Van Valkenburgh is an American actress. She is most widely known as Ted Knight's daughter in the role of Jackie Rush on the ABC television situation comedy Too Close for Comfort.-Movies:*Backwoods...
reprises her role of Mercy.
- L.C.: A junkie and a top member of the Destroyers. He helped Virgil set Cleon and Vermin up by providing them with fake drugs. He is later kicked out of the flophouse that would become the Warriors' hangout and is beaten up by Ajax for stealing his vest. He tries to avoid the final confrontation between the Warriors and the Destroyers, but is knocked out by Cleon. It is unknown if he lives or dies. Voiced by Leif Riddell.
- Scopes: A graffiti artist and a good friend of Rembrandt, a Warriors member. He is African American and wears a stylish blue tracksuit top, sunglasses and a hat. He was almost killed by The Hi-Hats when they threw him off of a scaffold at a set-up graffiti art competition. Voiced by Darryl McDanielsDarryl McDaniels-Video game appearances:*The Warriors - Scopes*Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - Himself- External links :* * * * * http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12...
.
- Masai: A high ranking member of the Riffs, and a second-in-command to Cyrus. He is skeptical of Cyrus' plan of a city-wide truce, and warns him of the risk, which Cyrus ignores. The truce meeting starts out successful until Luther, a member of the Rogues, shoots Cyrus through the chest, killing him. Luther then frames the Warriors for the murder. Masai, now the Riffs' Warlord, puts a price on the Warriors' heads, causing every gang in the city to go after them. A few hours later, however, a gang member of the Rougues that was harassed who witnessed Luther shoot Cyrus, tells Masai and the Riffs the truth behind Cyrus' murder, clearing the Warriors' name. Masai then leads a large number of Riffs down to Coney Island, where they find the Warriors about to go head-to-head with the Rogues. They compliment the Warriors on their skills while and as the Warriors leave, proceed to swarm the Rogues on the beach.
- Cyrus: The president of a high ranking gang known as the RIFFS and was shot by Luther in the big meeting in the bronx that was attended by many gangs of the city including The Warriors who were framed by Luther for the assassination of Cyrus.
Reception
The Warriors received positive reviews. Many praised the game for its deep combat and control, stating that the game helped breathe life into the brawler genre. The game was also praised for its unique style, along with its story and music.Complaints were mostly directed towards the multiplayer. Critics complained about how the game's screen splits vertically for two players, creating a narrow field of vision—when compared to the "normal" view—and often cluttered screens. However, in the PSP version, this problem is rectified by virtue of the fact that the game is already being played on two separate screens.
Soundtrack songs
- Barry De VorzonBarry De VorzonBarry De Vorzon is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His first composing big hit was the rock song "Dreamin'," sung by Johnny Burnette in 1960, although he had a number-one hit previously called "Just Married," which he wrote for Marty Robbins in 1958...
– "Theme from The Warriors" - Arnold McCullerArnold McCullerArnold McCuller is an American vocalist, record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. While establishing his own career as a singer, and working as a very busy session musician, McCuller has become best known for his work as a back-up singer for famous artists with long careers, including...
– "Nowhere to Run" - MandrillMandrill (band)Mandrill is an American funk band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1968. The band was formed by three brothers: Carlos Wilson , Lou Wilson and Ric Wilson . The brothers were born in Panama and grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn...
– "Echoes in My Mind" - Barry De VorzonBarry De VorzonBarry De Vorzon is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His first composing big hit was the rock song "Dreamin'," sung by Johnny Burnette in 1960, although he had a number-one hit previously called "Just Married," which he wrote for Marty Robbins in 1958...
– "The Fight" - Joe WalshJoe WalshJoseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
– "In the CityIn the City (Eagles song)"In the City" is a song written by Barry DeVorzon and Joe Walsh for the soundtrack to the film The Warriors. The song was first recorded by Walsh and released on The Warriors soundtrack album in 1979...
" - Genya RavanGenya RavanGenya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive....
– "Love is a Fire" - Barry De VorzonBarry De VorzonBarry De Vorzon is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His first composing big hit was the rock song "Dreamin'," sung by Johnny Burnette in 1960, although he had a number-one hit previously called "Just Married," which he wrote for Marty Robbins in 1958...
– "Baseball Furies Chase" - Johnny Vastano – "You're Movin' Too Slow"
- Desmond ChildDesmond ChildDesmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
– "Last of an Ancient Breed"
Licensed songs
- ChansonChanson (band)Chanson was an American studio based disco group from the late 1970s, led by James Jamerson Jr. and David Williams. The group took their name from the French word for song. They were a one-hit wonder, reaching #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979 with "Don't Hold Back", on the Ariola...
– "Don't Hold Back" - Gene ChandlerGene ChandlerGene Chandler also known as "The Duke of Earl" or simply "The Duke", is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, producer and record executive. He is one of the leading exponents of the 1960s Chicago soul scene...
– "Get Down" - Love De-LuxeLove De-LuxeLove De-Luxe was a disco studio group assembled by British producer Alan Hawkshaw . They had one chart entry: "Here Comes That Sound Again", which spent a week at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1979...
– "Here Comes That Sound Again" - FearFear (band)Fear is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1977. The band is credited for helping to shape the sound and style of American hardcore punk, the group started out as part of the early California punk rock scene, and gained national prominence after an infamous 1981...
– "I Love Living in the CityI Love Living in the City"I Love Livin' in the City" is the first single by Fear. It was originally released in 1978 on the Los Angeles-based Criminal Records. The single's B-side was re-recorded twice, once during the band's unreleased 1979 sessions, and again for their debut album The Record."I Love Livin' in the City"...
" - Amii StewartAmii StewartAmy 'Amii' Paulette Stewart is an American contemporary R&B/disco/dance-pop singer, dancer and actress most famous for her hit disco record "Knock on Wood". Stewart is the stepsister of actress-singer Miquel Brown and aunt to Brown's actress-singer daughter Sinitta.-Career:Amy Stewart was the...
– "Knock on WoodKnock on Wood (song)"Knock on Wood" is a hit 1966 song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper and originally performed by Eddie Floyd. The Eddie Floyd version peaked at number twenty-eight on the Hot 100, and spent one week at number one on the soul singles....
" - Spanish Harlem OrchestraSpanish Harlem OrchestraSpanish Harlem Orchestra is a Latin dance music orchestra based in the United States, founded by Aaron Levinson and Oscar Hernandez.Their debut album was released in October 2002...
– "Pueblo Latino" - Vivien Vee – "Remember"
- Iain MatthewsIain MatthewsIain Matthews is an English musician and songwriter. He was born Iain Matthew McDonald, in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He was known in the 1960s first as Ian McDonald, then as the 1960s progressed, as Ian Matthews...
– "Shake It" - Alberto Alberto – "Traigo De Todo"
- Dr. HookDr. Hook & The Medicine ShowDr. Hook & the Medicine Show was an American pop, country and soft rock band, formed around Union City, New Jersey in 1967 as The Chocolate Papers. They enjoyed considerable commercial success in the 1970s with hit singles including "Sylvia's Mother", "The Cover of the Rolling Stone", "A Little Bit...
– "When You're in Love with a Beautiful WomanWhen You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman"When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" was a popular single by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. It was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama....
"
Lawsuit
Roger HillRoger Hill
Roger Hill is an American actor who played Cyrus in the 1979 cult classic The Warriors. Hill has had parts in One Life to Live and The Education of Sonny Carson before The Warriors. He now works in a Manhattan business college library. In 2006, Hill filed a lawsuit of $250,000 against Take-Two for...
, who also played Cyrus in the movie, filed a lawsuit of $250,000 against Take-Two for using his voice and depiction
Depiction
Depiction is meaning conveyed through pictures. Basically, a picture maps an object to a two-dimensional scheme or picture plane. Pictures are made with various materials and techniques, such as painting, drawing, or prints mosaics, tapestries, stained glass, and collages of unusual and disparate...
in the video game. He claimed that it would not have been difficult for Take-Two to pay, since the game made $37 million.
Cancelled spiritual sequel
A spiritual sequel was planned by Rockstar, however was to be unrelated to the Warriors. The game was to be titled "We Are The Mods" which was to be set in 1960s England during the Mods and RockersMods and Rockers
The Mods and Rockers were two conflicting British youth subcultures of the early-mid 1960s. Mods and rockers fighting in 1964 sparked a moral panic about British youths, and the two groups were seen as folk devils. The rockers were motorcyclists, wearing clothes such as black leather jackets. The...
brawls.