Culture: The Warriors, the movie, the game.

Many factors go into whether a movie will gain a cult status; gritty stories, characters with substance, cutting edge fashion and usually above all a killer script. Most cult movies have one or two of these characteristics, but it’s a rare movie that has them all. However, The Warriors is one of these movies. 

Based in New York City during the late seventies. The Warriors are a struggling gang ready to make their mark. Dragged into a gang war against their will. The Warriors must fight their way back to their home turf while trying to clear their name of murder. It’s 60,000 against 9 in a night of fear and violence.

The iconic movie has been sampled hundreds of times in Hip Hop and Dance music. The classic line “come out to play” still lives on strong today. The gawdish fashion has influenced and outlasted some of the most tested designers and the look is back in style currently. Carrying themes of trust and loyalty, the Warriors philosophy has been adopted by real life gangs as a moral code. It is clear that the film has touched more than just cult nerds, it has lasting appeal. There is no doubt that the Warriors will not be soon forgotten, something that Rockstar Games had the vision to capture once again.

One could say the same factors that make up a cult movie, make up a cult game. If there is one developer that can claim cult status, it’s RockStar Games. As the developers of the acclaimed Grand theft Auto series, Midnight Club and the controversial Manhunt, RockStar are no stranger to popular culture. But still it is a risk in anyones book to tinker with a classic movie, especially for a console game, after all, most movie to console conversions are complete garbage. Be sure that if anyone can pull this one off, it’s RockStar.

A thing that always strikes me about Rockstar developed games is the sheer attention to detail. The Warriors is no exception. from the opening title through the introductory credits one could mistake the sequence for the movie itself. The angles, shots, dialogue and even lighting is practically frame for frame of the movie. It’s truely fantastic, I was gobsmacked. Deeper into the back alleys of Coney Island and the atmosphere is rough and rugged. Drunken bums meander amoungst burning drum fires and makeshift cardboard shanties. While out on the streets flickering lights and decrepit buildings shadow police and citizens in a forboding hue. The colours and lighting really capture the gritty backstreet realism depicted in the film. The characters and landscapes they inhabit are also spot on.

You can tell this was a labour of love for Rockstar’s Toronto developers. The sheer level of detail is testament to the hours of devotion that have gone into making the Warriors game as convincing as it’s cult movie sister.  Rockstar have created a long and involved story that covers the entire movie and the 3 months preceeding that time. They have gathered a team that know what they are doing and how to bring it to fruition. Rockstar have put in so much work that they have created a 3 month prequel leading up to the events that take place in the movie. That’s an entire background into the Warriors created in the same vein as the movie. Like I said before, the similarities are uncanny.

The Warriors game is more than just a recreation of the movie. Rockstar have created a game that is an addition to the movie, a background, and a whole new piece of the Warriors legacy. Check out the movie, then play the game. It’s something you’ll wish you’d done earlier.

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