It may have seemed a little strange when game developers Rockstar chose to release a game adaptation of a cult 70’s B-Movie last year but in some ways The Warriors franchise and Rockstar are a perfect match. The film was released in cinemas in 1979 it immediately caused an uproar over its content. Here was a film that was (supposedly) glorifying gang violence and attempting to bring about social anarchy. Now how could the makers of the Grand Theft Auto series possibly be attracted to a film like that......

But for those of us not born in the 1970’s, what is The Warriors and why should we care about an ancient movie licence when we could be spending more time emailing Rockstar telling them to hurry up with the next GTA game? The plot of the film The Warriors (and part of the game) goes something like this. Nine members of The Warriors, a small gang from Coney Island in New York, have been called to a huge meeting of all the New York gangs in an attempt to band them all together and take control of the city. Whilst at this supposedly peaceful meeting the man attempting to unite all the gangs is assasinated by the crazy leader of a gang called The Rogues, a total lunatic named Luther. Luther pins the blame on The Warriors and all of a sudden every single gang in New York City is out to get our heroes. The film starts at this meeting and then tracks the members of the gang as they attempt to make it back to their home turf in one violence filled night. At the time of its release The Warriors was considered pretty hard stuff and a ban was even called for as the film does contain some scenes of strong violence - for the time it was released, anyway. The Warriors did okay at the box office but found its true home on video and subsequently DVD where it has attracted a strong cult following. It’s true that the film has aged somewhat (a gang of mimes doesn’t seem as threatening as it did back then!) and is very cheesy in some parts but it also has some memorable characters and lines and is still an enjoyable watch even today. But what about the game itself? Hardcore fans of the film were always going to pick up the game straight away but in an age where developers are pumping out average to very poor game tie-in’s of classic films (the recent Jaws Unleashed, The Godfather, Scarface etc) it’s pleasing to see that the game version of The Warriors has been made with a lot more care and respect to it’s origins.

This version for the PSP is near identical to the Playstation 2 and Xbox versions released last year. It is a very solid port and once again after GTA: Liberty City & Vice City Stories, shows just how well Rockstar can handle the PSP console. The meat of the game is obviously the Story mode. This, like the film, starts with a cut scene of the The Warriors at the big meeting, but rather than just recounting the events of the film thereafter, it takes the player back 6 months and shows the build up to the film. Only the last quarter of the story mode deals with the film itself. This is a great idea and one that adds a lot to The Warriors franchise itself. All of the main characters are fleshed out in a way that they never were in the film with ’Flashback’ missions providing backstorys showing how and why they joined the gang. Incidental characters and gangs glimpsed for a second in the film are now given a much more prominent role in the game. The people at Rockstar have clearly watched the film at good few times.

Gameplay wise, at it’s core The Warriors is a pretty basic freeroaming beat ’em up but a well made one and with a few additions which add varietry to the game. Most of your missions start from The Warriors’ hangout in Coney Island which acts as a central hub. The combat works well with strong and light attacks and simple combos and throws available. Each different Warrior has his own special move so playing around and experimenting with each character is quite fun. As well as fighting with the other gangs during missions there are also numerous side tasks that you can do to add cash to your funds or points to your high score. Although not essential, tasks such as painting over other gangs graffiti, stealing car stereos or mugging people (this is a Rockstar game remember) do break up the constant fighting nicely and the sub-missions encourage you to explore your surroundings more as opposed to just charging through the levels. This also helps to add to the games longevity as completing the sub-missions and getting high scores on different levels unlocks areas, characters and gangs in the other main mode of the game, Rumble Mode, which is basically just a quick scrap where there are no other distractions from the fighting.

As a port of the console games there were naturally some concerns about how the controls would translate to the PSP. However it’s pleasing to say that the game has made the crossover to the handheld quite comfortably. There are still some minor issues with the in-game camera as your character has to remain still to move it manually and this can be awkward during fights. However this isn’t a game breaking flaw by any means and The Warriors’s in-game camera controls a lot better than many other titles that have made the jump to the PSP. Even the notoriously sensitive PSP analogue stick isn’t as awkward to use as it is in many other titles.

Grahically the game is a slight improvement on the console versions with slightly sharper graphics. The game world is very dark and murky but that seems to be a design decision more than anything else. After all, these gangs are fighting in the slums so it’s hardly going to be the brightest, shiniest place in the world. The character models are very good though, showing damage and bleeding as fights wear on. All of the main characters both look and move very similar to their movie counterparts, which is a nice touch.

One of the best aspects of the game though is its sound. The films original soundtrack is here in it’s entirety including Barry de Vorzon’s classic score. Hearing ’The Warrior’s Theme’ start playing as you encounter the ’Baseball Furies’ (baseball bat wielding nut jobs and the most iconic of the films gangs) for the first time is something that’s bound to raise a smile on the faces of all the films fans. Many of the original actors have returned to voice their characters and although now a good 20 years older than when they made the film they still do a great job and is yet another plus for the film fans.

For beat ’em up fans and the hardcore film fans (you know who you are, Boppers) this is manna from heaven. Although it’s not the deepest game in the world, it is an extremely competent fighter that will appeal to more casual gamers as well fans of the film. Although it is yet another console port for the PSP instead of a brand new game, it’s also a good title in it’s own right and one that deserves some attention especially if you haven’t played it on the consoles before. The Warriors has clearly been a labour of love for Rockstar and is a good example of what can be achieved when a developer approaches a film licence with some care and respect. So, about GTA4 now Rockstar...?