The Warriors (PS2)

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Stealth kills seem reminiscent of Manhunt, but not as gruesome

Another part of the demo had the PR team presenting some of the more stylistic aspects of the title. Tagging of walls and the use of a pirate radio station for in-between-mission cutscenes again seemed to resemble Jet Set Radio, though we were assured these elements were important in the film, and thus to the game's stylistic integrity.

Last but not least was possibly the coolest set piece we saw. With one of The Warriors pinned down on a street below, amidst a sea of flames and the target of projectiles from rival gang the Turnbull AC's, the controlled member of the gang was tasked with throwing rocks at his buddy's assailants. This was a clear race against time, with the health of the pelted Warrior shown clearly on-screen in an ever-decreasing bar, and proved a compelling climax to the demo before a cinematic showed him being able to get away.

With the demo over we also had a clearer idea about how Rockstar are intending to implement the tricky proposition of a scrolling fighter with multiple main characters. Each of the film's characters will be playable at certain points in the game, with different missions dictating the pre-determined player character, while the variety of play styles and simple-to-use command system should make progress fun and hassle-free.

What is unclear at this stage is how the backstory and the film's linear plot will integrate...

What is unclear at this stage is how the backstory and the film's linear plot will integrate, or the affect this will have on the structure of the pre and post-movie parts of the game. We'd speculate that the Warriors' hangout that we saw acting as a hub will possibly function only for the first half of the game, or maybe work purely in an aesthetic manner as a 3D menu screen, similar to the Lodge in 1080 Avalanche or the garage in Jet Set Radio. It's as good a guess as any, but at this point we really don't know how close we are.

There were, of course, a few niggles. In terms of animation, there only seemed to be one stealth kill type, and enemy bodies currently disappear after death - an unwelcome anachronism from the 32 bit era. We're hoping that this will be changed for the final version to allow downed foes bodies to remain, open to be detected by their fellow gang-members unless hidden from site. This would certainly add another layer of depth to the game's stealth dynamic, making it more rewarding and preventing it from being regarded as a tacked-on token gesture.

A gang member leaving his mark

All in all The Warriors is an attractive prospect. The individual elements may be nothing new, and adapted from many a gaming guidebook, but rarely have these been placed into a title of this type so selectively. With a visual flair themed on the 70s, and a series of gameplay approaches ranging from the early 90s to present-gen, The Warriors is a hybrid unlike any we've seen in quite a while.

On the back of the DVD release, heavy television promotion and Rockstar's insatiable knack for courting controversy with its adult-aimed titles, it's hard to see how it can fail. Providing The Warriors proves to play as it promises, it should fair well fighting for affection in this year's Christmas rush.

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