Preview: The Warriors: Street Brawl

If
you would so kindly remember, a few years back Rockstar released a
brawler based off the 1979 film, The Warriors. Widely well received,
the game offered a fresh appreciation for the violent film. Since the
2007 release of the PSP version of that game, we've heard nothing on The Warriors as a videogame franchise.

Well,
it looks like the Warriors are back, but this time, Rockstar is far
from the project. Instead, Paramount Studios has taken the initiative,
and The Warriors Street Brawl is now an Xbox LIVE Arcade and
PlayStation Network title. It's the 30th anniversary of the original
film, and developers CTXM and Paramount Digital Entertainment hope to
do the franchise justice.

We check out the game at Comic Con, but hit the jump for my updated impressions.













The Warriors: Street Brawl (Xbox Live Arcade, PSN)
Developer: CTXM
Publisher: Paramount Digital Entertainment
To be released: September 23, 2009 (Xbox Live) October 2009 (PSN)

Like Dale said back in his Comic-Con preview, The Warriors: Street Brawl
is a co-op, four-player brawler, with a typical story mode, a harder
arcade mode, a boss battle, and a versus mode, all designed with Final Fight or Streets of Rage
in mind. Besides the typical punch/kick, you'll have a rage mode that
grants temporary invincibility, a character specific special attack,
and a combo system that builds on the special meter for special moves.
Combo system is simple and clear, but can be pretty damn satisfying
pulled off. Holding a baddie while your buddy pummels him is pretty
great.



Weapons and pick-ups in the game are all based on the movie, so
slung-locks, baseball bats, knives, and pool cues are here and
accounted for. As are the gangs -- everyone from the Baseball Furies to
the Lizzies are accounted for, and ready to be beaten.

Audio
is an area that worries me a bit, however. There is no voice acting in
the game, with the plot told over static comic-book style story breaks
between levels. In game, there's absolutely no music. [edit:
Looks like there is some confusion. What I mean is there is no music
during the actual street brawling. While the audio during the menus,
boss battles and timed fights are great, much of the experience is a
little on the quiet-side, other than the grunts and thwacks.] Sure this
is an XBLA/PSN game, but some musical component would make the
experience that much more.

While I'm concerned that the lack
of audio dilutes the experience, I do have to say I'm pretty cool with
the graphics. Each of the characters, from Snow, Ajax, and the whole
crew (including unlockable characters) are designed down to the
red/orange leather jackets and native American costumes. Each level (of
which there will be 21, with seven missions) looks pretty great, from
the hideouts and subways stations to Coney Island, The Warriors' home
turf.



Plotwise,
the game covers the entirety of the 1979 film, so don't expect anything
new in that department. Considering the insanity of the original film,
I doubt it's too much of a bad thing.

Ultimately, the
impression I get from this game is that it is a product that hearkens
back to the old school beat 'em ups, a genre that has been
unfortunately looked over as of late. With promise of some downloadable
content (limited strictly to levels), as well as jump-in four player
co-op, I don't necessarily see this as a bad game. While I'm concerned
about audio issues, hopefully this will not be a deal breaker for the
fans of the genre. It looks like the $10/800 Microsoft points
is a good price point for the four to five hours of gameplay.
Definitely check out the demo when it is released next week for Xbox
Live Arcade, and for PSN later next month.

LAUNCH GALLERY (5 IMAGES)

http://www.destructoid.com/preview-the-warriors-street-brawl-148525.phtml