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> Results: The Warriors
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The ESRB Says
Blood: GamerDad watched people bleed as they were beaten to death with baseball bats. Intense Violence: from start to finish, this is an all-out gang war. Sexual Themes: While the gang ladies can kick it with the boys, most are their for objectification only. Strong Language: If it isn't a bat hitting you, it is a verbal onslaught. Use of Drugs and Alcohol: pretty much every room is filled with drunken and wasted gang members. The Warriors wasn't the first R-rated movie I saw in a theater, but was one of the first. And the haunting theme apparently left some significant residue in my brain, because despite not seeing it since 1979 I was re-immersed in the story from the second the theme began playing. Many hours later I had completed this horribly wonderful game, and was amazed that it was released at such a bargain price. This is a direct port of the console game released in late 2005 with a couple of exceptions - the controls have been adjusted, and the 'Armies of the Night' bonus game has been changed from 'unlockable by completing the game' to 'available from the start'. The game provides considerable backstory to the gangs and characters presented in the movie, which also gives you plenty of time as the newest member of the Warriors to perform loads of missions that increase the reputation and standing of the gang. These include spray painting 'tags' over competing gangs logos, stealing stereos, looting stores, picking locks, mugging innocent people on the streets and taking out rival gangs. Many of these are mini-games that involve use of the analog stick and buttons in a quick and fun diversion from the main fighting action. The game is mission based, yet maintains some feeling of open exploration, since there are a number of bonus missions located randomly around the maps - occasionally nowhere near the main objectives. The main drawbacks are that the controls were clearly designed for two analog sticks and are somewhat clumsy at controlling the action and camera simultaneously; the load times are fairly long, and can be a problem with missions that are easy to fail (e.g. forced stealth missions); and that your allies are not very bright, occasionally interfering with your ability to complete a mission or standing by as you get pounded on by a large group from a rival gang. These are dwarfed by the positives - solid graphics, excellent music and voicing, tight gameplay and fun missions. Then there is the price - Rockstar took this from a solid release to a 'adult must have' by pricing it as a bargain release. This is a fun fighting oriented game that is very rewarding to play, but clearly intended only for adults.  
This game is so completely geared for adults that I'm not sure why a Kid Factor is needed. Except that I do, based on some of my kids' friends. Some of them look back on the 70's as this old and quaint era, and therefore things from that era are old and unrealistic and not worth worrying about. Apparently they don't pay attention much. There is plenty of really brutal stuff that is completely inappropriate for kids - and The Warriors falls very clearly into that purview. The ESRB descriptors listed above don't simply describe stuff that you might encounter while playing, as they often do with other games. In this care you will see every one of those things in each mission - one of your first real missions has you out looking for trashy women (described in a very unflattering way in the game) when you encounter problems, go on a violent rampage of stealing, mugging and brutality. And if you need a 'health kit', it is available from the corner pusher in the form of 'flash'. Yes, in this game the health kits are illegal drugs.
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