"Warriors! Come out and playeyayyyyy!"

It was a movie that was before the time of a lot of gamers out there, yet one that still speaks volumes today. I'm talking about The Warriors, 1979 film from director Walter Hill (48 Hours) that focuses on a group of gang members trying to make their way across a criminal-infested New York City. However, it turns out that they've been wrongfully accused of killing the leader of the most notorious gang on the streets, the Riffs. Because of this, the Warriors are targeted by every thug on the streets, making their 20-mile trek to their safehouse that much more terrorizing.

And just as the landmark film shook things up back then in terms of its themes on gang violence, so will the game that Rockstar Games has cooking up based on the same license. Rockstar Toronto, one of the newer studios for the Rockstar brand, has been working feverishly on The Warriors for some time, but it finally appears to be ready to unfold this fall for the PlayStation 2. And word has it that it looks exactly as gritty and dangerous as the film did, and will be very true to its source.

Players in the game take control of the gang members as they make their way across New York City, taking on new threats around every corner and finding new weapons to make use of. While not all the aspects of the gameplay have yet been revealed, word has it that the game will be very similar in tone to classic beat-em-ups, including River City Ransom and Streets of Rage, among others. Each gang member will have certain abilities that will allow the group in general to advance ahead, but a new challenge arises with enemies being introduced at every angle.

It's hard to say just what Hill's involvement is in the project, or who else may be involved for that matter to authenticate its precise movement from silver screen to video game. However, so far the screenshots look like they do the game justice, perfectly capturing the 70's look of the hoodlums and the Warriors themselves. The environments also look to be pretty exact, right down to the lighted amusement park rides at the end of Coney Island.

Rockstar should have this game on display next week at E3, and by that time we should have some more details for you, as well as a hands-on test and other items that are noteworthy. In the meantime, I highly suggest tracking down a copy of the film and giving it a view, and then preparing yourself for the battle of a lifetime. The Warriors looks to definitely put you to work- as it should.