[4] Following its release, The Warriors received very positive reviews, with critics praising its controls, design, sound, music, and plot; many deemed the game to be a worthy adaptation of the film.

Other minor gameplay elements are mixed into the experience, such as the ability to use spray paint to mark turf or insult people.

[7] From inside, the player can train (10 ranks of physical fitness such as, sit-ups, press ups, chin ups, and heavy bag, that increase stamina), talk to fellow gang members, play through rumble mode and other bonus material, walk outside to Coney Island for extra missions, or begin the next level of the story proper.

Fighting takes the form of gang rumble style action with the player being assisted by other Warriors at the same time (a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 8).

The top-left hand side represents the character rage meter, which, when filled, allows the player to pull off a variety of combos and styles.

[13] The Warriors' hangout features mini-games such as a weight section and a punching bag, and a machine resembling a pinball table that gives access to the "Rumble Mode" which upon completion of missions, unlocks special stages where the player can fight all of the gangs in New York City.

[13] Swan's role was to bring the Warriors back to Coney Island from the meeting where they were set up as the murderers of Cyrus.

[13] Cyrus, leader of the Grameracy Riffs appears in the game as he does in the film with more screentime as he sets the meeting in motion before the events of the movie as does his lieutenant, Masai.

[17][18] Virgil, leader of the Destroyers, serves as an antagonist during the first half of the game and a rival and former best friends of Cleon and Vermin after betraying them.

[13] Civilians in local places will rat the player out to a gang member or the police when committing a crime that disturbs their inhabitants.

[13] Three months prior to the events of the film, the Warriors dispose their long time rivals, the Destroyers, after defeating their leader Virgil, who is a former friend of Cleon.

Their reputation increases over time as they humiliate a low-ranking gang, the Orphans; kill the Hi-Hats' leader, Chatterbox; spray paint trains; and ally themselves with the Saracens, whom they help set up their rivals, the Jones Street Boys, and a group of corrupt NYPD officers.

Swan, the Warriors' "warchief", assumes leadership of the gang as they try to make their way home, unaware they have been framed for Cyrus' murder, while the Riffs call a hit on them through a radio DJ.

Swan and the remaining Warriors – Snow, Ajax, and Cowboy – are chased into Riverside Park by the Baseball Furies, where they defeat them.

Arriving at Union Square, Rembrandt, Vermin, and Cochise are seduced by an all-female gang, the Lizzies, and invited into their warehouse, but escape when it's revealed to be a trap,[24] learning the truth, everyone believes they murdered Cyrus.

The pair travel to Union Square on foot while forming a close bond and being stalked by the Punks, whom they eventually defeat upon reuniting with the other Warriors.

"The PSP system allows us to deliver the experience in an entirely different way, while staying very faithful to the original source material and maintaining the high standards we set for ourselves as a developer.

"[28] The Warriors then began to look a lot like several of Rockstar's other projects such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Manhunt, and Red Dead Revolver.

The look and presentation are definitely familiar, despite coming from different production houses, each developer shares their toolsets and proprietary technologies with each other on a consistent basis[29] A combination of the company's biggest hits like State of Emergency and Manhunt, The Warriors successfully mixed multi-character co-op brawling with stealth action.

All nine playable fighters, while similar, have their own unique selection of moves and strengths and offer slightly different takes on the same concept.

[30] Due to the PlayStation Portable being a handheld platform, differences to gameplay came about as a result of the port, such as the control configuration receiving a drastic change.

Michael Beck, James Remar, and Dorsey Wright once again were praised in their excellent performances (despite sounding quite a bit older than the 20-something characters they play), and the remaining voice cast delivers, too.

"[31] The Warriors features several actors from the 1979 film reprising their roles, including Michael Beck as Swan, James Remar as Ajax, Deborah Van Valkenburgh as Mercy, Dorsey Wright as Cleon, Thomas G. Waites as Fox, and David Harris as Cochise.

Critics praised the audio as it "really shines above all else", with a replicated soundtrack and absolutely superb voice acting by many of the original actors who starred in the film.

Rockstar Toronto has gained the most media coverage for its development of The Warriors, which overall received positive reviews,[32] and made about $37 million worldwide.

In addition, Rockstar Toronto has gone to the trouble of creating a completely new storyline that shows players how the Warriors came together, and the events leading up to the start of the film.

Unlike most of the genre, where you walk down single-path alleyways, The Warriors, taking cues from other popular Rockstar titles, creates the illusion that you're in a real, living city.

"Although, sizewise, the levels are much closer to Manhunt than Grand Theft Auto, there are areas to explore both on the ground and vertically, hidden items, amazing unlockables, and numerous side missions.

"[33] As Game Informer further explained, they stated: "The fighting engine itself is fairly deep, allowing you to pull off some very brutal moves with a modicum of button presses (including some cool co-op maneuvers).

[52] In 2006, Roger Hill, who played Cyrus in the movie, filed a lawsuit of US$250,000 ($377,847 when adjusted for inflation) against Take-Two for using his voice and depiction in the game without his permission.