Originally, I was playing this game on PS4, but then my console kinda died so I decided to upgrade to PS5 and continue finishing this game... yeah, that didn't happen because this game is a broken mess on PS5. So I just went ahead and played it on PS2, and I'm glad I did.

I was enjoying this game from the moment I started playing, being a fan of the movie, I can safely say it's one of the best movie adaptations ever made - and this game goes above in beyond in serving as a prequel AND an adaptation of the film. Gameplay wise, it's probably the most raw and brutal combat I have ever experienced in a game. Every punch you throw has weight and it genuinely feels like a ruthless street fight every time someone throws hands at you. R* really outdid themselves with this game. Even the music keeps in tone with the setting of the film.

If you liked the movie or just like beat em ups in general, you are doing yourself a disservice by skipping out on this masterpiece. Yes, the movement feels a little clunky at times but it's not enough to take away from the charm and fun that this game radiates. Just... don't buy this game on PS5. It's broken and probably won't be fixed anytime soon.

if you can get past the pathological misogyny and the basically reactionary premise then there is a pretty good beat-em-up game here that really interestingly fits into the auteurship of rockstar games' overall oeuvre. an adaptation of one of the quintessential gang films provides perfect fodder for rockstar to explore their morbid fascination with crime and violence, but even beyond this they manage to fit in so many staples which especially cropped up in their games from this generation, like the inexplicable dancing minigame. also, it was interesting to see the origin of read dead redemption 2's hat-wearing mechanic originate here, with you being able to pick up and wear the various hats worn by rival gang members, after you bash it off of their heads of course.

the gangs you beat your way through are colorful and larger-than-life, and really appeals to some part of the brain that appreciates extreme tribal-like delineations. most of this is just a holdover from the great gang designs present in the film, but it is so faithfully maintained here. all the striking and bizarre coordinated outfits communicate everything you need to know about these Othered enemies - they are weird, they want to hurt you, and you need to hurt them before they hurt you first. the moonrunners' logo especially is so cool, like a self-flagellating version of the moon pie logo.

the mechanics are really intuitive and easy to pick up on but despite the game's brief playtime their simplicity inevitably becomes tedious as you work your way through the missions. the secret double dragon-esque bonus game you get for beating the core and flashback levels probably provided me with the most consistent dopamine hits; it was fun, boiled the game down to its most cathartic elements and it didn't outstay its welcome. i also played the main 18 missions twice, once on hardcore soldier mode and then the unlockable unleash the fury, and the spraypainting mechanic especially became incredibly tedious. while it is another mechanic that strangely lines up with and appears in rockstar's previous outings, i still respect them for retaining this facet of new york culture present in the movie and for using the tags of and crediting classic graffito artists in the credits too.

interesting as well for being an adaptation that faithfully recreates the events of the property it is based on while also expanding on the narrative and really fleshing out its world. i really respect it for its attention to detail in recreating the time-appropriate fashion and staying true to the movie's overall distinctly late-70s new yorker aesthetic. do video game adaptations usually expound on the source material so authoritatively like this? it is fascinating and captivating, and the prequel missions feel like the red dead redemption 2 to the movie-based missions' red dead redemption, with both contextualizing and further humanizing members of a gang which you only got a peek into before.

rumble mode also has a surprising amount of gameplay modes that are fun with a friend, but i think every woman in the game has a totally separate moveset that is really pathetic and makes them basically useless in almost all of the gamemodes. interesting subtext there. but this is a game that is just about 9 lumpenproles terrorizing a city, so it is at least congruent with itself.