SAVAGE WARRIORS (aka WARRIORS)

Get set to get serious.

With hardcore interactivity, astonishing realism, and brutal intensity, Savage Warriors is ready to kick the teeth out of anything you've ever experienced.

In this killer beat-em-'up, you choose a character from among the most cunning warriors in history and take on fiece enemies on a strange and savage island. Face a bloody showdown of epic proportions.

Amazingly accurate fighting animations and an array of indevidual battle techniques make this action so real, and so fast you'll be sweating bullets before it's over. Each of the ten warriors and five secret characters are arrayed with a unique set of powerful punches, gut-wrenching kicks, and secret special moves guaranteed to inflict bodily harm.

Make no mistake. If this were any more realistic, your enemies would wind up on life support.

 

Adrenaline-pumping features:

• Created with Midscape's advanced 3D Bio Motion Technology, accurate, detailed, amazingly flexible characters deliver ultra-smooth movements and ultra-stunning blows.
• Can't sit still? Choose from 11 mindblowing, color-drenched backdrops, then swing from vines, dangle from hooks, and leap onto rocks as you fight to the finish.
• Pick up lethal weapons. Brandish them. Use them. Or choose to ignore them. Who said anything about a good clean fight?
• Effortlessly switch from a soaring overhead view to an in-your-face ground-level perspective.
• A unique 3D replay capability lets you relive your finest moments.
• 14 original, hard-hitting audio tracks and more than 300 dynamic sound effects keep your pulse pounding as you play.

~ from the back of the box

You don't get many quality one-on-one fighters exclusive to the home computers. I don't know why that is, as the specs are more than capable to do such a thing. Take a look at Savage Warriors, for example. It is fast, smooth and has just enough complexity in its mechanics and personality in its character design to keep you coming back for more.

Developed by Atreid Concepts (who would later become Kalisto Entertainment of Nightmare Creatures and Dark Earth fame), Savage Warriors proved back in 1995 that you don't have to be lumped with Rise of the Robots or shoddy Street Fighter ports to get your round-house kicks. It uses its own technology called 3D Bio Motion to provide smooth animations on the characters rendered in the 3D-looking voxel-based bodies. This gives each fighter a level of detail early 3D couldn't allow, while still keeping the smoothness of movement. 

The backgrounds are hand-drawn with the odd animation thrown in to keep it lively. It may seem a little at odds with the character models, but it gives the game an inviting storybook feel. It helps that these backgrounds are no mere pictures. They can be interacted with by hanging on hooks or ledges for stronger kicks. You can also change perspectives to a slightly overhead view. It does nothing to the gameplay, but its a nice feature. A hi-res mode zooms out the entire playfield into a single static screen, but you're stuck with an ugly border made to look like a monitor.

This monitor fits with the story, which I must admit is a little weak. An alien being blighted by an abundance of self-worth and toxic masculinity zaps some unsuspecting earthlings throughout time to duke it out to the death. He monitors each scuffle, which you can witness as a real-time replay, until the ultimate winner fights him in a match conceived of pure ego. 

From a control standpoint, there's a lot to be desired. Keyboard controls cannot be re-mapped (outside of DOSBox's own keymapper function) and each player has the choice of two pre-defined keys. Their placement won't do much to ease anyone's carpel tunnel syndrome. Thankfully, there are only two action buttons - kick and punch. It's surprising how many moves you can get out of this, but it's a far cry from the more complex and satisfying fare Tekken or Street Fighter II were doing.

In the end, Savage Warriors is still a fun time. It is one of the better retro fighters I've played on the PC and one that deserves more recognition than it has. Fun times.

**UPDATE**
As of 12th December 2023, the Savage Warriors is now available to buy on GOG.

Buy from GOG


Savage Warriors (aka Warriors) is © Mindscape Inc
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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