Bully

"Probably the greatest game to feature stink bombs ever."

So the “Columbine simulator” is finally here! While Rockstar Games heavily anticipated Bully may not live up to its moniker given by Jack Thompson, the bane of every sane gamer everywhere, it does offer up some very fun Grand Theft Auto inspired gameplay. Set in a prestigious prep school, the game is chalk full of traditional Rockstar humor, style and gameplay in what can be viewed as a fun, less serious alternative to the Grand Theft Auto titles.

The game follows the story of Jimmy Hopkins, who is shipped off to Bullworth Academy, known for it's reputation of churning out drug dealers, serial killers, and corporate lawyers.
In traditional Rockstar fashion, the story is full of adult (and sometimes juvenile) humor, colorful characters, and a heavy layer of satire about the whole thing. It very much resembles a dark comedy in many ways, and it's not a stretch to describe it as one. Unlike the GTA series, which actually tries to take itself seriously from time to time, Bully mercifully never falls into this trap. From beginning to finish, it presents itself in a very unserious way, which is definitely for the best.

The game also features sandlot gameplay, similar to GTA and its countless clones. While other companies continue to try and fail to emulate Rockstar's success, R* proves once again it's at the top of this genre. The school serves as the sandbox in which you get to play around in, and it follows the traditional GTA format of messing around when you want, and tackling story missions when you feel ready. Of course, the game takes place in a school so naturally you'll be attending class in addition to missions. The classes present themselves as mini-games, in which you'll get bonuses and power ups for completing. Some of these mini-games are very fun, while others range from boring to unnecessarily difficult. Also puzzling about class, is that attendance is strictly optional. While if you get caught on school grounds during class time you'll be physically forced to class, you can skip all you want without being punished. Of course this is understandable, as the game may be set in a school, but it's not really about learning, but I still would have like to see more incentive to show up to class regularly.

Controls in Bully are once again, similar to GTA. While you won't be given any guns, you are given access to an arsenal of sling shots, stink bombs and other juvenile weapons. Still though, hand to hand combat is the heart of the game, and it actually surpasses GTA in that aspect. It's smooth, fun to control, and has some depth to it. Also a cool feature is the ability to humiliate your victim(or attacker) once there health is low enough. I would have liked to see more variation in this, as if you do it enough you'll start seeing the same moves over and over again, but it's still nice to have. Also in the game are skating and biking, to help you get around faster. These would be cool, but they feel tacked on and awkward to the point it becomes a chore to play.

Missions are the primary way to move the story along, and they're done well here. While many of them may seem familiar to GTA veterans, they hold their own well. In fact, Bully improves on the balancing issues every GTA has. There aren't many terribly hard missions, and most have a fair level of balance, which is more then can be said about GTA.

The setting of Bully lends itself to the Rockstar atmosphere very well. Bullworth is brimming with a comedic atmosphere throughout all its halls. Obviously the game is coated in a very nice layer of polish given its developer, and it shows. From the random musings of students and prefects to the hilariously stereotypical “factions”, you'll never stop being amused by the dark comedy atmosphere.

Anybody who has played a GTA know Rockstar can create some wonderful characters, and Bully is no slouch in that department either. From the egotistical and somewhat delusional principle, his more then admiring secretary, an alcoholic English teacher, a sociopath rival student, and a drunk hobo who resides behind the school, Bully offers up numerous memorable characters. And did you think the game wouldn't feature glaringly funny stereotypes? Every stereotype you knew in back in high school is here. There's the “G&G” nerds, the dumb jocks, the preps, the greasers, and the bully's. Only Rockstar could take such overused stereotyped and still make them absolutely hilarious, and they do that here.

While the atmosphere is most decidedly up to Rockstar standards, that doesn't matter if it's not fun to walk around in, and not surprisingly Rockstar crafted a school that is full of things to do and places to explore. Being fairly big in size, Bullworth is most likely more fun to explore then your school. Whether it's using your sling shot from a tree on the football team at the practice field, sneaking into the girls dormitory or pulling the fire alarm and watching dozens of students run around in chaos, there is always something to do at Bullworth.

After a little way into the game, the city surrounding Bullworth opens up to you. Unfortunately, it's not given the same care as the school is. While it is large in size, it is small in the number of things to do. You can clothes and visit a carnival, but other then that there isn't much else to occupy yourself with. The city just feels unneeded, and tacked on. I would have rather Rockstar spent the time it took creating the city on making the school even more expansive.

The game is also very high quality visual wise. While it could never be said that GTA had impressive graphics, Bully's visuals are very impressive. Character models are especially done well, and the hamburger hands of GTA are done away with. Facial expressions match up with the excellent voice acting well, and the games graphics just have a level of polish not found in many other PS2 games. The environments also have a high level of detail, and the framerate holds up well.

Bully also shines in the audio department. Rockstar never fails to convey film quality cinematics, and that's in no small part do the excellent voice acting found in their titles. That returns here, as Bully has the quality voice acting one would expect from a Rockstar game. The sound also enhances the atmosphere quite a bit, as the music fit's the game like a glove. The chattering of fellow students also adds more depth to the title.

While Bully could potentially feel like GTA light to some, it manages to succeed as its own game, and even top its older brother in a number of categories. Bully is one of the last must own games in the PS2's fading lineup, and one would be a fool not to give it a chance. Rockstar delivers another quality gaming experience that we have come to expect.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/04/07