Bully for PlayStation 2
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- ESRB Descriptor: Violence Crude Humor Use of Alcohol Language Sexual Themes Use of Tobacco
- ESRB Rating: T - (Teen)
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Genre: Action
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Bully...What's All the Fuss About?
Pros
characters, nice graphics
Cons
some boring missions and mini-games, not much to do after
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Bully's interesting story, wacky characters, and varied gameplay elements make it worth checking out.
Bully follows the tale of Jimmy Hopkins and his trip through Bullworth Academy. Jimmy has been expelled from seven schools and his mother has abandoned him at this private school. It's up to Jimmy to fit in with his peers, attend classes, and most importantly cause mischief.
Gameplay
Players are given a third person perspective and have the freedom to roam around and get into trouble. Jimmy starts the game with some punching combos and grab maneuvers. Completing classes will unlock non-lethal weapons (stinkbombs, itching powder) and stronger fighting techniques. Yes that's right, you'll have the option to attend classes like Art, Shop, Chemistry, and Gym. These classes are made up of fairly simple mini-games. For example, Gym class consists of participating in wrestling matches and dodgeball games. Passing your classes increase your stats and improve your fighting abilities.
The main gameplay missions deal with the various cliques in school. Bullworth is made up of jocks, nerds, preppies, and greasers. Throughout the game you'll have to do favors for each clan. A lot of objectives deal with searching areas and retrieving items. Other challenges involve escorting characters safely to a destination, boxing competitions, and bicycle races. Fulfilling their requests will earn you respect and money. Money can then be used to purchase new wardrobe and items that are crucial to complete your missions.
The world of Bully is not that intimidating. The school has dorms, a main building, a library, garages, and a gym. Fortunately, you're able to wander off campus and explore the nearby town areas. Once off school ground, you'll encounter small shops, parks, a carnival, and warehouses. But the lack of bigger environments means you won't be running back to play Bully when you beat the game. The side-quests are nothing special and there are only a few interesting locations to revisit.
Getting around can be a bit of a chore. Seeing as how you're just a teen you have to do a lot of running. Things start to pickup once you grab a skateboard or a bike. But here's where I start to have problems with game. The skateboard allows you to travel faster, but movements get awkward in crowded spaces. Then there were occasions when it felt like I spent more time traveling than actually completing my missions.
Bully falls apart in other places. The classroom mini-games are fun at first but become extremely repetitive. It got to the point where I was ditching every class and focusing on the main game. What's funny is that you're not punished for it. The game is relatively easy, so you don't have to rely too much on building your character into the ultimate bullying machine. Another problem I have deals with the story missions. A couple of them are too familiar and the retrieval tasks felt like filler.
Graphics
The characters models are the game's best visuals. Student types are easily recognizable by their clothing and behavior. I liked that there's always something going on in the scenery. You'll see students run to class when the bell rings, campus prefects chase troublemakers, and groups of kids get together and talk. Even with all the commotion in the background, the game runs very smooth.
Sound
Considering the game's content, I wasn't expecting excellent voice-overs. Each clique has their own conversation style, and the voice-overs do a great job of moving the story along. I was surprised that there wasn't a licensed soundtrack. Instead, an original score was produced, and it complements the action on the screen. My only complaint is that a few songs sound the same.
Overall
Bully is a tamer, shorter version of Grand Theft Auto. Out of the 12 hours it took to beat the game, I only heard about 5 cuss words. As for the mature content, there's nothing that'll cause controversy. There are no guns, no blood, no carjacking, and you can't have a cup of hot coffee with your teachers. Even with its faults, I still had a lot of fun with Bully. Its interesting story, wacky characters, and varied gameplay elements make it worth checking out.
Gameplay
Players are given a third person perspective and have the freedom to roam around and get into trouble. Jimmy starts the game with some punching combos and grab maneuvers. Completing classes will unlock non-lethal weapons (stinkbombs, itching powder) and stronger fighting techniques. Yes that's right, you'll have the option to attend classes like Art, Shop, Chemistry, and Gym. These classes are made up of fairly simple mini-games. For example, Gym class consists of participating in wrestling matches and dodgeball games. Passing your classes increase your stats and improve your fighting abilities.
The main gameplay missions deal with the various cliques in school. Bullworth is made up of jocks, nerds, preppies, and greasers. Throughout the game you'll have to do favors for each clan. A lot of objectives deal with searching areas and retrieving items. Other challenges involve escorting characters safely to a destination, boxing competitions, and bicycle races. Fulfilling their requests will earn you respect and money. Money can then be used to purchase new wardrobe and items that are crucial to complete your missions.
The world of Bully is not that intimidating. The school has dorms, a main building, a library, garages, and a gym. Fortunately, you're able to wander off campus and explore the nearby town areas. Once off school ground, you'll encounter small shops, parks, a carnival, and warehouses. But the lack of bigger environments means you won't be running back to play Bully when you beat the game. The side-quests are nothing special and there are only a few interesting locations to revisit.
Getting around can be a bit of a chore. Seeing as how you're just a teen you have to do a lot of running. Things start to pickup once you grab a skateboard or a bike. But here's where I start to have problems with game. The skateboard allows you to travel faster, but movements get awkward in crowded spaces. Then there were occasions when it felt like I spent more time traveling than actually completing my missions.
Bully falls apart in other places. The classroom mini-games are fun at first but become extremely repetitive. It got to the point where I was ditching every class and focusing on the main game. What's funny is that you're not punished for it. The game is relatively easy, so you don't have to rely too much on building your character into the ultimate bullying machine. Another problem I have deals with the story missions. A couple of them are too familiar and the retrieval tasks felt like filler.
Graphics
The characters models are the game's best visuals. Student types are easily recognizable by their clothing and behavior. I liked that there's always something going on in the scenery. You'll see students run to class when the bell rings, campus prefects chase troublemakers, and groups of kids get together and talk. Even with all the commotion in the background, the game runs very smooth.
Sound
Considering the game's content, I wasn't expecting excellent voice-overs. Each clique has their own conversation style, and the voice-overs do a great job of moving the story along. I was surprised that there wasn't a licensed soundtrack. Instead, an original score was produced, and it complements the action on the screen. My only complaint is that a few songs sound the same.
Overall
Bully is a tamer, shorter version of Grand Theft Auto. Out of the 12 hours it took to beat the game, I only heard about 5 cuss words. As for the mature content, there's nothing that'll cause controversy. There are no guns, no blood, no carjacking, and you can't have a cup of hot coffee with your teachers. Even with its faults, I still had a lot of fun with Bully. Its interesting story, wacky characters, and varied gameplay elements make it worth checking out.
