Fun, innovative, interesting, and...fun again!

User Rating: 9.1 | Bully PS2
By erie_enigma | Review Date:
Bully for the PS2--welcome to Bullworth academy all! In short, this is a fun and innovative title that creates a pseudo-school/academy experience wrought with stereotypical cliques to the ultimate extreme, crooked teachers, pubescent archtypes, and overall 'justifiable' mayhem. The game is centered around Jimmy Hopkins, boarding school reject. He's a kid placed at the worst of the boarding schools as a last ditch effort by his mom and 'newest' husband to keep him in a place and out of their hair while they go on a honeymoon. The main factions in this place are played out well by the characters/voiceovers and the stereotypes: Jocks, Nerds, Preppies, "Bullies", and the Townies (obviously not part of the school). In time you will interact, defeat, control, and have to retake all of these groups. Throuhout the game you take part in 'missions' of sorts to get the story going (ala GTA) but can free roam to an extent (again, ala GTA) to the opened sections of the map (school and multiple towns)...the difference being that truency from classes and being out past cufew gets you in trouble with the prefects/cops.

Speaking of truency, I forgot to mention classes. Yes, classes. There are two per day, five 'levels' per class. Completing each class (which are essentially minigames or missions) unlocks certain things. For example, completeing gym classes unlock either accuracy upgrades or fighting moves. English class nets you the ability to talk your way out of situations, art class give 'shield' type bonuses when kissing girls, etc...it's all worthwhile to attend a few (if not complete) the classes (especially Art for the kissing bonuses, they come in handy when getting in a lot of fights).

Speaking of fights, fights you will get into! Some are more innovative than others (like dodging footballs with firecrackers in them and tossing them back at the QB) or just a free-for-all. The characters are pretty well developed and you get a feeling of each ones overall personalities t/o the game. The missions are varied with occasional 'collect this stuff' repition, but not excessively so. The Towns are well made and complete with a carnival with rides for fun.

The soundtrack is a mixture of sounds and guitar riffs with bass guitar beats...it works VERY well for the game and setting the mood, changing with the mission type/gang you are working for/fight you are in.

The total game time for me was just over 14hrs. I'm sure you could do it in less if you blitzed through the missions, or take much more if you do the side missions for cash like mowing the lawn or doing the miscellaneous bike races and/or finishing every level of every class. I had most classes finished and a total complete of 70% at the 14hr 15mins mark and the main story completed.

Overall a worthwhile pickup and a recommended title!

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