Proves that Rockstar doesn't need buckets of blood and the vocabulary of a sailor to create a truly classic game.
Players assume the roll of the 15-year-old new kid in the neighborhood, Jimmy Hopkins. As the victim of his mom’s remarriage to her rich new spouse, troublemaking Jimmy is now forced into attending Bullsworth Academy to assist in getting his act together. However as Jimmy soon finds out, it is not always the kid that needs the most improving, but rather the school.
During class time at Bullsworth Academy, the staff of teachers and workers all exude a great deal of leadership and pride about their school, but as players peel away the layers, they will soon discover the horribly flawed characters at heart. An alcoholic English teacher, a perverted Gym teacher, and an unsanitary cafeteria lady are all examples of what lurks in this hypocritical boarding school.
But it is not just the teachers that are problems at Bullsworth Academy.
Much like in real schools, student cliques have formed and they love nothing more than spending their time bullying opposing groups due to differences. The bullies torment the geeks, the greasers and preps are always at each others’ throats, and the jocks really don’t know much of what is going on outside of their respective sports. The game spares no expenses as it makes use of the stereotypical aspects of each group to create a caricatured representation of school life, rather than a more realistic one.
The game itself plays just like a student’s life. Every morning Jimmy wakes up from his Boy’s dorm room to face the day. A clock in the left hand corner of the screen naturally keeps gamers aware of the time and can also remind them of the day’s activities. During certain hours of the day, Jimmy is alerted that he has class, and is responsible for taking himself to these classes.
Classes include Art, English, Gym, Chemistry, Shop, and Photography and are represented in short mini-games that resemble the subject at hand. English class requires players to rearrange a handful of letters into as many words as possible, while photography class is about Jimmy taking various shots around the school with his camera. These mini-games are fun to play, and can lead to special bonuses like new fighting moves or increased health for Jimmy if he passes the class every day.
But if players aren’t really feeling virtual classes on certain days, they can always do what real life students would never dream of doing: skip class.
Outside of the classroom, Jimmy has a multitude of things to see and do. Activities like moving the main plot along by completing missions, collecting numerous items, doing favors for students and teachers, pulling off pranks, and even picking fights with whoever gamers deem worthy. As much fun as it is on school ground, it is outside the school gates where the fun really begins.
While the city of Old Bullsworth is no where near the size of places like Liberty City or Vice City in “Grand Theft Auto,” the place certainly has personality. Stores can provide Jimmy with anything from character model altering effects like haircuts and clothes to items such as prank materials to target his next victim. Not only stores, but houses, graveyards, and even a massive carnival, complete with playable carnival games and rides, to keep the game flowing and entertaining.
Despite having numerous things to do, at the heart of “Bully” is a combat game. Jimmy is very adept at hand-to-hand fighting, and will use it numerous times to overcome conflicts with other bullies or enemies. Jimmy can also learn many fighting techniques, but the game is not exceedingly gratuitous on violence and keeps the action down to simple schoolyard scuffles rather than the typical disheartening use of firearms and bloodshed.
Overall, the game is very well structured and created. The camera is very solid, the action is fast and enjoyable, and there is nothing excessively flawed that comes to mind when playing this game. “Bully” serves as a great reminder of the good, and bad, ol’ days of high school without the excessive use of violence that Rockstar Games is notorious for implementing. If gamers are looking for a great trip down nostalgia lane, with a great concept and hysterically over the top characters, then “Bully” is well worth the rent or purchase.