Bully (PS2) Review
Posted by Adam Smith on 11.13.2006
GTA's little brother has a few growing pains, but still ends up being a fine young man.
Title: Bully
Developer: Rockstar North
Type: Sandbox/Open World Action
Players: 1
Bully is, without question, a controversial game. The funny thing is that all of the game's controversy came before the game was even released. Bully gets rated Teen and every lawyer gunning for this game looks like a moron (well, a bigger moron). So what are we left with Well....
You play as a tough named Jimmy who's been expelled from every school he's ever been in. Now his mom is getting re-married and he's getting shipped off to Bullworth Academy, one of the worst and most violent private schools in all of America. He's instantly befriended by a somewhat insane kid named Johny and the somewhat effeminate Pete. Johny wants to use Jimmy to take over the school from the various cliqs, but Jimmy just wants to survive. That's your introduction to the entertaining but flawed world of Bully.
Graphics
Bully is about on par with the look of Grand Theft Auto: San Andres which is a good thing. The problem is that over the past few years, next generation is finally looking next generation. What was overlooked with San Andres can't be overlooked here. Character designs are a little "jaggy" here and there, and there are some rather wooden movements during the game's cut scenes (which run off of the in game graphics engine).
Still, the vast majority of the graphics look good to great. What is most impressive is that this is the first sandbox game where every character has a distinct personality. There are only about thirty students on campus, but each of them have names, likes, dislikes, and distinct voices. The problem is that you'll run from one end of the campus and run into the exact same people on the other end. Regardless, this is still an incredibly impressive hallmark of what to expect in the next few years on the 360 and PS3.
Gameplay
Bully makes some major strides forward in what should be implemented in future Rockstar games. The combat system is fluid and *gasp* fun! Furthermore, quickly switching weapons is a breeze with this game as is getting where you need to go. The other great thing is that "losing" weapons if you're caught or beaten up is not as huge of a blow as it is in Grand Theft Auto since you can restock almost all of your weapons instantaneously. The stealth elements of Bully are incredibly well implemented as well.
The one big step forward in the Rockstar world is the addition to "date" girls (or boys!) or toss out other insults. Courting a mate is relatively simple as you get in good with the various clique, dress well, and present them gifts. The opposite end of the spectrum is insulting others. It's a very simple system where you pull up a menu and compliment someone either to win them over or taunt them either to scare them off or coax them into a fight. Rockstar's new system is simplistic but wonderful.
The class system is a bit less successful. Until you graduate all of your classes, provosts will capture you and force you to go to class. While none of the mini-games are bad, the vast majority of them are tedious. Furthermore, the "punishments" if you are caught by a provost are equally tedious. This is a interesting way for Rockstar to treat failure in the game, but it doesn't change the fact that things could have been done to make this game more entertaining.
This doesn't mean that Bully is a perfect game. Targeting gets to be a real pain in the butt when there are multiple people around Jimmy. Furthermore, girls have a horrible tendency to walk in front of you when you're taking a swing at a jock or a nerd. The other major problem comes with the camera. When there are multiple characters on screen, the camera flips out just a bit. Jimmy gets pretty easily lost in a crowd. Ah well.
Sound
There is a bit of poor voice acting in Bully, but that's about it. The soundtrack is wonderfully diverse. The vast majority of the main character's voice acting just feels right. Sound effects have that wonderful pop to them too. Bully is certainly one of Rockstar's most impressive sounding games to date. This is simply one of the best sounding PS2 games out today. Fantastic stuff.
Lasting Appeal
Bully is a game that the most dedicated gamers can beat over a long weekend. Thankfully though, the 20 hours or so the Bully lasts are a lot of fun. Bully is simply an entertaining game that is worth the time investment to beat. There are a few collecting sidequests that unlock various clothing for Jimmy to wear, but for the most part, only the most dedicated gamers will run around trying to complete these quests.
If there is a problem with Bully is that it's a bit too linear. It's quite easy to get caught up in just taking mission after mission without spending the time going to class or unlocking clothing. Furthermore, even if you beat Bully, the vast majority of secondary missions are relatively boring fetch quests such as find the 100 rubber bands or so forth. Still, 20 hours is a solid game length even if you're not going to play it after you finish.
Fun Factor
Bully's story and combat system are both very entertaining, but it's lacking a few things. Perhaps the biggest is the whole mayhem aspect that the Grand Theft Auto series is so famous for. Unlike GTA, it gets pretty old swiping a bicycle and throwing itching powder at the nerds. The missions also have no real variety. It's usually escort kid here, pick up item there, vandalize that thing, steal back this thing. It's simply a tad too boring this time around.
Overall
Bully is a nice new universe for Rockstar. There are a few interesting new ideas played around with here, but the majority of the game is still Rockstar sandbox goodness. There are some serious setbacks with the controls and variety, but on the whole Bully is a solid title. Recommended.
Graphics
8.0
A few wooden movements and jaggies here and there mar an otherwise captivating world.
Gameplay
6.5
A poor camera and iffy targeting system hold back an entertaining combat engine and original friendship system.
Sound
9.0
There's a bit of iffy voice acting in some of the minor characters, but otherwise the soundtrack is perfect.
Lasting Appeal
8.0
20 solid hours and a few sidequests make a memorable game. A bit too linear though to be playable beyond that.
Fun Factor
6.5
Sure, it's fun getting into fights the first ten times, but after that...
