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78 of 80 found the following review helpful:
Welcome to Bullworth AcademyApr 15, 2008
By Karen F. Nath
"The Music Chronicler"
If you haven't played Bully, let me say that you are in for a huge treat. First off, Rockstar was kind enough to lop ten bucks off the purchase price so this is being sold for fifty bucks, which is actually a steal, considering how much content this game has. Let me also dispel any notions of this being a "schoolyard GTA", in fact, the high school that I go to is worse than this game is. You don't kill people, there is no blood; the whole atmosphere is very tongue in cheek.
Bully is an open world game set in the fictitous Bullworth Academy and its neighboring town. While that may not sound like a huge world to explore, there is so much detail in everything that you will hardly notice this. You start out as Jimmy Hopkins, a fifteen year old delinquent dropped off by your mother and new stepdad at boarding school. Right away, you figure out that the teachers are corrupt, the students are all part of conformist cliques, the prefects are out to bust anyone for putting a toe over the line, and the only kid like you is a power-hungry jerk. Thanks, mom.
The gameplay is extremely solid. Combat is varied, with a number of ways you can take on the prefects, teachers, or townspeople. You can, of course, punch, kick, etc, but you can also throw eggs, use stink bombs, lob firecrackers...you get the picture. The number and sheer variety of missions is extraordinary. It took me well over 100 hours to achieve absolutely everything in the game and get all the Achievements (which are quite fun and varied as well). And believe me, you won't regret an hour spent playing. Even classroom activities are really enjoyable, offering up some unique minigames, which benefit your everyday skills (e.g., if you excel in Art, you will have more success with the ladies).
The plot is very well done, and humor is ever present. Jimmy needs to win over the groups of students: the Nerds, Jocks, Preps, Greasers, and Bullies. Along the way, you'll run into missions delving into calendar year functions, such as Halloween and Christmas. Everything you do is related to something else, which makes the whole game that much more enjoyable. (However, if you already played this on PS2, there isn't a ton of new content here, 8 missions, 4 classes, multiplayer, and Achievements are about it).
Here's to a sequel that hopefully will be coming soon!
250 of 277 found the following review helpful:
one of the best games from PS2 just got better!Mar 07, 2008
By Raul Duke
"Gonzo HST"
first, please vote whether this helps or not. otherwise its kind of pointless writing these. yes/no buttons are right at the bottom of the review. thanks.
if you enjoyed this game on the PS2 half as much as me, you're going to love it on the 360. there's tons of new content including 8 new missions, 4 new classes, new characters, two-player classes/mini games, new unlockables, new rewards and achievements. in total you get 82 missions, 45 lessons, loads of mini games and collectibles. 30+ hours of gameplay.
its an open world sandbox game with deeper combat options than most, full of options to dispatch your enemies, including tackles, headbutts, and a few wresting grapples. the world is pretty massive, and will take some time to fully explore. maybe its just me, but the environments seem to be expanded pretty majorly from the PS2 version. theres a few vehicles you can use to explore the campus and the surrounding town including a skateboard, bicycles, go-carts, and scooters.
the graphics have been revamped significantly. an all new lighting/shadow system has been added, along with high resolution textures. it still doesnt compare to most xbox 360 games, but thats not the point, and thats probably a big part of its price.
this game has more general character and spirit than almost any other game ive played. everyone is a pretty believeable character in thier universe. playing this really takes you back. its like being in highschool all over again, but if you want to shove someone into a locker you can, you want to pinch your teachers behind as she walks past? go for it! you wanna watch the hall monitor(prefect) fall in your scattered marbles, only to be shot down by your bottle rockets when he chases after you?? no problem! there is great variety of people to interect with, each group with their own members and unique personalities:jocks, nerds, preppies, bullies, greasers, teachers, townies, carnies.
its the Grand Theft Auto of the schoolyard, complete with no killing, and the lack of anything too offensive. during its developement, this was quickly becomming one of the most controversial games in years. upon its release, all the soccer moms and political wives with nothing better to do than scapegoat video games were slapped in the face by a harmless romp down memory lane, with a few complimentary wedgies.
add a surprisingly good story full of twists that goes through the whole school year and a cast rivaled by very few games, and you have yourself the answer to your open-world thirst. next to GTA IV and Saints Row this is your best bet.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
One in my collection of favoritesMar 23, 2008
By K. Hunter This game is fun in so many ways. I rented it for PS2 very early last year and I decided to buy it when I found out it was being released for the 360. I'm glad I did. It's GTA in a teen world, I say that because there is really no blood visible and no guns. There's much to do. You can go to class or skip it if you want, you always get infinite chances to complete the class you're on. For example, the class system is you do 5 classes of each subject. Let's say if you're on class 3 and you skip it, you have a chance to do it tomorrow (in-game time, of course) and the day after that, etc.
There is a carnival in this game where you can play different games to earn tickets to buy items like a Moped, posters, a clown outfit, and other things. There are 3 different sections of the whole map. One is a suburban neighborhood, the other is an 'industrial powerplant' area, grungy all around and sort of poor looking. That's where the townies are located. The last is an area where you can find various stores and the beach. The carnival is located there down a road through a tunnel.
Anyway, I think people interested in the RPG, free-roam, and adventure genres would enjoy this game. The fighting is great in my opinion, the way you can throw people in trash cans and give them swirlies. People of all ages, well obviously not parents, would like this and get at least SOME fun out of it. When you do the missions you need to do to progress in the game, sometimes you unlock outfits or items, depending on the mission (they're always the same no matter how many times you play it). The "Endless Summer" chapter you get after you beat the game is a great way to complete all the classes you didn't get to finish during the actual chapters, and also do all the side quests to get achievements and some extra cash for new hairstyles, clothes, etc. This has good replay value after you've beaten it for a while and are tired of playing the Endless Summer chapter AND want to relive the mission experiences. If you are totally unsure if you should buy this or not, go rent it and see if it's worth it. Hope this helped.
16 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Good at $30, definite buy.Jul 06, 2008
By Shelia Leverett This is an open world game featuring you, a 15 year old smart- mouthed, trouble making kid. The story is that you are dumped off at this huge academy, because your mom is going on a honeymoon with her new husband, which your character hates. The story lasts around 13 hours, but an easy 15 can be played afterwards with all of the mini games and things such as that. This game has a very fun story and is one of the funniest games I have ever played. The only real strike is the gameplay can become a little to repetitive at times, and the difficulty never really picks up from the start to the end. All in all this is an excellent open world style of game and is one you should seriously consider adding to your collection.
Overall 8.0-8.5
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Worth the Money?Jul 18, 2008
By Marilyn J. Adams
"Marilyn"
Yes! I purchased this game (I'm an adult female of 24 years old) and I have yet to put it down. Here's some pros and cons for the readers of this review...
Pros:
#1. This game is one of the few that really make you think. I was a fan of Grand Theft Auto IV as well but while this could be a long distance relative to that game, Bully has a bit more than your regular shooting and killing game. As Jimmy, you have to go to the classes in order to graduate the school. Now, I've been out of school for a couple of years now and some of them really make you ponder. English and Math were the hardest ones and I still haven't beaten the final Biology class.
#2. This game has a "T for Teen" rating but I wouldn't have given it that. The only thing that might make parents a little wary is the fact that once you reach level 3 you have the ability (ability meaning "you can but don't have to") kiss other boys. Other than that fun little tidbit, the weapons are child based. Sling shots, stink bombs, itching powder, potato launcher, etc. etc. In fact, when you shoot another kid with your slingshot (if you shoot a child or girl, you are immediately "punished" by the man)they are knocked out instead of killed like in other games. I would be completely comfortable letting my 10 year old nephew play this game without any worries.
#3. The tasks are relatively easy. Even though the game doesn't offer an "easy, medium, hard" choice, the missions are somewhat easy to figure out. Again, another plus for small kids (or adult women whose last game she played was Donkey Kong on the Super Nintendo).
Cons:
#1. Loading Time. The loading time on this game is a big buzz kill. I'm not a fan of loading times at all but Bully seems to overdo it by alot. Everytime you enter into a building it loads? That's quite alot when you are on a mission and you have to enter four or five different buildings and everytime you walk through a door you have to sit through a 30 second to a minute worth of loading time.
#2. Glitches. There are quite a few of them in this game. Little things where your school clock doesn't show up and then you get busted for violating curfew. Another one is where you swing at an offender and for some reason or another you don't connect. That one usually shows up in missions and you either have to start the mission over or turn your game off all together. Maybe it's me but that does seem to irritate me.
#3. Some of the classes are too hard. I know in my pro section I said that the classes teach you and that it is good for you but come on people? 2 and a half minutes to disect a pig into seven pieces?? I still can't beat that biology class. Arggh!
All in all? I give Bully an A-. Easily one of the best games I have seen but there are a few minor issues that cause some irritation.
based on 54 reviews
( 54 customer reviews )
