Was just discussing this game on another forum and one of my gushing posts turned out like a mini review, so I decided to post it here and add in a few things.
First user review, so let me know what you think.
BULLY (or Canis Cadem Edit)(PS2, XBOX 360)
Bully was, and always will be, an all time favorite for this gamer.
Jimmy Hopkins was the most interesting and sympathetic protagonist in any Rockstar game. His story was funny and moving, with the focus on mischief, as opposed to the 'gritty', muderous anti-heroism the developer is known for.
Who can forget helping the school chef drug the man of her dreams in order to have her way with him? Or beating up the school mascot and stealing his uniform to infiltrate the jocks hangout? Or picking a fight in your dorm by pushing someone into a bin? Or sneaking into the girls' dorm for a perv?
The open world was lively, gorgeous and lots of fun to explore. No two areas were the same and there were lots of things to interact with and little secrets to find. I even found all the rubber bands.
It actually made you want to go to class too... the mini games were pretty fun and reaped nice rewards. And then there was that Art teacher... mmm.
Having been a nerd in school, it was gloriously satisfying to work my way up the educational food-chain, the pinnacle of course being the inspired mission where Jimmy beats up the jocks and ruins thier football game in a humiliating, hilarious fashion.
The soundtrack was also great, the minimal funky basslines getting new instrumentation for each chapter and season to symbolise the progression of the protagonist. It perfectly evoked the sense of fun and mischief the game did so well.
If I were to think of flaws, I would criticise the lack of mission checkpoints (as in most Rockstar titles). When will Rockstar learn that having to traverse a large area of world again after a mission fail is just boring and anti-fun? There were also and a few dodgy issues with scenery and collision detection, and some clumsy character models (see pic below) but these are minor niggles.
Pure, escapist fun, and something everyone who used to be picked on in school should find a lot of satisfaction playing.
I know people like numbers,so here you go:
9/10
First user review, so let me know what you think.
BULLY (or Canis Cadem Edit)(PS2, XBOX 360)
Bully was, and always will be, an all time favorite for this gamer.
Jimmy Hopkins was the most interesting and sympathetic protagonist in any Rockstar game. His story was funny and moving, with the focus on mischief, as opposed to the 'gritty', muderous anti-heroism the developer is known for.
Who can forget helping the school chef drug the man of her dreams in order to have her way with him? Or beating up the school mascot and stealing his uniform to infiltrate the jocks hangout? Or picking a fight in your dorm by pushing someone into a bin? Or sneaking into the girls' dorm for a perv?
The open world was lively, gorgeous and lots of fun to explore. No two areas were the same and there were lots of things to interact with and little secrets to find. I even found all the rubber bands.
It actually made you want to go to class too... the mini games were pretty fun and reaped nice rewards. And then there was that Art teacher... mmm.
Having been a nerd in school, it was gloriously satisfying to work my way up the educational food-chain, the pinnacle of course being the inspired mission where Jimmy beats up the jocks and ruins thier football game in a humiliating, hilarious fashion.
The soundtrack was also great, the minimal funky basslines getting new instrumentation for each chapter and season to symbolise the progression of the protagonist. It perfectly evoked the sense of fun and mischief the game did so well.
If I were to think of flaws, I would criticise the lack of mission checkpoints (as in most Rockstar titles). When will Rockstar learn that having to traverse a large area of world again after a mission fail is just boring and anti-fun? There were also and a few dodgy issues with scenery and collision detection, and some clumsy character models (see pic below) but these are minor niggles.
Pure, escapist fun, and something everyone who used to be picked on in school should find a lot of satisfaction playing.
I know people like numbers,so here you go:
9/10
