Let's be honest.....

[ureaditwrong]

This game is unique, but it isn't that good. It's just GTA, but for kids. Literally, it's just a lazy copy and paste of the GTA formula, but rated PG-13. And it doesn't work. All of the missions are just "fetch this, punch that, deliver this." None of the missions in the game are unique and this is largely because the game doesn't have any new mechanics that aren't already in GTA. The story is trash, and it's blatantly obvious the writers didn't know where to take the story, which makes sense since Rockstar didn't grasp compelling writing until GTA 4. At least in the previous GTA games, they were able to develop the protagonists through making them more experienced/powerful throughout the story. However, this doesn't work in Bully because Jimmy is just a kid; being "king of the school" means nothing. He's not actually more powerful, he doesn't face any new challenges he didn't already contend with, and the respect Jimmy's peers give him for essentially delivering a bunch of ♥♥♥♥ to them in the missions is completely contrived. Jimmy at the beginning is exactly the same as Jimmy at the end. The whole plot is meaningless, just like the gameplay. The plot could've been better if they embraced the whole boarding school atmosphere and introduced themes relating to adolescence but no, after the first chapter, they just open the gates to a GTA-like city (which makes up a majority of the map in a game supposedly about school) and the game essentially just becomes neutered GTA.

Oh, not to mention the faction system is utterly pointless since it's completely tied to the main story, which is 100% linear. It may as well not be there at all. The game was a nice attempt by Rockstar at making something different, but the setting is ultimately incongruous with their signature game design so that's why there will never be a Bully 2.

[Messsucher]

Agree, a lot of potential wasted.

[Sol]

Yeah BRO, they should've written it like that Big Mouth TV show and hired GRR Martin to write the plot.

[ITSMEHONEYD]

you're judging a game released in 2006 in 2021.... the game was actually amazing for its time the amount you were able to do outside of the main story was more then most games then it paved the way for games like gta 4 and 5

[Lord Voxtron]

I don't agree at all, I find the story pretty good. You don't know what being king of school means because you are now a grumpy adult and the school days are merely a remembrance. What Bully portrays is what the world mostly is for a kid or a teen: the school and a lot of places in the city to hang out. You can't compare it to the adult druglord/gangster world of GTA, even though the gameplay is similar. Sometimes, I find Bully better than GTA in gameplay for its time, especially concerning melee combat. Not that it's not like a juvenile GTA, but the story and its meaning are simply not the same, it's a coming-of-age story after all. Jimmy has a troubled life outside the school and the plot serves for him to overcome all that as he grows up, you can't say he's the same as the beginning. That review doesn't even deserve the jester award someone already gave to you.

By the way, a Bully 2 was already in the plans, but it was cancelled. It's no secret to anyone that Rockstar focuses mostly on GTA, despite other franchises being successful. They released the Anniversary Edition in 2016, so they may still have interest on Bully.

[Bing Chilling]

your not wrong calling it a more "kid friendly" GTA game
but i do feel the characters more then make up for the similar styles
aswel as the combat system. it's actually pretty fun once you've unlocked all the moves
(or use a cheat code with a second controller in the pause menu)
it has tons of upgrade in the form of "classes" that actually do alot of cool stuff
there's a fair amount of progression actually

in terms of jimmy himself
he does change a little
at the start he literally gives 0 ♥♥♥♥♥ about anything
after garry betrays him, he starts wanting to help bring balance

jimmy: "Ugh!! because there's tons of kids around here who need a beating and you're picking on the few who don't"
(after you beat russel in the first chapter)

by the end hes a rough around the edges kid with a golden heart
his character arch isn't amazing but it is there.

mission structure in all rockstar games is nearly the same
so docking it points there doesn't make alot of sense

from manhunt to bully to gta games
it's always been
go here.
kill/beat up some goons
take item/vehicle
return.

i'm surprised you haven't noticed this actually.

but i really do think it's the characters,story,various gameplay mechanics and smaller more
real feeling world is what makes this game great.

you make fair points and if you don't like the story or gameplay
then thats fine. but you are really looking at this game as a GTA clone when
if you look at all R* games they boil down to the GTA formula.
story,world,characters and atmosphere is what changes between their games.

[NRP104 60 mg]

♥♥♥♥♥ what

[bray]

nah

[FeiCaSh]

man, this game was released in 2006
"It's just GTA, but for kids" I mean, Rockstar made both games so where's the problem

And GTA games arent even that deep.
In bully you just go punch people and run?
In GTA you just shoot people and drive.

[The Ish]

While clearly a lot of similarities to other Rockstar games, I think it offers some things that the other games don't. While smaller, the world feels more fleshed out in terms of the characters. It's not just a ton of random civilians in town and school. You will see people you recognize. That bit of a social system in a game,especially at that time, was very unique.

I really enjoy it, and have played it several times over the years. Great game, glad it exists.

[Lord Voxtron]

Originally posted by The Ish:

While clearly a lot of similarities to other Rockstar games, I think it offers some things that the other games don't. While smaller, the world feels more fleshed out in terms of the characters. It's not just a ton of random civilians in town and school. You will see people you recognize. That bit of a social system in a game,especially at that time, was very unique.

I really enjoy it, and have played it several times over the years. Great game, glad it exists.

That's a good point. Most of the NPCs are recognizable and not just random people wandering around like in GTA. Not a lot of games have that.

[chrisguzman991]

I couldn't disagree any further....

Bully is my favorite game all time

Story 10/10
Gameplay 10/10

Short, Sweet, and to the point.

I wish they still made games like this from the ps2 era