BULLY: SCHOLARSHIP EDITION REVIEW
It's not uncommon to see calls for a Bully sequel, even fourteen years later. It is widely considered an oft-forgotten gem, particularly by those that like open worlds. I find it hard to disagree. The game is wonderful, despite a few faults.
I'd played through the first chapter a few times when I was younger, but never got much further than that. Once I finally sat down and finished it, I was pleasantly surprised by how much it had to offer. It's a super fun experience, and one of the best parts is that it doesn't overstay its welcome. It's nearly the perfect length. I appreciate it for that.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Worldbuilding: 4/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 3/5
Overall score: 4/5
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
The graphics are pretty dated by today's standards, but I still find them incredibly charming. I will say that the remaster doesn't do much to actually improve them - that's not a huge deal to me personally, though.
I absolutely love the art style of the pieces in the loading screens/menus. It's such a cool and unique look. I wish there was more of it. All of the important members of the cast deserved to get their own portraits (especially Petey and Zoe.)
Speaking of the characters, they're are all very visually memorable. There's lots of distinction to make them stand out from one another. Jimmy's appearance will always be ingrained in my brain - after all, there's not many short, bald 15-year-old protagonists with freckles and an earring.
The world looks good, too. Each area is visually distinct, but everything makes sense in conjunction with each other. The winter setting in particular is really pretty.
Faces and hands are kind of weird during cutscenes, but even that has a certain charm about it. The characters move pretty fluidly, otherwise.
I know some people might disagree with me giving such a high rating in this department, but I really do believe Bully earns it. I don't think graphics have to be hyper-realistic to be good, and it does amazingly in every other visual aspect. The game is fun to look at; I think that's what really matters.
Overall, 4/5.
Sound:
I love the voice acting. It's so over-the-top and fun, and fits the tone of the game perfectly. The VAs do a flawless job of giving personality to these walking stereotypes. They add a lot of life to cutscenes that would not be nearly as good otherwise.
Also, the soundtrack is full of earworms. There's a lot of bass, which I really like. I've had the music stuck in my head for days. In fact, I'm listening to it as I write this review, lol.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Story:
I feel that this is the only category where the game falls short.
Don't get me wrong, there's some solid stuff here. For example, many of the characters are awesome. Jimmy is a great protagonist, and Gary is a great antagonist (more on him in a minute.) Zoe and Petey are cool. Bully does a fantastic job of making these stereotypical students and faculty relatable - either to ourselves or to our experiences with others - but cartoonish enough to be entertaining.
The humor is a standout part of the game, too. A lot of it is offensive, and it does go a bit too far at times, but I think it mostly works. Almost all of the characters are meant to be awful people that you despise, or at least dislike. The way they act and treat each other reflects that well.
I also do like the basis of story. [SPOILERS] Jimmy sets out to bring peace to the school through brute force, and ends up on top - but is usurped by the one enemy he forgot about. [SPOILER END] The main missions of the first few chapters are particularly really fun. You run around and take over these cliques, forcing them to your side.
The later missions are still fun, but feel much more rushed. I wish they had focused a bit more on [SPOILERS] Jimmy being expelled, and the school riots. [SPOILER END] These were really cool ideas that are barely used.
I particularly hate the fact that Gary is absent for a majority of the plot. He disappears after a certain point, after which he's only talked about in passing (until the final encounter.) I do understand that he's manipulating things behind the scenes, but it would still be cool to see him around. He showed up at one point just to taunt Jimmy, and I loved that. I thought he was going to randomly appear like that from then on. But, no, he just stopped appearing at all - until he was needed for the ending, of course. It made him feel much less important.
I hate how late Zoe was introduced, too. She's the main love interest, and I enjoy her character. Why was she not around until chapter 4 out of 6? She could have had a much bigger role. Also, she could've been their cool, tough female character who fights alongside Jimmy. Instead, they made her tactic flirting. It's a shame.
I will say this; throughout its entirety, the story is presented in easily digestible, short missions. There's nothing ridiculously complicated, and you never feel overwhelmed. It's a lot more fun this way. I just think that the game could have seriously benefited from a few more missions, and way more character presence.
Overall, 3/5.
Gameplay:
At its core, Bully is a game made up of many smaller minigames. I, personally, really like that - others might not like it at all. It's just a matter of personal preference.
There are different little activities for the classes. There are a multitude of different NPC errands (each with a semi-unique premise.) There are races (bike and go-kart.) There are arcade cabinets and carnival games. There's newspaper delivery and lawnmowing for cash... My point is, there's a lot of different things going on. And I think they're all fun!
Like I mentioned in the story section, everything in Bully is short and sweet. There's never anything overly-complicated. You can usually complete missions in 10-15 minutes tops. All of the side tasks are a very reasonable difficulty. I never found myself tired of any of the gameplay; there's just too much variety, and none of it ever sticks around for too long.
The combat is simple, but pretty fun. There are lots of combos you can learn. It gets clunky at times - I particularly found fighting groups annoying - but it's never egregiously bad. Also, I didn't expect there to be boss fights! They're each unique, leaning into associations with their clique. It's a very neat edition.
Overall, 4/5.
Worldbuilding:
It's an alive world with lots of NPCs. The students at the school even have their own passing dialogue, which gives a bit more depth to their characters.
There's a lot to do by 2006 standards, too. A ridiculous amount of activities help to add a lot of depth to Bullworth. See everything I listed in gameplay, plus even more, such as the collectables.
The map is the perfect size. It's easy to traverse and not overwhelmingly giant, but still big and full enough to keep you engaged. There are sights to see and shops to visit. The aforementioned collectables lend themselves really well to exploration, taking you to the hidden corners of the town you might not give a second thought otherwise.
Some places you'll only see once or twice, when they feature in missions. This streamlines the open world experience a bit. I'm definitely a fan. By taking out the unnecessary parts - except for when they are necessary - exploration is much less overwhelming. I don't think it would work in every game in this genre, but it definitely works here.
Overall, 4/5.
Extra Category - Achievements:
The achievements are relatively fun to get, and only take one playthrough. There are some which you'll earn pretty naturally, and others you'll specifically have to go for.
I do think it's really important to note that I had some issues with glitches here. There were three instances where I had to reload and replay parts to get the achievements to pop. I highly, highly recommend keeping multiple save files.
Overall, 3/5.
Overall game score: 4/5. There's a lot to love about Bully. It's more than worthy of at least one full playthrough. The setting, characters, and humor make it a unique and very fun experience - one that I don't think will ever be replicated by other games. I would love to see a modern take on it. Give us a college sequel, Rockstar!
It's not uncommon to see calls for a Bully sequel, even fourteen years later. It is widely considered an oft-forgotten gem, particularly by those that like open worlds. I find it hard to disagree. The game is wonderful, despite a few faults.
I'd played through the first chapter a few times when I was younger, but never got much further than that. Once I finally sat down and finished it, I was pleasantly surprised by how much it had to offer. It's a super fun experience, and one of the best parts is that it doesn't overstay its welcome. It's nearly the perfect length. I appreciate it for that.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Worldbuilding: 4/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 3/5
Overall score: 4/5
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
The graphics are pretty dated by today's standards, but I still find them incredibly charming. I will say that the remaster doesn't do much to actually improve them - that's not a huge deal to me personally, though.
I absolutely love the art style of the pieces in the loading screens/menus. It's such a cool and unique look. I wish there was more of it. All of the important members of the cast deserved to get their own portraits (especially Petey and Zoe.)
Speaking of the characters, they're are all very visually memorable. There's lots of distinction to make them stand out from one another. Jimmy's appearance will always be ingrained in my brain - after all, there's not many short, bald 15-year-old protagonists with freckles and an earring.
The world looks good, too. Each area is visually distinct, but everything makes sense in conjunction with each other. The winter setting in particular is really pretty.
Faces and hands are kind of weird during cutscenes, but even that has a certain charm about it. The characters move pretty fluidly, otherwise.
I know some people might disagree with me giving such a high rating in this department, but I really do believe Bully earns it. I don't think graphics have to be hyper-realistic to be good, and it does amazingly in every other visual aspect. The game is fun to look at; I think that's what really matters.
Overall, 4/5.
Sound:
I love the voice acting. It's so over-the-top and fun, and fits the tone of the game perfectly. The VAs do a flawless job of giving personality to these walking stereotypes. They add a lot of life to cutscenes that would not be nearly as good otherwise.
Also, the soundtrack is full of earworms. There's a lot of bass, which I really like. I've had the music stuck in my head for days. In fact, I'm listening to it as I write this review, lol.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Story:
I feel that this is the only category where the game falls short.
Don't get me wrong, there's some solid stuff here. For example, many of the characters are awesome. Jimmy is a great protagonist, and Gary is a great antagonist (more on him in a minute.) Zoe and Petey are cool. Bully does a fantastic job of making these stereotypical students and faculty relatable - either to ourselves or to our experiences with others - but cartoonish enough to be entertaining.
The humor is a standout part of the game, too. A lot of it is offensive, and it does go a bit too far at times, but I think it mostly works. Almost all of the characters are meant to be awful people that you despise, or at least dislike. The way they act and treat each other reflects that well.
I also do like the basis of story. [SPOILERS] Jimmy sets out to bring peace to the school through brute force, and ends up on top - but is usurped by the one enemy he forgot about. [SPOILER END] The main missions of the first few chapters are particularly really fun. You run around and take over these cliques, forcing them to your side.
The later missions are still fun, but feel much more rushed. I wish they had focused a bit more on [SPOILERS] Jimmy being expelled, and the school riots. [SPOILER END] These were really cool ideas that are barely used.
I particularly hate the fact that Gary is absent for a majority of the plot. He disappears after a certain point, after which he's only talked about in passing (until the final encounter.) I do understand that he's manipulating things behind the scenes, but it would still be cool to see him around. He showed up at one point just to taunt Jimmy, and I loved that. I thought he was going to randomly appear like that from then on. But, no, he just stopped appearing at all - until he was needed for the ending, of course. It made him feel much less important.
I hate how late Zoe was introduced, too. She's the main love interest, and I enjoy her character. Why was she not around until chapter 4 out of 6? She could have had a much bigger role. Also, she could've been their cool, tough female character who fights alongside Jimmy. Instead, they made her tactic flirting. It's a shame.
I will say this; throughout its entirety, the story is presented in easily digestible, short missions. There's nothing ridiculously complicated, and you never feel overwhelmed. It's a lot more fun this way. I just think that the game could have seriously benefited from a few more missions, and way more character presence.
Overall, 3/5.
Gameplay:
At its core, Bully is a game made up of many smaller minigames. I, personally, really like that - others might not like it at all. It's just a matter of personal preference.
There are different little activities for the classes. There are a multitude of different NPC errands (each with a semi-unique premise.) There are races (bike and go-kart.) There are arcade cabinets and carnival games. There's newspaper delivery and lawnmowing for cash... My point is, there's a lot of different things going on. And I think they're all fun!
Like I mentioned in the story section, everything in Bully is short and sweet. There's never anything overly-complicated. You can usually complete missions in 10-15 minutes tops. All of the side tasks are a very reasonable difficulty. I never found myself tired of any of the gameplay; there's just too much variety, and none of it ever sticks around for too long.
The combat is simple, but pretty fun. There are lots of combos you can learn. It gets clunky at times - I particularly found fighting groups annoying - but it's never egregiously bad. Also, I didn't expect there to be boss fights! They're each unique, leaning into associations with their clique. It's a very neat edition.
Overall, 4/5.
Worldbuilding:
It's an alive world with lots of NPCs. The students at the school even have their own passing dialogue, which gives a bit more depth to their characters.
There's a lot to do by 2006 standards, too. A ridiculous amount of activities help to add a lot of depth to Bullworth. See everything I listed in gameplay, plus even more, such as the collectables.
The map is the perfect size. It's easy to traverse and not overwhelmingly giant, but still big and full enough to keep you engaged. There are sights to see and shops to visit. The aforementioned collectables lend themselves really well to exploration, taking you to the hidden corners of the town you might not give a second thought otherwise.
Some places you'll only see once or twice, when they feature in missions. This streamlines the open world experience a bit. I'm definitely a fan. By taking out the unnecessary parts - except for when they are necessary - exploration is much less overwhelming. I don't think it would work in every game in this genre, but it definitely works here.
Overall, 4/5.
Extra Category - Achievements:
The achievements are relatively fun to get, and only take one playthrough. There are some which you'll earn pretty naturally, and others you'll specifically have to go for.
I do think it's really important to note that I had some issues with glitches here. There were three instances where I had to reload and replay parts to get the achievements to pop. I highly, highly recommend keeping multiple save files.
Overall, 3/5.
Overall game score: 4/5. There's a lot to love about Bully. It's more than worthy of at least one full playthrough. The setting, characters, and humor make it a unique and very fun experience - one that I don't think will ever be replicated by other games. I would love to see a modern take on it. Give us a college sequel, Rockstar!