Grange Hill meets GTA (Bully (PS2))

Member Name: sagat

Product:	Bully (PS2)
Date:	16/02/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb dialogue

Disadvantages: Game engine isnt especially deep

I have to start this by stating that I am not a particular fan of Rockstar. My first experience with the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series was via Vice City. Whilst I loved the atmosphere of the game, I found the actually game engine was awful and extremely limited, especially when compared with the depth in the likes of Shenmue.

As a result, I approached Bully with trepidation. I had heard the media outcry (but I was used to that having grown up on the likes of Mortal Kombat and Night Trap) and thought it only fair to try it with an open mind.

Bully will no doubt fail to entertain many people who have grown up with the likes of GTA. I think it's appeal is to people a bit older, who have been around the gaming block a few times and are looking for something slightly different. Yes, we still have a great big world to explore (and to learn to navigate), you can still start fights with whoever you like and you can decide whether to persue your mission or just mess around.

The controls are pretty straight forward without being amazing. As I already said, you can get into fights (some are impossible to avoid) but the fight system is extremely shallow (especially compared with the likes of Shenmue as mentioned).

The graphics are solid without being amazing. I didn't get stuck in any scenery or experience any massive popups during my playtime, so can't find fault with them. They are pretty standard for latter day Playstation/Xbox games.

Where the game really shines is in the same department as Vice City- the atmosphere. Personally, I found Rockstar did an amazing job of capturing what it is like to be at school. You enter the school as a regular teenager who has been in trouble. You aren't popular with the ladies, great at sports or a good fighter, at least not at first, you have to earn your strips and beat the bullies before they beat you.

Running or skateboarding around the school grounds is a pleasure as you zoom past teachers and over hear smatterings of immature teenage gossip. Within the halls, you can bully kids or help them out whilst cutting class. Should you enter class, you will partake in a variety of minigames, which once completed, give you new abilities.

The missions are pretty standard fare and moves the plot along nicely. I found the difficulty curve just right and it was a long time before I really got stuck on any sections. The plot is full of interesting an amusing characters, whilst Jimmy is an interesting protagonist who you can actually identify with, as opposed to some emo loser which the likes of Final Fantasy deem fit to offer.

If you are a bit bored of the style over substance mantra that many companies seem to adhere to nowadays, then Bully/Canis Canem Edit is well worth a try. Its by no means a ground breaking game, but it is genuinely fun and sure to put a smile on your face, especially as you can now pick it up at a budget price.

Summary: Grange Hill meets GTA- and it works!