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Why is this acceptable?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 31
Date: March 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

"Bully" is a game that can at times be pretty fun to play, but there are certainly times when it is not difficult to feel guilty for playing it. I would strongly advise anyone against placing this game into the hands of the impressionable or impressionable bullied teenagers in their lives.

This game perpetuates hate and stereotypes on many different levels. The game's protagonist Jimmy is a far cry from a hero or even a good kid. Although other kids are picking on him, he is often expected to fight them in this game. Truth be told, you can't finish the game without beating someone up or hurting people--but you can finish it without ever having helped someone in a cleanly heroic way (i.e. no fighting.) Some of the non-mandatory "errands" in the game even have you bullying people. While it is true that no one dies in the game (to my knowledge thus far--I am 40% into the game) people certainly do get hurt. Most of the missions incorporate various forms of violence, ranging from fist-fights to outright theft and vandalism.

"Bully" touches on many sensitive issues in very insensitive ways. Issues ranging from alcoholism, suggestive themes, mental illnesses, and more are poked fun at on various occasions. Inappropriate smatterings of swear words and innuendo can be heard during the course of the game. The female characters in the game are all portrayed very frivolously. On the whole, they lack any sort of characterization and have no depth whatsoever. They are all fixated on finding love--especially with Jimmy. This is yet another video game that objectifies women. When will this stop being okay?

The most offensive part of the game thus far is that one of the four major cliques in the game harbors the same name as a derogatory racial term (people who have played this game will know what I mean.) In the game, it is used as common language--just as common as the term "Nerds" or "Jocks." I am surprised there is not a massive outcry over this. How it is acceptable that no research behind the history of said name could have been done is beyond me. I have noticed that the game jacket refrains from mentioning the names of the cliques on the back cover. Perhaps this is why...

The formula of the game is just right (freeform navigation, game play that is not too difficult)--but the content is all wrong. What makes this game potentially dangerous is that while it sends forth hateful messages, it can also be fun to play at times. While I don't think that all video games are causing all of the world's problems, I would advise that this game be kept out of the hands of teenagers who are currently being bullied, even more so for impressionable teenagers. Better safe than sorry, since the themes perpetuated in this game are so negative.

Amazing concept, pitiful execution

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 8
Date: December 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

As a college student with little disposable income, I rarely buy video games in general, let alone when they're shiny and new. But with Bully I was enticed by the intelligent dialogue and the interesting concept I found in the trailers, and I bought it days after its release.

I deeply regret wasting my money like that.

While most of the best dialogue is in the trailers, that aspect of the game is still reasonably fresh and entertaining. The story itself was adequate and passably engaging. I expected and hoped for a lot more flexibility than I got, as I thought that the concept of a game like this would be much more interesting if we tried to find our own way, like a lost boy would in real life, instead of having our way strictly set forth before us. Gameplay also leaves something to be desired, as Bully is cloned from the Grand Theft Auto series, which is understandable given that it's made by Rockstar, but hardly acceptable, especially since all improvements to the style are minor and unimpressive.

More worrisome is the extreme ease with which I accomplished everything. Frankly, I'm a pretty poor videogamer, and relatively simple challenges tend to give me trouble. But in Bully, I was able to beat the game without much difficulty, and I didn't have a very fun time doing it. Class is easy, races are easy, minigames are easy, fighting is easy. It's hard to see the point.

Ultimately this game might be worth a couple of bucks, like as a rental, but buying it is simply a waste unless you want to get your kid a Grand Theft style game without the originality or strong violence.

New game or Grand Theft Auto Remake???

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: January 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you have ever played any of the Grand Theft Auto games on the Playstation 2, I'd probably recommend skipping this game. It's plays exactly like the GTA series, but without the "Mature (M)" rating. They've toned it down to get a "Teen (T)" rating, although it could've easily been spiced up for the Mature audience.
The gameplay is near identical to the GTA series; you have core missions that must be accomplished to "beat" the game, plus there are tons of little side missions that can be accomplished if you choose. Also like GTA, there are hidden items that you find as you travel through the world; this is one aspect of the game that somewhat annoys me, inorder to find everyone of these little items you would basically need to buy the Game Guide, or have a walk-through tell you where each and every one is. Too much hassle for me.
So, if you haven't play a GTA game yet, or you thought they were to violent for your kids (which they are), this is a great alternative, however it does have some violence, language and suggestive situations in it so pay attention to the "Teen" rating. If you've played, and liked the GTA series, save your money, you'll most likely be bored with this title very quickly.

Concerned Mom

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 11
Date: January 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game has some fun play and good graphic with interations between the character. It is however not for Younger teens and should have an R rating. There is foul language and sexual content that is quite mature for the 12 - 16 year old range. If you are considering buying this for a young adult in this age range I recommend renting it first.

A lot of fun, but too short and too easy

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game was a lot of fun, you can do so much and the dark humor was great. The only gripe I have is that it was just way to short and easy. I easily beat this game in about 3 days, and I still have 2 days left on my rental. I would say rent this game, because you can easily beat it within a week.

So overall, here is a break down of the Pros and Cons.

Pros:
-Playing pranks on students
-The missions are a lot of fun
-The side missions are also a lot of fun, bring more to the story
-Good Dark Comedy, like all other Rockstar games
-Unlocking funny constumes, like the black ninja costume to stay out past curfew
-All the different Cliques were great, and being able to beat up and bully anybody is a lot of fun

Cons:
-Just way too easy, the missions can be beaten very easily.
-Incredibly short, nothing like the Grand Theft Auto Games where it can take a month to unlock everything, I was able to unlock everything in 3 days.
-Would've loved to see some of the same things from GTA:SA in Bully. EX: In GTA:SA you are able to have gang members follow you and do what you want. It would've been great to see that in Bully.

Overall: I would suggest renting, a lot of fun, but easily beaten, not worth $50.

Fun and entertaining, but a little too easy.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I enjoyed most aspects of this game and it quickly becaming addicting. There was great satisfaction is beating people up and plenty of opportunity to fine tune my skills. Overall though, this game was definately on the easy side. Compared to the Grand Theft Auto games, of which I was never able to complete, I finished this one in just over a week. The final challenge was particularly simple and I really expected more. Still, I'd recommened this game, however rent it, don't buy.

Bully: Game of the 21st Century?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

For all of the worried parents out there, I will say this up front; I think that the Grand Theft Auto series is wrong and can't believe Rockstar is allowed to produce it. That being said, I think that Bully is simply the best game ever created. It is fun, original, and kept me occupied ,literally, my entire Christmas vacation. I have played and beaten many games in my time, and none of them can even compare to Bully. After I beat this game, I tried to compile a list of my top five favorite games and realized that Bully was number one, and nothing else I could come up with even deserved to be mentioned in the same sentence as it.

When this game came out, it caught a lot of flak for being violent in realistic settings and promoting violence in schools. Then it started getting reviewed and that talk stopped. I wanted to play it for myself to see what really went on in the game. To be completely honest, there is nothing wrong with it at all. It definitely earned the "T" rating but to give it anything more than that would just be ridiculous. You don't kill anybody, and you never get killed. Most of the weapons that you have eventually run out of ammo or just break. There's no blood and you don't do anything that might induce it. The main character could even be considered to be a role model, sticking up for the downtrodden and trying to teach the bullies of the school a lesson on being nice. It's actually detrimental to attack people without any reason because then you have to run from the authorities. If you see the Rockstar logo on this game and get worried, relax, because this is nothing like Grand Theft Auto. Bully is the best game that I have ever played and personally think that it is the best game of the 21st century. No other game that I have ever played even comes close.

Getting past GTA?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: January 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When I purchased Bully it was with the vague hope that the game was somehow going to be seriously innovative. I was looking for a major move on the part of Rockstar, a game that seriously challenged what games like this were all about. I suppose I was hoping for a game that gave offered you a rich social landscape and then gave you a wide variety of options for dealing with conflict situations . . . one that somehow evoked the true spirit of adolescence.

I was disappointed. If you want a game thats fundamentally a toned down GTA without the guns, I think you'll find Bully a highly enjoyable play. However, if like me you were looking for a game that fundamentally challenged the paradigm, you won't find it here. Yes, Bully does expand on the range of options you had in the GTA series to provide a moderate intimation of a social function, but ultimately it provides very little incentive not to simply punch your way through most encounters.

Bully is basically a pretty good game, but if this is Rockstar's attempt to prove that the GTA engine can actually do anything, they've got a ways to go.

Good But......

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: March 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The begging of the game is done exceptionaly well. You start out as Jimmy Hopkins who is not a bad kid he is just a frustrated teen who's mother just remarried a man who is not very nice to Jimmy. So Jimmy's mather and new step dad are going on their honeymoon so they drop Jimmy off at a Boarding school called Bullworth Academy. And then the rest is up to you.
The game is amazing, but it is very short (I got through the game in about 3 days).And it is easy. This game is deffinately not for kids youger than 13. Reason for that is not for the violence because there is no killing, but there is a lot of langague and some drugs. Other than that the game is incredible.

Surprisingly boring game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: May 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I tend to love sandbox-games, especially from Rockstar, but this game is surprisingly boring. I think it's because it's rating "T" and doesn't do anything extreme or interesting, it's way too tame.

If you are 10 years old it's probably awesome, but if you have been playing the GTA3 series since it came out, and have played games like Saints Row and love the grittiness of some of these more mature sandbox games, skip this, it will bore you.

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