The good news is that the content is generally very well designed. It's just a shame that, with all the effort put into making such a coherent and engaging story, that Rockstar went with such predictable high school stereotypes and a thoroughly indifferent protagonist. You may claim that none of that matters to you as a player, and it's perfectly possible to enjoy the game in spite of those issues, playing it for the content and not the commentary. In the end, it's just too hard to reconcile his desire to rescue stolen comic books for a group of nerds with his instant and unquestioning complicity in the perverse lives of his teachers. There's no clear reason why he's being good or bad beyond the fact that he's a teenager in a new, unfamiliar environment. But while the clichés and slightly sleazy nature of the world don't really allow for much surprise or contrast in the game world, the real issue is that Jimmy's own motivation isn't ever really explored, so the player is left on their own to fill in the huge vacuum of his character. That's a perfectly reasonable suggestion, to a point. The game, after all, is called "Bully" so we shouldn't be surprised if there's not much virtue among its characters or situations.
Now, some may see this criticism as an unfair attack on the tone of the game. There's+more+to+school+than+books+and+tests. In the end, you get the sense that Jimmy's crusade on behalf on the nerds of Bullworth Academy is really nothing more than an excuse to run around kicking people in the nuts. Throw in a wino in a Santa suit, a nauseating cafeteria lady, and the obligatory tyrannical principal, and you've got a game that tries to thwart convention so hard that it just winds up conforming to it.
From the very beginning, you see the jocks, the greasers, the nerds and the preps and you pretty much know where it's all going to go. In keeping with the successful Grand Theft Auto approach, Bully is largely a one-note affair, focusing on the standard cliches and stereotypes that have been used in countless shows, movies, books and video games. And what's the best way to gain power and prestige at a new school? Pranks and violence, of course! As he starts a new school year here, he'll have to compete and cooperate with the various cliques around the school as he tries to rise to the top of the pyramid. Having been kicked out of a number of other schools, he finds himself deposited at the gates of Bullworth Academy. Bully: Scholarship Edition puts players in the shoes of Jimmy Hopkins, the titular bully. Two years after making a splash on the PS2, Rockstar has finally brought their high school hooligan to the PC.
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