Game story · NexWave Games
Bully: a school year full of mischief from the makers of GTA
A schoolyard seems small for a Rockstar adventure. Yet those very boundaries give Bully its own character. The original European PS2 release is called Canis Canem Edit. As Jimmy Hopkins, you arrive at Bullworth Academy, where students fight for their place and adults do not always set a good example. Between lessons and missions, you get to know the grounds. A day at school thus gains the same appeal as a city where something is always happening around the corner.
A new student at an unfriendly school
Rockstar introduces Jimmy as a boy who has already been expelled from several schools. At Bullworth he has to get through a new school year. The official description revolves around his place on the social ladder: dealing with bullies, rivals and the neat exterior of a school where a lot goes wrong behind the scenes.
This provides a clear starting point without you having to know the outcome. Jimmy is old enough to challenge the rules, but at the same time finds himself in a world determined by adults. The school thus creates recognizable conflicts and its own scale of problems.
The clock gives the day a rhythm
Bully uses a school day as its structure. Lessons and appointments are given a place on the map, while the clock continues to run. That makes exploring just a little more exciting. A detour can be attractive, but you also have activities that require you to be somewhere at a certain time.
That variety helps to familiarize the terrain. You return to recognizable places and get to know routes. This creates a different bond with the environment than with a map where you always travel through new areas. A small school site can take on a lot of meaning when you make decisions there on a daily basis.
Lessons are part of the game
In the original Scholarship Edition manual, the lessons are presented as activities that will benefit Jimmy. The timetable includes English, art and PE; This expanded edition also contains extra subjects. The precise content therefore depends on the edition you play.
The interesting design idea is that the school actually functions as a school. The lessons interrupt the adventure and shape it at the same time. You don't have to be a fan of real school schedules to appreciate the variety. A short activity in a classroom can require a completely different concentration than an assignment outside.
Mischief has consequences
You can walk around the grounds, interact with others and cause trouble. The manual describes a meter that increases in case of misconduct; supervisors therefore pay more attention to Jimmy. The game therefore makes it visible that his behavior evokes a reaction. Trying something out can change the rest of your route.
That's where an important part of the humor lies. The well-known tension between wanting to do something and possibly being caught takes on an exaggerated form. This makes you look at a corridor, a schoolyard or a group of students differently. The place gains meaning through the rules and characters that come together there.
A familiar Rockstar setup on a different scale
The alternation between story assignments and free browsing makes Bully accessible to players who like to set their own pace. The subject gives that freedom a special form. A reputation, a lesson, or a rivalry can temporarily seem like the most important thing in the world, just as happens in a school.
For a new round of play, it is worthwhile not to just follow the main assignments. Observe the environment and pay attention to the daily rhythm. This gives Bullworth the opportunity to become more than the background of the story. The school itself is a big part of what you can remember about Bully.