Bully

System: XBox 360/PS2/Wii/Windows
Release: 2006/2008
Developer: Rockstar


PLAY THIS. I don't think I could be clearer about it. Rockstar is a company that has some of the best character and humor writing. Rockstar is famous for their sandbox games, including Grand Theft Auto.

So what do I give it?

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Side Quests: 5/5

Plot
The basis of Bully is that you play as the new kid at a boarding school that seems to be especially made for juvenile delinquents. Trying to survive relentless attacks by jocks and bullies, you try to make your way to the top of the social food chain.

The plot is simple enough, but almost anyone can identify with it. If you've ever been picked on in school, it feels great to walk up to a character in one of these games and just glass jaw him.

The main idea in this game is to earn respect of everyone in your school by doing jobs for people. Starting at the bottom of the totem pole with nerds, you slowly make your way up to the top. Your only accomplices are Pete, a wimpy follower, and Gary, a psychopath that I'm glad I never went to school with.

So Gary convinces you to take over the school, then betrays you and tries to get you to fall to the bottom of the food chain and tries to take over the school himself. So not only do you have to defend yourself against bullies and Fonzie wannabes, but you have to find Gary and destroy him before he destroys you.
In the end, you set Gary up and the principal gets him expelled. You're the top of the food chain. But only in Video Game Land. Sorry.

Characters

Jimmy
Even though Jim is a type of live-and-let-live type of character, he also helps others---at a price. Jim has a great amount of complexity in him, which is why I like him. He's got an attitude problem (that you can tell is from his lack of decent parents), he doesn't want to deal with anyone, and yet he still manages to become the most popular guy in school by helping everyone. For the goody-two-shoes (Does anyone understand that expression? Do rebels only wear one shoe or something?) that never talked back to teachers or meddled with school property, you will be surprised at Jim's behavior, but the teachers' behaviors kind of balance it out.


Gary
This kid doesn't belong in school, he belongs in a psychiatric ward. This kid makes an excellent teen villain due to the fact that he's absolutely crazy. Almost Kefka crazy in a sense. Finally releasing himself from medication, Gary goes nuts and tries to destroy Jimmy in order to get the school for himself. (Why is it that crazy people are the first to pursue big dreams?)




Other Characters
There really aren't a lot of major characters. They're evenly distributed throughout the game. The most interesting thing about the characters in this game is that they aren't copies. Each one has a name and personality. That's definitely a rarity in a sandbox game.

Side Missions
The funny thing about missions is that they were so much like the mainstream ones that I couldn't tell the difference. Some of them were a little more disturbing mind you, for example, getting your butt ugly lunch lady a date as she spits in the vat of mystery meat; but all in all they went seamlessly into the gameplay. It really is the best mission writing I've seen thus far.

Final Say:
Play it! Don't ask, just do it!

Other notes:
How about a female sandbox game, Rockstar? Why should guys get all the fun of hitting people, stealing cars, and pissing off authorities?