Bully: Scholarship Edition
" Unique action-adventure with creative school-themed gameplay but plagued by PC crashes "
Bully: Scholarship Edition Review
Bully: Scholarship Edition is a nostalgic open-world game by Rockstar that places players in a quirky boarding school setting as Jimmy Hopkins. The game is praised for its engaging storyline, memorable characters, and humorous dialogue, capturing the rebellious spirit of adolescence with creative missions and varied gameplay mechanics inspired by the GTA series but without mature content like drugs or killing. The vibrant cartoonish graphics and expressive animations complement the comedic tone, while the original soundtrack is considered one of Rockstar's best.
However, the PC port suffers from significant technical issues, including frequent crashes, save system limitations, and compatibility problems with modern Windows versions. Many players recommend community-made patches to improve stability. Despite these drawbacks, the game remains highly enjoyable, especially for fans of Rockstar’s storytelling and sandbox gameplay. Its replayability is enhanced by mission variety and freedom of choice, though some side activities can feel repetitive. Overall, Bully offers a charming and unique schoolyard adventure that still resonates years after its initial release.
Highlights
Players widely praise the game's creative adaptation of GTA-style gameplay into a school environment, featuring diverse missions like races, stealth, and turret sequences. The storyline and character interactions are lauded for witty humor and memorable NPCs, making the social environment lively and engaging.
Graphically, the vibrant, cartoonish visuals and expressive animations enhance the comedic tone. The original soundtrack is highlighted as one of Rockstar's finest. The open-world design encourages exploration, and the controls are generally smooth and accessible, contributing to an addictive gameplay experience.
Criticisms
The most common criticism is the PC port's instability, with frequent crashes and save limitations frustrating many players. The game is not optimized for modern systems, particularly Windows 10 and 11, requiring unofficial patches to run smoothly.
Some players find the controls clunky and the graphics outdated, which can detract from immersion. Additionally, certain side missions and activities are seen as repetitive or tedious. The humor and exaggerated school setting may not appeal to everyone, especially those seeking a more serious narrative. Minor AI and physics quirks are also noted but are not major issues.
Pros
- • Unique and creative school-themed open-world gameplay inspired by GTA mechanics.
- • Engaging and humorous storyline with memorable, well-developed characters.
- • Vibrant, cartoonish graphics that complement the game's comedic tone.
- • Outstanding original soundtrack considered one of Rockstar's best.
- • Varied mission design including races, stealth, and social interactions.
- • Dynamic social environment with meaningful reputation and relationship systems.
- • Smooth and intuitive controls accessible to players of different skill levels.
Cons
- • PC port plagued by frequent crashes and poor optimization on modern systems.
- • Save system limitations requiring players to save only at specific locations.
- • Clunky controls on PC, especially keyboard and mouse input.
- • Outdated graphics and resolution support that feel low quality by today's standards.
- • Repetitive side missions and mini-games that can become tedious.
- • Humor and exaggerated school setting may not appeal to all players.
- • Minor AI and physics glitches affecting immersion.
Rating Criteria
Bully tells the story of mischievous 15-year-old Jimmy Hopkins as he goes through the hilarity and awkwardness of adolescence. Beat the jocks at dodge ball, play pranks on the preppies, save the nerds, kiss the girl and navigate the social hierarchy in the worst school around.
