Bully - Scholarship Edition Review

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I decided to write this review because I've noticed some people have complained this game is unplayable due to bugs and freezing issues on the PC, especially on 64-bit Windows. Well, these problems seem to have been fixed thanks to a new patch Rockstar released for this game, version 1.200. It can found by Googling around a bit, some sites require you to register to download it but there a few that don't if you look around well. I have 64 bit Vista and this patch fixed draw distance issues and improved the graphical quality a whole bunch. Although there are still a few problems, the game may freeze if the shadows are turned on, or if your hard drive is too fragmented. Easily fixed though by turning shadows off and defragging your harddrive. Are shadows really necessary in a game? Defragging your harddrive is something you should be doing regardless so I don't see how these two faults can be a deal-breaker.

The game looks absolutely beautiful, with every passing of the seasons in the game you'll be amazed how pristine everything looks. I went back to my old Playstation 2 version of this game to compare in-game stats and that's when I realized how much of a improvement the graphics are on the PC. I don't even know how I navigated the PS2 version with how blurry and slow everything looks and feels compared to the PC version.

If the graphics aren't enough to entice the fans of the Playstation 2 version, the new classes and missions will. Biology class is fun, Geography taught me a thing or two about...well, Geography mostly, and Math is as frustrating as you remember it back in school, but that's okay too! There are also new missions to play, although not a lot, but I would have played it anyway had it not had new missions.

Basically, this game will be great for anyone interested, fans will appreciate the improvements, and new players will fall in love with this just as we did on the Playstation 2 version. Start a Bully-revolution at school and around town and get everyone interested in this great game! It is available on PC, XBox360, and the Wii. Don't forget the patch on the PC version though!

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Do not buy this game until it is patched! I have and enjoy the PS2 version, but this just isn't playable due to the very poor frame rates. I have an AMD Opteron 165 (roughly equivalent to a 3800+), 2 gigs of ram and a 7800 GT graphics card. I'm lucky if I get past 20 FPS, and it can drop into the single digits outside. Even if I bottom out the resolution it's still only in the 20's, though it's still not playable. You'll be running along and the game will freeze every 10 seconds for a couple beats before resuming. Unacceptable! I've played the PC versions of GTA3 on a far older computer and they ran great. Now, this game with almost the same engine is unplayable!

One other thing that's bad are the controls. Though these can be remapped they shouldn't have to be. This is a simple console game but it's using way too much of the keyboard. Why am I using the shift key to attack instead of the left mouse? Also, it seems as though the designers had never used a PC before. For example a lot of the menus use Alt and Space instead of Enter and Escape. Why!? There is something in the controls about 360 mode so I'm guessing they assumed everyone would hook up a 360 controller to play this. That is really lame.

With a graphics patch and some work in the controls menu this could be a really fun game. As I said I have it on the PS2, it's great. All the good things about the GTA games are here but it still feels like a very different game. I hope I will be able to enjoy it at some point, but until the issues get fixed DO NOT BOTHER. It's too bad Rockstar decided to join the crowd and start making crappy PC ports. I will be very careful when GTA4 makes it to the PC, maybe I'll be forced to stick with the PS3 version for this one...

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I have only had this product for a few hours, but I thought I'd write up a quick review to warn other people that may consider buying this game. I'm hopeful that they will have patches and improve the quality, but as it stands right now this game is not playable on my system. I have a modern system with 4gb of ram and GeForce 8800GT. The problems are not from performance. There seem to be a lot of little bugs and some huge. Indoor areas don't render correctly. Often the floor or some walls are missing and you could see right through them. This makes it hard to navigate some maps. I've also got caught a couple of times where after cut scenes it goes to the loading screen and doesn't ever seem to escape. I've waited about 10 minutes before killing it. This is unacceptable and makes the game unplayable. I tried to check Rockstar's support site, but they don't even mention the PC version of Bully yet. I find it unlikely that these problems are only with my system. Hopefully soon as more reviews come in we will have an idea how common these issues are, and hopefully soon after there will be patches to make this playable. I had a lot of hope for this game, but right now it is a huge disappointment. I recommend that anyone interested in purchasing this game should wait and see if the issues are widespread before risking purchasing an unplayable game.

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Another game written for consoles and very hastily "Ported" to run on PC. Slow, clunky UI, no decent graphics options and really awkward game play. I wish I had saved my money.

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There have been numerous complaints about this game for the PC. I felt compelled to add my 2 cents worth. There may have been some major problems with this game when it was released; but, I have applied the patch from Rockstar and the game works perfectly. I am using a PC that can handle topping out the graphics and audio settings, and an XBOX game controller for PC. The game is smooth running with fast load times. I have had no issues with running or playing the game in any way.

As for as the game itself; it's absolutely fun and entertaining. Attending classes has its rewards and they have made them fun as well. The classes play like independent mini-games. The campus is full of students, security, scenery and many secret objects, weapons and other fun things to collect, destroy and utilize. The town is a wonderful maze which is populated with "Townies", police, weapons, secrets and plenty of exploring. Granted the maps aren't extremely huge but it satisfies the explorer in me. Just like GTA, the story progresses through missions. There is a main plot set of missions and many side missions as well which provide rewards and add an exciting touch to the game. The social interactions in the game are quite comical. You can greet, taunt, bully, bribe or fight anyone in the game. (the exception being that you cannot fight young children) Bullying varies from spouting insults, butt-pinching the girls, to outright gang battles with the other characters. (by gang I mean, it is possible to get into a fight where you are up against numerous opponents from all sides) The combat system is simple and very easy to master. Your fighting style grows by learning new moves and combos available in the game. The game has a romantic twist that lets you win the hearts of the girls. They added a bonus health feature for making out with the girls. The game is easy to learn. You can just put it in and play. The game itself includes instructions on how to do everything as you progress through the game. So just put it in and enjoy!

Overall, this is one of the funnest games I have played. Hours of laughter, frustration and challenges make for a well-rounded game that has many aspects for entertainment. An absolute joy to play again and again!