The media couldn't stop it from being released, and nothing can stop it from being one of the best games of the year.
First off, people made way too big of a deal over this game. It is not a Columbine simulator. You do not kill anyone. Alot of the time you are the one who is defending the kid getting bullied.Weapons are on lethal and most break after a few hits. It is just a game.
Gameplay is prettyis pretty simple. Square attacks, and you can hit it in a number of different combinations for different attacks. Circle is jump. X is to run. Jimmy can also use a number of schoolyard weapons. They are firecrackers, slingshot, stinkbombs, potato gun, marbles, itching powder, eggs, bottle-rocket gun,water baloons, spraypaint, and rubberband ball. He can pick lockers to get more items and pull fire alarms. Jimmy also has numerous ways to get around. He can go on foot, skateboard, bike, and even moped. The bike is great because it is fast to get around, but if you go to fast, it is harder to move you might crash into someone, which could get you chased by prefects and/or the police. The skateboard , you don't get in trouble for crashing into people but it doesn't turn that good and cant go up stairs like the moped and the bike can. The moped is fast and handles best, but you will get chased if you are not wearing a helmet.
The school setting is one of my favorite things about the game. There are two classes a day and curfew is 11:00p.m. Now you could just skip classes, but then you would miss out on some great unlockables. In photoshop you unlock cameras, the yearbook, and additional room in your photo album. In shop yo unlock better bikes. In art you unlock the ability to get more health from kissing girls. In gym you unlock more fighting moves and better weapon acuracy. In english you learn how to taunt and apologize better. In chemistry you learn how to make more things from the chemistry set in your room. If you stay out past curfew, you can get more done, but at 2:00 a.m. you will pass out and get robbed during the night.
There is also a town surrounding the school. In the town Jimmy can buy more clothes and items, get a job to earn more money like mowing lawns and delivering newspapers, go to the carnival and win prizes and go on rides, go to bike parks, compete in bike races, and boxing. Some of the story missions also revolve around doing something in town.
The missions in the game are pretty varied. Some have you collecting items, and others have you defending people. Other missions include stealing things back, egging houses, breaking windows, getting revenge on teacher and fighting.
I rarely talk about sound in a game, but Bully's original score is great. The graphics are good too, but some times the environments are a little bland on detail and the faces look ugly up close. There are also some bugs with the game. Sometime actions with triangle button don't respond right away and sometimes the game trows you off your bike or into the pause menu.
So overall Bully is a great game. It one of the best of the year. I highly reccomend it.