10/17/06 - Bully - PS2

[Rasix]

GTA: Boarding School.

More info when I get out of this meeting.

[stray]

I almost picked it up last night, but something came over me....I think I've finally had my fill of GTA styled games. And there's only so much cash to go around for the next month or two.

If you can, tell me how it's not like GTA.

[Strazos]

I saw some gameplay last night...

-More minigames, when you go to class. The word scramble things for English class were cool.

-Environment seemed to have a bit more...personality. My friend went to the football field and got jumped by jocks. You can slide down banisters. I'm sure there's more.

Just two quick thoughts. I would buy it if I had a PS2.

[Rasix]

I almost picked it up last night, but something came over me....I think I've finally had my fill of GTA styled games. And there's only so much cash to go around for the next month or two.

If you can, tell me how it's not like GTA.

Well, since I traded in my Xbox, the only GTA I've had is the copy of San Andreas the EBgames wouldn't let me give them (seriously, I just wanted them to take it) because it was the Hot Coffee version.

-Like Strazos said, integrated minigames as part of the core gameplay.  Chemistry class is DDR style button pushing similar to the low rider competition in GTA:SA.  English is a word scramble.  Gym class is learning wrestling moves.  Art class is a mini game kinda like some sort of tron thing (hard to explain).  All help you out in noticable ways: gym class helps you fight while chemistry allows you to concoct more varied projectiles (fire crackers, stink bombs, etc). 

-It's a busier game.  Where the GTA games were more spread out and had a grander scale, this game is much, much more compact.   Now, this is without access to the town yet, but the school is definately packed with kids and it feels different than anything GTA has tried thus far.  You physically run into people on the way to class.  You just feel more tightly connected to the environment.  This has drawbacks too: this game is pushing the hardware limits of what the PS2 can do.

-Greater environment interaction.  You can hide in trash cans.  You can stuff people into them.  Same with lockers.  You can toss firecrackers into the toilets.  You can pick locks on lockers or give someone a swirlie in the toilet.

-I've got a skateboard now.  And a slingshot. Woot.

-The bullies hate me.  I get jumped often on the way to class.  You can either plead them off or do what I do: kick their ass when the prefects aren't looking.   

-There's too many prefects.  A lot of attempted law in a lawless school.  And they WILL interfere with missions due if you're truant or out of bed when you're not supposed to.

-Better writing and a more coherent story from what I've seen from the GTA series.  Very early on though.

-More interactive fighting.  You can throw uppercuts, grapple and headbutt, take someone down with a tackle, or finish someone off with some noogies after you've beat them up enough.  I learned the uppercut from a vet bum that lives behind the old school bus.

I think the game is pretty interesting and I like it so far.  It'll probably get a lot of play from me.  Plus I hear it picks up considerably after you get through the somewhat longish learning phase (estimated 3-6 hours to get out of the first chapter, I'm about 90mins to 2 hours in).

I wouldn't consider it a must buy, but it's $40 bucks and a lot of fun so far. Not quite Cylon Jesus though.

[Xanthippe]

Is it appropriate for a 10 year old boy?

[Yegolev]

Is it appropriate for a 10 year old boy?

Maybe ask that question here.  I don't have it yet but I suspect that they do.  Can't check due to corporate proxy.

[Rasix]

Is it appropriate for a 10 year old boy?

-No blood. No death.
-I don't remember swearing, there might be some. Ohh wait, someone said "Bitch".
-Depictions of bullying, school ground stereotypes, peer pressure, etc.  Stuff the kid will see soon enough or does already.
-Kissing girls! EWWW.
-Homeless people. Specifically a homeless man that mentions drugs and alcohol.
-Violence, vandalism, truancy.

This game isn't nearly as vile as any of the GTAs I've played.  I'd have no problems having a kid play this. But then again, I took a ten year old to see the South Park movie and I have no sprogs of my own.

[tazelbain]

> -Kissing girls! EWWW.
Or kissing boys if you choose.

[Signe]

> -Kissing girls! EWWW.
Or kissing boys if you choose.

I agree.  I choose kissing boys, too.

[Rasix]

> -Kissing girls! EWWW.
Or kissing boys if you choose.

Hey, don't pick on me for trying to emulate a 10 year old. I don't think there's an option for kissing males in the game. I've kissed a fat chick and a nerd so far though.

[stray]

I heard that there were males you could kiss. Just that it isn't set up so randomly (i.e. they're part of specific missions or something).

[tazelbain]

I only saw the headline on Digg.  I am not sure how you would go about getting your "gay" on, Rasix.

I'll probably pick this after I finish Okami (Which is going to be a while)

[Morfiend]

Damn, now it sounds like I have to dig out my PS2 from the garage and hook it up.

[Yegolev]

Who knew a game could cause someone to come out?  Good show, Morph.

[schild]

Picked this up with Summon Night 2 and Splinter Cell. The Bully Ltd. Edition is huge. I may just go straight to Ebay with it. They only shipped enough for preorders of it.

[Strazos]

Stupid Dodgeball requires that you supply a pump.

[Yoru]

So, when does the PC version come out?

Or does anyone want to offload their PS2 for $20 after the PS3 comes out? 

[schild]

You have more than enough money to buy your own PS2. So get a PS3.

[Morfiend]

You have more than enough money to buy your own PS2. So get a PS3.

Huh?

[schild]

Was talking to Yoru.

[Morfiend]

Was talking to Yoru.

I know, still dont get it.

[schild]

Nevermind.

[Yoru]

Was talking to Yoru.

I know, still dont get it.

He's just being schild.

So does anyone actually know if there's a PC port planned?

[stray]

I haven't seen any announcements about it. But more than likely, probably so. If they ported State of Emergency and Manhunt to PC, then they'll probably port Bully....A year and a half from now.

[Rasix]

Well, like some games on the market, I have a lot of trouble seeing the red and green shades they decided to use in the game.  Nearly full health/prefect color/mission timer are not distinguishable for me.  I don't know my guy's health until he drops into critical ranges. 

Maybe I just need to get a LCD or plasma so the colors are more vibrant, but other games have shown that you can make red/green combinations that are easily seen by people with degrees of red/green colorblindness.

[Strazos]

Does messing with the color settings in the game or on your TV help at all?

[Rasix]

Does messing with the color settings in the game or on your TV help at all?

No color settings in game that I saw. That would be a great help in a lot of games.  I'd like to avoid fucking with the color on my TV as it's pretty good for the programs I watch.  Not sure it would even help anyhow.  Really, it's just the shades of the colors they pick and the size/positioning that determines if I can see it or not.

[Strazos]

Oh, I would think your TV would keep seperate settings for seperate input channels, like one set of settings for your normal TV channels, another set for Input1 (or whatever), etc.

But wtf do I know? I'm still using a TV from the early 80s.

[Rasix]

But wtf do I know? I'm still using a TV from the early 80s.

My TV is 12+ years old. It's also a 36" TV.  It weighs about 500lbs.  I got it from rich friends of my parents when they bought a plasma.

It's rather primitive, but still effecive.

[Xanthippe]

To answer my own question.  I went to the gamerdad website to see what was being said, and after wading through many messages from a few months ago about how it's inappropriate and parents won't be buying it, finally got to the one or two from people who actually played the game and still came to no conclusions.  Read the article there also which didn't satisfy me.  So I bought it.

Played it for an hour or so this morning.  I like it (my hands are complaining though, arthritis sucks).  But I don't think my 10 year old will be playing it for a few more years; he's still a little too young for it.  Not because of any specific thing, but he's just not the target audience - he's got a few years to go for that.  If he was 15, np.  13, maybe - probably.  But not 10.  He's just too young.

It's a neat game though.  I'm looking forward to playing it when kids are at school.

[Miasma]

I am loving this game, I can't remember the last game I played that actually made me laugh out loud.  I was worried it was going to be of the same difficulty as the GTA series but it's much easier so far.  GTA, while I loved it, could be throw-the-controller-against-the-wall aggravating on a handful of missions which tainted the overall experience.  The game is also very polished with tons of mini games as you would expect.  Thoroughly enjoyable.

[tazelbain]

*NWSF* Because sharing is caring

[schild]

*NWSF*

But I assume you saw that cuz you got the avatar.

[tazelbain]

All I saw was Lum's blog post on it.

[WindupAtheist]

This game is pure win.  There seems to be code in place to prevent multiple instances of the same NPC from being in sight at one time, making it seem that you really are in a school with a finite number of distinct students.  There are particular people I beat the shit out of at every opportunity, just because they annoy me.