I've been speedrunning, modding, and making YouTube videos about this game for the past 5 years, so I think this review will come in handy for a lot of people.

'Bully' takes place in the town of Bullworth (Which actually exists in the same universe as the 3D 'Grand Theft Auto' games and even 'Manhunt' 1 & 2). The storyline revolves around the mischief and struggles of the main protagonist (Jimmy Hopkins).
Jimmy finds himself abandoned by his mom and abusive stepfather at the worst school in the country. He's quickly targeted by one of the most aggressive gangs, so he sets out to defeat all of the town's rival cliques, thus raising his social status from simply 'The New Kid' to pretty much becoming a local celebrity.

Unlike the dull and almost lifeless streets of Liberty City in GTA IV, the town of Bullworth is full of personality and a great deal of variety. You'll experience different seasons as you progress through the story, allowing the player to see Bullworth in the autumn, fall, winter, and spring. Even Halloween makes an appearance at one point. Each area is easily distinguishable from the other, and so are the characters. Which brings me to my next point.

What makes the storyline work so well is the witty and likeable nature of all the characters, including the main protagonist. This clever writing even extends to most of the background characters. Hell, even the main antagonist has his moments.

And just like GTA, the further you get into the storyline the more areas and features you unlock.
This is why patience is key when playing through the first chapter. There are 6 chapters. Each Chapter consists of roughly 8 - 15 missions, excluding the 6th chapter because it's basically the "You have completed all of the story related missions, so now you can do any remaining optional sidequests you want"-mode.

The more chapters you complete, the more freedom you're given.
The reason I point this out is because I've seen several people give up halfway through Chapter 1 due to their impatience and an eagerness to explore the environment. Take it easy. Get to know the environment and the characters. I guarantee that you will grow to like the game more if you simply give it time to familiarize yourself with it.

Even the soundtrack is superb. Music composer Shawn Lee's talent really shines here as he shows off a range of different genres and influences.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself humming the 'Walking Tune' when roaming around.

I could go on and on about why this game is so likeable, but I think it's about time that we dive into some of the things that don't work so well.

First and foremost, this game performs very poorly on Windows 10. I've seen tons of people come up with all kinds of solutions and compromises to make the game playable, but I've yet to try any of them myself (I never "Upgraded" to Windows 10). Some claim that certain fixes work for them, others say they don't.
Unfortunately, it seems as though Rockstar has no plans on patching the game for Windows 10.

I use Windows 7, which really is the ideal way to play this game. All I had to do was install the game and play it. No problems.
The game also runs on a 30 fps limit, but there is a mod which removes the framerate cap.
I would suggest installing this mod if you have the game. And while you're at it, why not check out some of the other mods people have made for the game.

Pros:
+ Beautiful soundtrack.
+ Likeable characters.
+ Interesting storyline.
+ Comfy environment.
+ Fun missions.
+ Clever writing.

Cons:
- Terrible Windows 10 support.
- 30 fps cap.
- Somewhat slow beginning.

And hey, there is actually a 'Bully Multiplayer' mod in the making.
Perhaps that too will be in the 'Pros'-list some day.

Final score: 9 Blue Rubberbands out of 10.
It's not perfect, and it hasn't aged very well on PC. But it still has a strong and active fanbase for several good reasons.

I've been speedrunning, modding, and making YouTube videos about this game for the past 5 years, so I think this review will come in handy for a lot of people. 'Bully' takes place in the town of Bullworth (Which actually exists in the same universe as the 3D 'Grand Theft Auto' games and even 'Manhunt' 1 & 2). The storyline revolves around the mischief and struggles of the main protagonist (Jimmy Hopkins). Jimmy finds himself abandoned by his mom and abusive stepfather at the worst school in the country. He's quickly targeted by one of the most aggressive gangs, so he sets out to defeat all of the town's rival cliques, thus raising his social status from simply 'The New Kid' to pretty much becoming a local celebrity. Unlike the dull and almost lifeless streets of Liberty City in GTA IV, the town of Bullworth is full of personality and a great deal of variety. You'll experience different seasons as you progress through the story, allowing the player to see Bullworth in the autumn, fall, winter, and spring. Even Halloween makes an appearance at one point. Each area is easily distinguishable from the other, and so are the characters. Which brings me to my next point. What makes the storyline work so well is the witty and likeable nature of all the characters, including the main protagonist. This clever writing even extends to most of the background characters. Hell, even the main antagonist has his moments. And just like GTA, the further you get into the storyline the more areas and features you unlock. This is why patience is key when playing through the first chapter. There are 6 chapters. Each Chapter consists of roughly 8 - 15 missions, excluding the 6th chapter because it's basically the "You have completed all of the story related missions, so now you can do any remaining optional sidequests you want"-mode. The more chapters you complete, the more freedom you're given. The reason I point this out is because I've seen several people give up halfway through Chapter 1 due to their impatience and an eagerness to explore the environment. Take it easy. Get to know the environment and the characters. I guarantee that you will grow to like the game more if you simply give it time to familiarize yourself with it. Even the soundtrack is superb. Music composer Shawn Lee's talent really shines here as he shows off a range of different genres and influences. Don't be surprised if you find yourself humming the 'Walking Tune' when roaming around. I could go on and on about why this game is so likeable, but I think it's about time that we dive into some of the things that don't work so well. First and foremost, this game performs very poorly on Windows 10. I've seen tons of people come up with all kinds of solutions and compromises to make the game playable, but I've yet to try any of them myself (I never "Upgraded" to Windows 10). Some claim that certain fixes work for them, others say they don't. Unfortunately, it seems as though Rockstar has no plans on patching the game for Windows 10. I use Windows 7, which really is the ideal way to play this game. All I had to do was install the game and play it. No problems. The game also runs on a 30 fps limit, but there is a mod which removes the framerate cap. I would suggest installing this mod if you have the game. And while you're at it, why not check out some of the other mods people have made for the game. Pros: + Beautiful soundtrack. + Likeable characters. + Interesting storyline. + Comfy environment. + Fun missions. + Clever writing. Cons: - Terrible Windows 10 support. - 30 fps cap. - Somewhat slow beginning. And hey, there is actually a 'Bully Multiplayer' mod in the making. Perhaps that too will be in the 'Pros'-list some day. [b]Final score: 9 Blue Rubberbands out of 10.[/b] It's not perfect, and it hasn't aged very well on PC. But it still has a strong and active fanbase for several good reasons.