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Friday, August 11, 2006

Bully: Like GTA without killing hookers

There's no denying that the game is violent. The main mechanic demonstrated by Rockstar was fist-fighting. Bullies to fight were abundant, and once a clash ensued, onscreen prompts directed the player: "Now fight the bully." "Now humiliate the bully." Some button-presses later, the bully was wrapped in a headlock.

But besides obvious differences, like a lack of actual killing and maiming, the game's violence is even more hemmed in than the police-penalized mayhem of "GTA." Jimmy's skipped classes and fistfights raise the alert level of school officials. He's also forced to obey an 11 p.m. curfew each night for fear of having the game get blurry and uncontrollable for the player. Rampant misbehavior forces a visit to the principal's office or punishments like mowing the athletic field's lawn.
-- Controversial Game 'Bully' Might Not Be As Destructive As Critics Thought

Course certain jackass lunatic lawyers will likely field this outcome as a "victory" and that Rockstar changed their design under pressure. Truth and reality never really entered into the complaints lodged against Bully and there's no reason to think that will change in the near future.

Personally, I think this takes off some of the edge on the concept that all Rockstar does is make games so outrageous that people can't help themselves but to try them. Rockstar makes good games. If it all it took was outrageous content, we'd all have BMX XXX in our living rooms.


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