One of the projects that have been forgotten by the industry and that many people still wait with sparkles in their eyes is Bully 2. The continuation of Jimmy Hawkins antics it seems that they will never come and from Game Informer they have contacted former game developers to find out what happened.
Mad Doc Software, the studio responsible for making Bully: Scholarship Edition, was acquired by Rockstar in 2008 and his name was changed to Rockstar New England. Following such a major move, Bully 2 was the game the team was commissioned to play, in a new vision within Rockstar that enacted few but large-scale games released.
“There was a lot of focus on character, very deep systems, seeing how far we could take that and place it next to a GTA“, clarifies a developer consulted by the media. Therefore, with that level of ambition, the world of Bully 2 would bet on being larger and deeper, so it is estimated according to the sources consulted that between 50 and 70 people reached be involved in the game.
Calculations for map size vary between GTA: Vice City and “three times” the one of the first Bully, but it would have an almost unique feature. One of the great objectives of Rockstar New England was to make every building in the game accessible. “If you could see it, you could research it. We’d rather not have a really massive world; maybe shrink it a bit so we can make sure we have all these significant things,” notes one member.
Another interesting aspect would have been a system with which the NPCs remembered Jimmy’s actions. “We really wanted to make sure people remembered what you did, so If you played a prank on your neighbor, they would remember it. That your actions had more meaning beyond a 20-foot radius and the five-second memories of NPCs near you, “explains a developer.
There were even smaller details that were implanted in other works, such as Max Payne 3. The glass breaking system was going to be part of Bully 2, although it ended in the shooting saga. Climbing was going to be a fundamental part of the game, being able to climb trees or reach building windows.
So advanced did Bully 2 get that several workers confirmed to the media that you could play all over the map, interact with objects and NPCs, and even perform missions. They consisted of karts, a beekeeper, one much like Kamp Krusty from The Simpsons, and one in which the protagonist was in his underwear.
“There were a lot of kids bike movies from the 80s, like the Goonies , which emerged as a reference. Porky’s it was another movie commonly used for reference. We look at a lot of those kinds of things. He definitely had that style. “
Between “six and eight hours” of play were already ready for Bully 2, although it is estimated that it would have needed two or three more years before it could be released definitively. But nevertheless, Rockstar decided to direct efforts to other projects like GTA V or Red Dead Redemption, so finally the dream of doing mischief again is over. Of course, you can take a look at this concept art about the game, which has been confirmed by various developers as real.
