Rockstar has become one of the biggest gaming companies through genre-defining franchises such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead. However, its history is also littered with franchises that were once popular but have since been retired, including Midnight Club and Bully. Though Bully found critical acclaim upon release, it has yet to receive a sequel, and it rarely receives much attention from Rockstar, making prospects of a new project related to the IP unlikely.
Fortunately, gamers will get to have a school experience thanks to Hogwarts Legacy. Although it may not match Bully's tone, Hogwarts Legacy appears to be a highly immersive game that lets players become students in a fictional school, allowing them to navigate the different social groups as they attend classes. With its magical twist, Hogwarts Legacy has the potential to be one of the best school simulators in recent years.
The Misunderstood Story of Bully
When Rockstar announced it was going to release Bully, it drew a lot of criticism and controversy. To some degree, this was to be expected, as the studio was mostly known for the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and the public was expecting the same crass humor and gratuitous violence to be included in a playground setting. When the game was released in 2006, gamers found that while it did have its controversial moments, Bully was overall a game that stood against bullying. It also managed to gain favor with a large audience thanks to its authentic depiction of school life, along with the familiar cliques and the typical emotional highs and lows that come with it.
The popularity of Bully has had gamers clamoring for a sequel for over a decade. However, the franchise has lain dormant, and Rockstar has moved on to more lucrative projects. There has been speculation that Bully could receive a remake, but with no confirmation from Rockstar, it would be wise to not be too optimistic. Fans of Bully would love to explore the corridors of Bullworth Academy once again and have that authentic school experience, but the prospects of Rockstar delivering this seems low. Fortunately, Hogwarts Legacy could scratch that itch.
Hogwarts Legacy Could Pick Up Where Bully Left Off
Plenty of Harry Potter games exist, but Hogwarts Legacy promises to be the most ambitious project yet. Developed by Avalanche Software, Hogwarts Legacy lets players become a witch or wizard who is enrolled in their fifth year in the famed magical school. There, players will be sorted into one of four houses, and they will attend magical classes which include Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. Players will also be able to interact with fellow students and have companions to help them out along the way. While Hogwarts is quite different from Bullworth Academy, Hogwarts Legacy could potentially give gamers that authentic school experience that Bully provided.
In Bully, conflict arose between the different cliques. Similarly, in Hogwarts Legacy, there will likely be a little friendly friction between the four houses as they strive for House Cup. Historically, Slytherin and Gryffindor have been sworn enemies, and it will be interesting to see how the game will handle conflict between students in these houses. Hogwarts Legacy could also, like Bully, satisfy the desire to get into juvenile mischief, though Hogwarts Legacy will likely add a magical twist to things.
Hogwarts Legacy will never be able to entirely fill in the gap left by Bully's absence, as it was a unique title that had a certain flair from Rockstar Games that other studios have yet to replicate. Unfortunately, it does not seem like gamers will be getting more Bully any time soon. However, for players looking for a school simulator, Hogwarts Legacy may satisfy the craving.
Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to release in 2022 on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.