The Real Bully


When this came out, everybody assumed that Jimmy was going to be the bully. The truth is- and why I like the game so much- is that the title refers to basically EVERYONE besides Jimmy and Pete, to an extent.
The nerds are the best example. Usually, nerdy kids in video games are always made out to be innocent victims. Here, all the nerds are just as nasty to everyone, if not more so. Algie, for example, whines about everything, clearly is a spoiled brat, and trashes Pete to make himself feel better. Ernest is even worse. He sends Jimmy out on a mission to basically get him homemade porn,and then cringes like a coward at the consequences.
On that same note, the other cliques are funny, but could have had more diversity. Thankfully, Rockstar made a good effort to take some characters, like Mandy and Russell, and actually humanize them without being too preachy. Everyone may be bullies (some worse than others), but the game surprisingly takes a semi-serious approach about the whole thing, and lets some characters besides Jimmy get better as time goes on.

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Gary was right in the beginning when he told Jimmy that the nerds were sneaky bastards.

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I definitely agree with what you’re saying. I like that the nerds can be just as antagonistic as the jocks or preppies. We always portray nerds as helpless nice guys but in real life, i’ve met nerds who are total narcissists and bully people beneath them harder than any chad.

I do wish Rockstar stuck to its guns and made Jimmy an anti-hero. They seemed not to know whether to make Jimmy an outlaw bad guy or a misunderstood hero with a heart of gold. It would’ve been a lot of fun had they just made Jimmy a cold hearted menace who wants power. The weakest elements of the game are whenever the story randomly decides to make Jimmy the hero for the smaller man. It rarely works and comes off as shmaltzy. Like, this guy beats up nerds in between missions but suddenly wants to be their savior?

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Nerds bully anyone who they think didn't get stuffed into a locker in high school.

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