Fan-made Bully remake in Unreal Engine 5 shows why one of Rockstar's most underrated titles deserves second chance

Not many will remember Rockstar Games' Bully, released way back in the new millennium's first decade. The company is famous for franchises like Red Dead Redemption and GTA, but the forgotten title was a hit.

Despite a good amount of sales, a sequel never made its way out, but a fan-made trailer on Unreal Engine 5 shows why there's still hope for the game after a decade and a half.

Over two decades, Rockstar has made a name for itself with some brilliant games. From the wild western world of Red Dead Redemption to the more frantic GTA universe, fans have had unique experiences.

Bully was a completely different experience from all these titles. In certain ways, its settings and mechanics will still feel unique, and there was enough scope for a sequel.

It's unclear why Rockstar decided otherwise, but fans have come forward to show how it all might have been.

---

Fan-made trailer for Bully shows why Rockstar might have made mistake of giving it up

Created by TeaserPlay, the reimagined trailer has been made in Unreal Engine 5. Some iconic locations and mechanics have been included in the trailer, and the power of Unreal Engine 5 has completely transformed them.

In addition, the enhanced capabilities of the engine allow features like ray tracing to be incorporated, which altogether makes it somewhat unidentifiable from the 2006 release. TeaserPlay described what they have attempted with the reworked trailer.

"In this video, we are going to imagine a Bully remake, a great, nostalgic game that we need now in next-gen graphics. We tried to use all the power and features of Unreal Engine 5 to recreate this, such as Lumen, Nanite, Ray Tracing, and Metahuman to create Jimmy Hopkins and Dr. Crabblesnitch's Face."

The trailer got major praise from fans, some of whom still want a sequel. Several comments included requests for Rockstar to take notice of it and perhaps consider making a second game.

The reception also showcases Bully remains popular despite being more than 15 years old. Released on PlayStation 2, it puts players in the shoes of Jimmy Hopkins.

Interestingly, the title's main objective dealt with one of the most serious issues on educational campuses — bullying.

A user's objective was to help Jimmy rise in the ranks and influence at Bullworth Academy. This would allow them to stop bullying on campus, and the core mechanics were quite advanced for their time.

Two years later, the game was remastered from its previous renditions when it was released on Nintendo and Xbox consoles. As it completed a decade in existence, Sony added a 1080p version to the PlayStation network.

While both versions had better graphics than the 2006 release, they still looked dated.

However, the recent fan-made trailer shows two important things as far as Rockstar should be concerned. The 2000s title still has popularity even after all these years. Be it for the main gameplay or the winning conditions, it interested many players back then.

If Rockstar makes a game, getting it up with the times won't be a problem. Many have previously criticized Rockstar for its work with the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition.

A reimagined Bully on Unreal Engine could also help the company salvage some of its lost reputation. It will also provide a unique experience to users who will enjoy a franchise that is less discussed than it should be.