Canis Canem Edit Review

Followed by a wave of controversy since itâ??s unveiling, Rockstar Games latest finally finds its way past the picket-fences to the shop shelves, picking up a new name and loosing an Xbox version along the way. Providing the free-roaming, open game world experience that has become synonymous with Rockstar titles, Canis Canem Edit follows the adventures of Jimmy Hopkins as he starts the year at the latest school in a short list of those that havenâ??t previously expelled him.

With an assortment of deliberate cliches, Canis Canem Edit switches the gang structure of the GTA series with the feuding academic cliques of the Jocks, Nerds, Preppies and the Greasers. Taking control of one clique at a time, Canis Canem Edit takes place across five different chapters, each of which occur throughout Jimmy's academic yearâ??s and are further embellished by events such as Halloween and Christmas.

Carrying on the high standards that are typically expected from Rockstar Games, Canis Canem Edit features a large selection of entertaining and diverse missions that will keep you gripped to the controller. Objectives revolve around a surprising amount of variety beyond the traditional â??A-to-B' design, stacked full of memorable moments, such as riding on the back-wheel of a bike and shooting the chasing Greasers, or setting up some pranks before the â??Big Match' whilst wearing the mascot's costume as a disguise. Varying main objectives that advance the central storyline are open to Jimmy throughout the day, however Jimmy will also have to find the time to attend lessons twice daily - unless you choose to risk the prefects wrath by playing truant.

Attending classes brings some real benefits to Jimmy's task of surviving the year and taking control of Bullworth Academy; squeezing out the bullies and bringing harmony to the cliques. With lessons taking place in the morning and afternoon, Jimmy must demonstrate his word prowess in English with a Boggle styled mini-game to improve his skills in the submissive art of apologising; create stink-bombs and firecrackers in a rhythm/action Chemistry mini-game; strip and rebuild a bike in a similar Shop mini-game to unlock new models; wrestle and play dodge ball in the Gym to acquire new moves; play a Qix inspired mini-game in Art to develop Jimmy's kissing skills and finally take snapshots in Photography to earn better cameras. More then being fun little diversions to the main missions, classes play a significant role in the structure of the game, with plenty of rewards to keep you coming back for more fun and education - something youâ??d find hard to say about lessons in the real world.

Combat plays a considerable role in the game, some of which can get pretty brutal when you add a baseball bat or a head butt to the equation. With a reliable camera/control set-up and plenty of moves to unlock, combat feels solid and plays an entertaining part in the game. There's a considerable amount of options open to Jimmy if he finds himself in the middle of a fight, beyond the conventional punch, kick and grapple commands that expand throughout the game, Jimmy can take advantage of the environment, pushing opponents into the dustbins or slamming them against the wall. When an opponent's health has been sufficiently replenished, Jimmy can finish the fight by ridiculing the guy in front of his peers, slapping him around the face with his own hands; tripping him over or unleashing the dreaded Chinese burn! During the game Jimmy can also get his hands on a variety of weapons to help him out, with timeless classics such as the Stink-Bomb, Firecrackers, Itching Powder, Marbles and the upgradeable Slingshot.

Governing Jimmy's actions, a â??Trouble' meter fills whenever he commits a misdemeanour in the view of figures of authority such as Prefects, Teachers or the Police. With a penchant for causing mischief there's a lot of pranks that Jimmy can perform, which will attract the authorities attention; pick-locking lockers; starting fights; riding a moped without a helmet; the list goes on... Understandably treating the subject of violent behaviour cautiously, there's only so much violence or vandalism that Jimmy can commit before the Trouble meter is off the gauge, something that also instantly occurs if he picks a fight with a small kid, girl or an adult. Nearby prefects and, later police officers, will dive in and manhandle Jimmy to the ground. Although it's possible to get away, at first, with a quick kick to the nuts, Rockstar Vancouver have sensibly restricted the amount of carnage that Jimmy can wreck before he's sent back to class, or in front of the principle for detention when the list of misdemeanours has grown too long!

A simple Happy/Angry choice governs Jimmy's social interactions with the various characters throughout the game. Though this sufficiently accomplishes its goals, you're left hoping for slightly more structured conversation between Jimmy and his peers. Of course it wouldn't be a school-comedy if some of the social interaction didn't feature some of the â??close' kind; all it takes is the right clothes, plenty of respect, and a present, to have Jimmy tonsil-tickling with all the girls (above a certain age) at Bullworth. Irking the right-wing frustrations of those who'd wrongly labelled Canis Canem Edit, Jimmy can also get â??friendly' with one of his male friends in the game - a stylish implementation of the game's modern setting and perhaps the Preppy cliché, it ultimately remains a witty one-fingered salute to those who got hot and bothered about nothing in the first place.

As the game expands beyond the confines of the school Jimmy gains possession of a skateboard and bikes, with mopeds and go-karts also featuring later in the game. On the occasions when you've hi-jacked a moped and attracted the attention of Bullworth's finest police officers, Canis Canem Edit can seem uncannily like GTA at times... but with kids - it's always entertaining to have a line of police officers hurtling around the corner and chasing onto the school grounds, the prefects look as though they've learned their toilet habits from the nerds when a convoy of motorbikes comes hurtling towards them!

Where many free-roaming titles often slip up and fail, Canis Canem Edit continues Rockstarâ??s history of success at creating smart, engrossing and entertaining experiences. Because the game focuses on a smaller scale compared to other free-roaming titles, Rockstar Vancouver have injected a sense of personality way beyond whatâ??s typically on offer. With an assortment of witty one-liners the cast of NPCs are stronger then the anonymous ensemble that typically populates the world of similar titles. Bullworth Academy and the surrounding town feature a level of interaction that just makes hanging around fun, whether it's watching everybody shoot out of bed after setting off the fire-alarm; stuffing kinds into lockers, listening to them knock hopelessly until an unsuspecting person comes to save them; dunking a bullies head into the toilet or setting a firecracker off in one. This level carries on throughout the town of with a Carnival full of rides and games to play; bike-races to win and arcade games to master. The variety on offer continues into the money-earning tasks that Jimmy can complete, whether it's mowing lawns or taking on a morning paper-round influenced heavily by the Atari classic Paperboy (itâ??s worth it just for this). Characters will also run up to Jimmy throughout the game, seeking assistance in a variety of short side-missions that provide cash rewards - it seems there's never a spare moment for Jimmy, but if he's not in bed by 2:00 there's the risk of loosing his shoes to the tramps when he drops from exhaustion.

The central storyline and cast of characters demonstrate the high quality we've come to expect from Rockstar, who treat the central â??Bully' theme with care and respect. Jimmy can strut his stuff on the playground, enforcing his control by violent persuasion; but, ultimately, it's his main aim to remove the bullies, sticking up for the bullied, whether that's a nerd being stuck into a dustbin or a teacher with an alcohol problem, being blackmailed by a colleague who has his own â??problemsâ??. Always the case with a Rockstar title it's often about personal choice, to a certain extent it's possible to go through the game without committing violent actions (some missions even require this) - but then again it's always fun to let off a little steam at times.

Matching the style and wit that Rockstar North continuously bring to the Mafia/Gang genre, Canis Canem Edit brings the College-Comedy to videogames with distinguished conviction. The saturation of stereotypes that walk up and down the corridors of Bullworth Academy creates a highly exaggerated environment, which makes for a perfect setting for a videogame. The central storyline pulls in the classic hooks; a crush on the teacher; feuding peer groups; a repugnant cook and the militant gym teacher, but told in the typical Rockstar manner, such as the cook's alluded date-rape, or picking up the girls panties for the Gym teacher!

Trying to find faults is hard; though the camera, targeting and control is largely solid and rarely a barrier to enjoying the game, it can occasionally get 'stuck' and leave you bewildered for a split-second. Strangely one of the only other complaints that I can think of is a lack of lessons. With five increasingly difficult lessons in each class, you're actually left wishing for more and wandering whether Jimmy will ever learn long multiplication or bake a cake - perhaps we'll see Maths, Home Economics and others in the inevitable next-gen sequel?

Perhaps the major disappointment is the general ease of the game. None of the missions will keep you taxed for long, often you only fail because of a stupid mistake and even the most difficult can be completed in a couple of takes. Because of this and the addiction it evokes, Canis Canem Edit is definitely a game that leaves you wanting more,