Can we get a link? Cause I cant find it thanks!
EDIT: Found it woops
here it is:
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/741/741435p1.htmlOr cause Im nice the print version:
Canis Canem Edit Review
Rockstar goes back to school and graduates with its most engaging, mature game yet.
by Matt Wales, IGN UK
UK, October 24, 2006 - We really wanted to hate Canis Canem Edit, we really did. While internet forums, politicians, lobbyists and the mainstream media debated, decried and wholly misrepresented Rockstar's latest opus, we just rolled our eyes at what seemed to be nothing more than a cynical PR stunt designed to flog ridiculous numbers of a redundant game with nothing to offer beneath its tedious blanket of carefully-engineered controversy.
Of course, the truth is, we were as guilty of making unfounded assumptions about Canis Canem Edit as anyone else. If only we'd kept the faith and held off until the game's release. You see, once again Rockstar has surpassed itself with yet another high-concept title with more depth beneath its glossy exterior than most games can only ever dream of.
Part of the its success is down to Rockstar's canny decision to flip its biggest franchise on its head with Canis Canem Edit. Sure, anyone who's dabbled with the Grand Theft Auto series will be right at home with the game's mechanics, but the move from the gritty yet abstract streets of San Andreas to the timeless halls of Bullworth Academy means Canis Canem Edit immediately strikes home with a world that's much more personal and emotionally involving than anything Rockstar's produced before.
It's almost impossible not to be engaged by the exploits of 15-year old Jimmy Hopkins as he works his way up the chain of power at Bullworth Academy from his humble new-boy beginnings, fulfilling the kinds of juvenile revenge fantasies that have been played out for years in things like Just William, Saint Trinian's and Grange Hill. Quite contrary to claims that Canis Canem Edit is likely to inspire a whole new generation of wannabe tearaways hellbent on social destruction, Rockstar's latest game present an utterly empowering take on school life, with its open-ended mischief focussed on usurping the oppressive bully regime - with maybe a few romantic tangents along the way.
As always with Rockstar's titles, Canis Canem Edit's presentation is second to none. Featuring a wholly appealing (and in some cases appalling) cast of characters, all sporting their own distinct personalities, the game's playground Goodfellas premise unfolds through an always compelling, dryly amusing narrative, expertly aided by some top-tier voice work and animation. What's more, Bullworth Academy and the surrounding New England township are equally well-realised, with Rockstar Vancouver's artists managing to create one of the most believable, unforgettable, detailed and cohesive game worlds we've yet to see in a game. Admittedly, if you approach Canis Canem Edit expecting the endless sprawling environments of Rockstar's other more famous titles, you might be a little disappointed by the less grand scale of this game.
Truth is though, by reigning in Rockstar's more extravagant tendencies, Canis Canem Edit maintains its intimate take on the sandbox genre, always staying on the right side of manageable. This more accessible approach is also reflected in the wealth of missions and side quests Jimmy tackles throughout the course of his rise through the Bullworth ranks - there's very little here that could genuinely be described as challenging and, in all likelihood, you'll get through most objectives on your first or second attempt. Far from being a bad thing though, this significantly less hair-tearing approach to game design means you're free to immerse yourself completely in the game world, ensuring you'll actually want to spend time experimenting with Canis Canem Edit's wealth of inconsequential options, fulfilling those playground fantasies. Want to flush a firecracker down the toilet? Or complement your wardrobe by poaching from other people's lockers? Your options really do feel limitless.
In fact, despite its somewhat conservative size there's so much to do around Bullworth, you'll frequently pass on the main missions just to explore that little bit more. With a slew of randomly generated - yet surprisingly rewarding - fetch-quests nudging against bike races, paper rounds, boxing matches, dodge ball, go-karting and mini-games ranging from arcade machines to an entire amusement park of fairground pursuits, the list is simply staggering. Of course, that's not even accounting for the meat of the game, with equally diverse main objectives including fending off bullies with your catapult as your nerdy comrade runs in the school election and raiding the girl's dorm for panties at the behest of your pervert gym teacher.
If we had to make one complaint however, it sometimes feels like there's too much to do, particularly when you factor in your academic requirements, with attending lessons fairly compulsory in the early stages. Initially, you're likely to feel frustrated as time management issues arise: with prefects constantly bearing down on you if you fail to reach class within half an hour of its start, you'll probably curse the constant interruptions as you attempt to carry out your mission objectives. As the game progresses though, you'll realise that, while entertaining in their own right, the mini-game-style lessons (ranging from word puzzles to rhythm action-style endeavours) merely serve to add even more meat to what's already a pretty bulbous entity. Although successful completion of a class offers numerous upgrades to your arsenal of prank-related gadgets, later additions to your equipment - such as the skateboard and bike - mean you can always outrun the authorities and get on with the more pressing matters at hand.
Actually, it's those early stages of the game that are likely to present the biggest problem for most gamers. The entire first chapter acts as a sort of tutorial, elegantly - if a little slowly - introducing you to the vast array of tricks up Jimmy's sleeve. Unfolding entirely within the confines of Bullworth Academy's grounds (with the town off-limits until chapter two), proceedings can often seem a little laborious. It's not until the game unties the reins and lets you lose in the world that Canis Canem Edit properly reveals its true qualities. As an example, early on, you're often forced into confrontations with your adversaries, meaning a sometimes exhausting slog of fist fights until the game feels you've mastered the Warriors-like combat system. Once you're given your freedom however, you'll quickly realise its often wiser to stay out of trouble, unless absolutely unavoidable - hardly the morally repugnant product we were all expecting, eh?
One downside to the game's later free-form gameplay though is its relative loss of narrative drive. By keeping proceedings fairly linear early on, Rockstar has full control over the focus of Jimmy's tribulations and chapter one undoubtedly has some of the most memorable moments (including the awesome Hallowe'en night trick or treat challenge), characters and encounters in the entire game. That's not to say later proceedings don't maintain the impressive levels of originality and wit - it's just that things become a little too formulaic for our liking storywise.
Closing Comments
Those minor complaints aside, Canis Canem Edit is undoubtedly one of the most engaging, enjoyable and immersive experiences to hit console this year - if not longer. Blanketed in the sorts of polish that seem to escape the grasp of most other western developers, Rockstar has refined its open-world formula to the nth degree. There isn't an inch of wasted space in Bullworth Academy and beyond - and every encounter, objective or activity simply serves to deepen an already impressively realised world. By ditching the increasingly hackneyed juvenile gangsta schtick of the Grand Theft Auto games and returning to its roots in the most literal sense imaginable, Canis Canem Edit manages to be the culmination of Rockstar's previous achievements, becoming - ironically enough - the company's most mature game to date.
