I was rather apprehensive upon buying this game, it would be pretty easy to label this as a cash-in of a beloved game show and that’s exactly what I did. I could envisage mindless drones buying this game purely for the ginger haired nut on the box; the spawn of Satan herself. As a general rule games based on TV game shows are just plain awful, infact thinking through as many as my memory will allow I struggle to name a single decent one. I guess with an introduction such as this you’re now wondering if the Weakest Link finally breaks that trend and you’ll be happy to hear it has for the most part.
The game allows you to choose from a roster of pre-selected contestants and take on Anne as she fires question after question at you; it’s really just a shame there’s no option to actually incorporate yourself into the game. The questions are actually rather good, there is a nice variety from a broad range of different categories which will have you racking your general knowledge filled brain for the vital answers. The question system is well thought out too, you’re given your question and a choice of selectable letters will appear on screen; if you know the answer you can pick the starting letter of the word accordingly. The full set of answers will appear eventually but you will waste valuable time in waiting; not the best way to avoid those votes. It’s just a shame there aren’t a few more questions in the database; the game claims there’s 10,000+ questions yet it won’t take you long to start finding the repeats.
The multiplayer is where this game really hits the jackpot, you and a bunch of your trivia-filled friends can jump straight in and join the fun. There’s no greater feeling than tactically voting your friends off because they think they know it all, of course they may just be too dumb to function which is equally satisfying. Unlike the TV show equivalent this game is more about conquering your friends rather than winning the big money, I guess if you wanted that added excitement you could all throw the cash in beforehand.
This game does a great job in capturing the drama of the show, from the blaring lights of the studio to the glaring sights of Anne as she criticizes your every move. You really get a sense you’re part of the show without the graphics doing anything particularly special. The sound is quite realistic, all the authentic bells and whistles taken from the show are thrown as you in all the right places. At the centre of the audio is a menacing Anne Robinson complete with those smarmy comments and familiar catchphrases. The Weakest Link breaks down the stereotypes set by poor quiz-based games before it and is real a party game at heart, if you’re looking for something different you’re looking in the wrong place; you won’t find much value here unless you have a multi-tap and a willing bunch of friends.