The Weakest Link
PlayStation
Nostalgia Factor:
I first played this game in 2002 or 2003. I rented it from Blockbuster Video with relatively low expectations. I absolutely loved the show, but I was not sure how it would translate over to a video game. It could either be really fun, or incredibly hokey.
Turns out, I liked the game a lot. I played it a ton with my girlfriend at the time, and her friends. We would play the multiplayer version of the game where depending on how many people there were, we each got to play as two or three characters. If there was an odd number of characters, the computer would control the final character, and we'd all agree to vote it out first.
Not only was the game a ton of fun to play given its format, it also got really intense too. Getting voted out in a game like this feels personal! Feels really good when you win, though. We played the heck out of this game, but eventually I had to return it to Blockbuster. It was sad to see it go, but I had gotten way more fun out of it than I ever thought would be possible.
I found The Weakest Link at a used video game store several years later. Remembering my fond memories of the game, I decided to buy it. It was only two or three bucks, too, so it was a great bargain. The game has brought me many hours of entertainment over the years. I've played it with several friends, old girlfriends, my wife, and even my late friend Jeff, the guy who wrote several guest reviews for this blog before his 2018 passing. It has never failed to be an amazing and fun experience with everyone I have played it with.
This is a game I have played a lot over the years. Seems only natural to review it for this blog. I picked it up today and decided to give single player a go. Would my opinion change, or would I still find this game to be a lot of fun?
Story:
There really isn't a story here, as this is based on a game show. I guess if there are any story related elements, they would be from the characters and their back stories. The characters are really varied and diverse. Hover the cursor over each character, and they all have little things that they say about themselves. You'll develop your own personal favorites the more you play. In particular, I am fond of Ravi, Eddie, and Gary.
Gameplay:
The game follows the format of the TV show surprisingly well. Each round, contestants are asked questions one by one. If they answer correctly, they earn a certain dollar amount for the team. The goal of the team is to string together several correct answers in a row, earning more and more money with each correct answer. For the money to count towards the game's winnings, however, players have to "bank" it. Here is what this means. If a player does not "bank", and answers incorrectly, all the money they have earned drops back down to zero. Banking the money saves it so it can not be lost, but at the same time it drops the earning ladder back down to the bottom again, meaning the players have to start another correct answer chain in order to earn more money. Each round is timed, and at the end of the timer, the round ends. All money that was banked is carried over to the next round.
I feel like I described that very poorly, but it is sort of hard to put into words. It is easy to get the hang of once you start playing it. After the end of each round of questions, the players must vote for who they believe to be the weakest link. Really, they can vote using whatever criteria they like. The player with the most votes is then cruelly evicted from the show. This goes on until there are only two players left in the game. These two players face off in a best of five question and answer battle. The winner takes home all the money banked over the course of the game. The loser gets nothing!
The game is really easy to control, even if you are not a veteran video game player. You are asked a question, and two to four possible answers are displayed on the screen. You move up or down to select an answer, and press x to lock it in. If your turn comes and there is money you wish to bank, press the square button to do so. To vote people off, simply pick the character's name and the corresponding button to cast the vote. Really, anyone can pick this game up and play it, which adds to its appeal. You could play this game with your grandma and still have a fun time.
If you like trivia or question and answer games, you should have fun with this. Anne Robinson and her hilarious insults only make the game even more fun. I find it hard to picture anyone playing this game with friends and not having a good time. If you are only looking at the single player experience, the game can be a bit lacking. It's still fun, but it isn't the same, and it gets old after a while.
Graphics:
You don't really play a game like this for its graphics. All you see is what is happening on-stage and the audience in the background. The characters all look decent by PS1 standards. They aren't anything special, but they are just enough to give each character their own distinct look and personality.
In between game rounds, the game cuts over to FMV scenes of Anne Robinson exploring the rules of the game, as well as throwing insults at its contestants. The presentation of the game show graphics on-screen gives it a very authentic feel, and the game faithfully recreates the look and feel of the television show.
Sound:
Tying into the game's visual presentation, its music and sound effects help make this a believable Weakest Link experience. All the music is pulled directly from the television show. Anne Robinson lends not only her physical likeness, but her voice to the game as well.
One area the game shines is in its character banter. I've been playing this game for years, with nearly every combination of every character in the game, and I still to this day hear insults from Anne and character speeches that I have never heard before. Seems like a lot of work was put into making each game experience unique as far as where its conversations turn. A seemingly small detail, but something that gives the game a lot of depth.
Overall:
If you are a fan of the Weakest Link TV show, you will find that the video game faithfully recreates everything you love about the show. The game's presentation, music, and voice acting is spot-on. The makers of the game did a very good job creating such an authentic experience
Played with friends, the game is an absolute riot. It is very addicting and hard to put down. The game not only forces you to use your brain to answer some hard questions, it also makes you react quickly when it comes to deciding whether or not to bank. Play this game with a group of pals, and it almost always results in a good time.
If you are looking for a solid single player experience, you could do better than the Weakest Link. There is some decent replay value here, as the game's bank of questions is massive, and you rarely see the same question used twice (although I am sure you will see more and more repeats if you are playing for long periods at a time). The computer is extremely good, though, and is pretty hard to beat. Usually what I do is just pick multiplayer mode and make half of the players my players, and the other half computer players. Then I make sure I do just enough to always stay on the right side of the vote!
This is a good, solid game that I attach a lot of strong memories to. It is not something I can sit down and play by myself for hours on end, but it is something I like to pull out when I have friends over. It has been a solid member of my game rotation for years now, and I like to pop it out every once in a while for shits and giggles. Fun game, don't dismiss it as just some crappy video game based on a game show, like I almost did. I imagine the game may be hard to find nowadays but if you happen to see this little gem for sale at your local used game store, pick it up. You won't regret it.
Final Score:
B+
If you liked my review of the Weakest Link, check out my review of:
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