It’s Trivial, Alright?
With so many trivia-style games available for the different gaming systems, we weren’t in real need of another one. However, this one is the real deal; as the name says, it’s Trivial Pursuit! But, does it live up to its name? Did Electronic Arts seal the deal with this multiplayer title? I guess you’ll have to read on to find out.
The popularity of Trivial Pursuit is interesting. I’d say most people don’t have a really fun time with it. However, almost everyone owns the board game, and almost everyone plays it at least once a year, if not more. The game is undeniably fun for those who know a lot about everything, even the most mundane things. On the other hand, those who aren’t up-to-date when it comes to pop culture always end up dreading the game. Letting your friends play and play while you lose one round after another is not necessarily fun!
Thankfully, this game manages to be entertaining for almost everyone! A great amount of its questions are still difficult, but the difference is you can choose from four different answers, which makes it a little easier. When luck comes into play in addition to knowledge, the classic strategy changes a little, but it’s definitely fair, as most players will be able to enjoy the title more this way. Also, the gameplay is more fast-paced. Knowing that you have at least 25% chance of succeeding is better than scratching your noggin’ for the next ten minutes trying to figure out the answer!
The game’s presentation is very pleasant. It sports a stylish design with nice, bright colors over a dark background. When you roll the die, your puck will be moved in a different way each time – it will either turn into a UFO, a fly, a bird, or even a Slinky spring toy! These cute animations are fun to watch at first, although I admit they get a little slow after you’ve seen them all and you’re just waiting for your turn. In any case, it’s a nice touch that I thought was worth mentioning. Also, the game is fairly accessible. It’s very easy to pick your answer with the left analog stick and the push of a button. The music, on the other hand, is not quite as memorable, but it does its job. The commentator is not very engaging either, but I guess you’re doomed to have a commentator in a game like this.
In this Trivial Pursuit, you can choose to play in three different game modes. As always, there are six categories represented by six different colors. Of course, you can just select Classic gameplay and call it good. You grew up playing this mode, so I don’t have to explain what it’s all about. It’s a given that everyone has their own house rules, but overall, we’re all aiming for the same thing: the six wedges and the final trial in the center of the board. When I played this mode, it took forever to reach the center, so there’s definitely a time commitment when you choose to play the classic way. However, I really liked the diversity of the questions, and the fact that the game has been modernized with current questions that we’re more likely to answer correctly, even if we were born in the eighties. Some questions even require a good knowledge of geography, as not only will you answer which country the question is asking about, but you’ll also have to locate it on a map.
You can also play Facts & Friends. This is an even more competitive mode, but it’s also a bit more fast-paced. Everyone here shares the same puck and competes for the same wedges. You also compete for a good score. Answering a question correctly grants you points, but you’ll also bet on your friends’ knowledge in order to increase your score. Also, the more correct your answer is on the wedge spaces, the more points you’ll get, even if you didn’t exactly pick the perfect answer. There are no “roll again” spaces in this mode. They’ve been replaced by Bonus Event spaces. Here, you can steal your friends’ hard-earned wedges, receive extra points, and more. Your friends can also wear the “smarty pants” by saying they know the answer to a question that was asked to you. If you don’t know it and they do, they get the points. Snap!
Clear the Board mode is just for those who are lonely and feel like playing Trivial Pursuit on their own. It’s still pretty fun to play though. The goal is to clear the board by answering questions correctly. Each time you do, the space you were at will be blocked. Also, you get multipliers by answering multiple questions correctly in a consecutive fashion. At the end, your score will be sent to the leaderboards so you can compare your brains with those of other players.
No matter what mode you play, the game generates stats under your profile, and these can be compared with other gamers’ profiles. This is a cool way to find out what subjects you excel at and which ones you need to cram for. Downloadable content will also expand the value, but it comes at a price. However, I was surprised the game doesn’t offer online play against other Trivial Pursuit aficionados. I played Buzz! Quiz TV in the past and it offered a very competitive online mode, so I thought that would be a must from now on. It’s definitely something this title is missing, even if everything else is good.
The conclusion is simple. If you enjoy Trivial Pursuit, this title is a must-have in your collection. Everyone, gamers and non-gamers, know how to play it and will be entertained with it. In addition, it comes packed with several language options. However, if you’re considering other trivia titles, this is still a good option, but games like Smarty Pants are fun too.
RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.9 Graphics
Stylish graphics make this game very attractive. The presentation is cool, with funny animations when you move your token. 4.0 Control
Selecting the answers is easy, and so is moving around the board. No problem here. 3.6 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Background music is nice but not particularly engaging. Same with the commentator. 3.8
Play Value
It’s Trivial Pursuit, and you can play it alone or with your friends. If you like the board game, you should be able to enjoy this one. There’s no online play!
3.8 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.
Game Features: