Reviews

Posted by: jkdmedia

Buzz is a nice franchise, bringing home the pacing of television quiz shows with the near-depth of knowledge-based games like Trivial Pursuit. The game was a PS2 exclusive, featuring wired controllers that tethered players to the console and gave them colored buttons to push to try to respond with the right answers to the plethora of questions asked. And the questions ran the gamut, from television and movies to music, to geography, science and technology … well, few general category stones were left unturned.

It was only a matter of time before Buzz (the blond spikey-haired host) transitioned to the PlayStation 3 console. That transition has been made and what has been brought to the PS3 is a delightful game that addresses some of the knocks about the PS2 versions and delivers fun in a big way.

Sure, some of the glitz of the PS2 versions is gone … like the way each game element had its own musical intro (like the last game, aptly named The Final Countdown, used Europe’s pop-rock hit as the musical intro), but that is negligible with Quiz TV for the PS3. The animations are bigger and better – even on a high-def television – the pacing is great, there is a deeper options package and not only is there online play, but the wires to the controllers has been removed and the controllers are now wireless.

To give a quick overview of the game – you select a play mode (solo, against friends on the same machine, or online now – though only one person can play online). The way the game plays depends on the game mode. You can select categories for the game, like music only, sports, all, or even the new MyBuzz, which consists of categories created by other players. The latter can be very, very specific … like Yankee Stadium facts.

There are character models to use to represent you in the game, and they are extreme characterizations – quirky and fun.

Then you jump into the game. The questions are all multiple guess, so even if you don’t know the  answer, you have a 1-in-4 chance of guessing it. Some of the questions can sort of be figured out by process of elimination. There is a slight problem, though it rarely rears its head, in the phrasing of some questions. They seem to indicate one thing and yet truly mean something else. This is very rare, indeed, but it can be frustrating.

With the introduction of the wireless controllers, players have the ability to spread out and input answers from across the room. This is very nice and there does not seem to be any lag between the time you punch in a response and actualization onscreen.

When it comes to the multiplayer, the online element is absolutely wonderful. Very few times were there instances where there were not players to play against, and because the online portion consists of three general areas, strategy comes into play. The games in online consist of fastest finger (trigger your answer as quickly as possible; the faster you answer, the higher the scoring potential), all that apply (you are given a list of answers and select all that apply to the questions, from one to four possible matches) and then High Stakes where you bet points (50, 100, 250 or 500) based on a general category and whether you can answer the yet-to-be-revealed question. In the latter, you have to watch your score, take a few chances when appropriate, or hedge your bets and play to a safe lead.

Buzz Quiz TV is graphically compelling, and while Buzz’s banter can be a bit repetitious, he infuses a lively, upbeat spark to the proceedings. This is a game that is a lot of fun, and has a broad appeal.

Gameplay: 8.8
A few of the questions are not presented in an understandable way, but the interface is a breeze to use. Yes, this is reflexive, but those reflexes have to be driven by knowledge … or some good guessing.  

Graphics: 8.8
Some nice costume texturing and the animations are generally well done.

Sound: 7.5
Some of the musical elements have been removed from the PS2 version, and Buzz can be annoying with repetitive phrases, but this is serviceable.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0
Any of the knocks against the PS2 iterations seem to have been addressed and the incorporation of online multiplayer is great fun.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Whether you have four people playing or go online, the multiplayer is where this game really takes off.   

Overall: 8.8
Buzz Quiz TV is a solid and entertaining game. The PS3 version clearing outshines the PS2 iterations, and the incorporation of online multiplayer, as well as the wireless controllers, is a definite boon. This is a whole lot of fun.