Game Review: ‘Buzz! Quiz TV’ answers trivia correctly
Those who are looking for a great party/trivia game can stop looking, because Buzz! Quiz TV is that game.
Quiz TV comes packed with more than 5,000 questions in five main categories. Those categories are: music, movies and TV, lifestyle, brainiac and sports. Also, each topic contains sub-categories such as 80’s music, extreme sports and fashion.
Question: So, what makes this PlayStation 3 game great? Answer: read on to find out.
Pros:
Fun factor
This game is a blast, not just as a trivia game, but as a party game, too. So far everyone I’ve played with has had fun. That’s because Quiz TV succeeds quite well at being a conversational game. It gets the group talking, yelling and laughing out loud.
Custom quizzes
After it’s all said and done, the best feature in Quiz TV is the ability to make custom quizzes, known as MyBuzz quizzes. This means anyone can make a quiz on any topic and share it with the world. And let me just say, there’s nothing more satisfying than loading up a quiz about Final Fantasy or even testing my knowledge on household cleaning supplies. MyBuzz allows for virtually endless replayability, no matter the topic.
Wireless buzzers
Every copy of Quiz TV comes packaged with four wireless buzzers and sells for $60. Not too shabby. The remotes respond well, and communicates with the PS3 via USB adapter.
At first I found it unusual for this game to use USB, especially when the PS3 has Bluetooth built in. But then I realized the wireless buzzers were backwards compatible with previous PS2 versions, and vice versa. So, fans of the series will find added value by these wireless buzzers.
Quirky characters
The playable characters are priceless. Everything from their facial expressions to their personalities brings a smile to my face. It’s little touches such as these that make Quiz TV fun and memorable.
Downloadable content
If custom quizzes weren’t enough, official quiz packs will be added to the PlayStation store soon. Some of the first quiz packs include, National Geographic, sci-fi and video games. Oh, and the developers are crossing their fingers for a horror pack around Halloween time.
Camera and trophy support
I was very surprised to see the PlayStation Eye peripheral being supported and equally surprised to see trophies. Granted neither of these are crucial to the experience, but they’re both welcome additions.
Cons:
Custom quiz limitations
Unfortunately MyBuzz is plagued by limitations. Each custom quiz is only eight questions in length and can only be played in one mode, fastest finger. Also, custom quizzes can’t be made on the PS3 itself. Instead, users must go to www.mybuzzquiz.com to make their own.
Needs more variety
The in-game modes work well. I’m pleased with the variety of ways to steal, lose and earn points. However, after playing for a few hours, the repetitiveness of the modes begins to set it in. With more than 5,000 questions and virtually endless replayability, more game modes would have been nice.
Online multiplayer Unfortunately, the online multiplayer doesn’t work as well as it should. The online mode is called “sofa vs. sofa,” which is rather misleading, because only one person per PS3 can play in a sofa match. Sounds to me like person vs. person, not sofa vs. sofa. The online does, however, support multiple buzzers, but it’s only for one character.
In the end, Quiz TV must be judged by the genre. It’s a trivia game and it does trivia well. The custom quizzes, wireless buzzers, downloadable content and online support, makes this game the best in the series.
Despite the games shortcomings, it’s a step in the right direction, and a step that most quiz game don’t make. So, for the trivia enthusiast looking for a good time, or even just the casual gamer, Quiz TV will provide many hours of entertainment.
Buzz! Quiz TV was developed by Relentless Software, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America. Game was released on Sept. 23, and retails for $60. Played extensively on single, multiplayer, and online modes. Add me as a friend, PSN ID: zoopp. Thank you to the PR staff at SCEA