Game: Buzz! Quiz TV
Platform: PS3
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Relentless
ESRB: Teen
Genre: Virtual Quiz Show
Players: 1-8
What's Hot: Both Sony- and user-developed quiz packs guarantee replay off the charts compared to previous Buzz games
What's Not: With the jump to HD and better audience and contestant models, Buzz himself just looks…wrong
Buzz! Quiz TV, the most prolific video game quiz show, makes its debut on the PlayStation 3. A series steeped in releases and genre packs (much like Sony’s other exclusive-requiring-peripherals SingStar), Buzz has long been a staple Sony game, even if its fame in the PAL territories happens to greatly overshadow its moderate success in the US. Despite the sales and releases, however, it has always suffered from the same dilemma all limited content games suffer: updates with new content, but little in terms of new features.
For the first time, a Buzz game has gotten a noticeable upgrade not only in terms of the questions available, but also the game itself. For those not familiar with the franchise, how it works is fairly simple. The game plays like a virtual gameshow, where the titular host asks questions from a variety of categories in a variety of rounds, and obviously the person who does the best ends up winning the game. It can be played with up to eight players on a single console, although that will require having another friend who owns the game playing along as it comes with four “buzzer” controllers.
The buzzers are small handheld (and thankfully wireless) remotes with four colored buttons, and a larger buzz button. When Buzz asks a question, you have to either push the correct button for the multiple choice answer, or hit the buzz button when the right answer pops up. Even though there are several rounds in each game all with differing rules, the overall playing style never eschews from that simple routine.
The number and variety of questions far surpass those in previous Buzz installments: Movies, Film & TV, Sports, Lifestyle, and Brainiac. With over 5,000 questions available on the Blu-Ray disc, it is the largest Buzz game yet—but it gets better.
For the first time, the game can be played online in what’s called sofa vs. sofa. This allows for much more fun (as you can challenge friends, family, and strangers online), but also opens the gateway for the biggest feature to hit Buzz since the game came out: downloadable question packs.