Review: Buzz! Quiz World

A new title in the Buzz! series promises a step forward, but can it deliver?
Article written by tom_lord in Featured Stories, PS3, PS3 Reviews, on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 8:00.

We have all played Buzz!, right? Over several iterations, on PS2 and PS3, Buzz has been a run-away success in both sales figures and creating a brand mascot for the PlayStation family and social gaming. Buzz! Quiz World is the latest in a long line of Buzz! titles on a PlayStation console and is the 3rd on the PS3. Over time, each Buzz! Game has stayed to the same knowledgeable quiz show format catering for 1 to 8 players. With the introduction of the PS3 came online play through the PSN and the ability to create your own quizzes through MyBuzzQuiz .com. So what is there that can be new on the latest game, having there been so many previous titles in the series?

Well, it turns out, quite a bit. Buzz! Quiz World is quite simply the most polished Buzz game by some margin and a definite step up from Quiz TV and Brain of the UK (the past 2 on PS3). One of the best features is actually one of the simplest. Buzz will now actually say your name during various parts of the game. You simply chose from a list of names when inputting a new profile, and from then on Buzz will verbally abuse you or congratulate you directly. It’s something that Codemasters have used to great effect in GRiD and DiRT 2 and something that is great to finally see in Buzz!

The actual phrases used by Buzz are now more intelligent and sharper, if not less crude, and his seemingly increased thinking power almost makes him human-like. The graphics have had an upgrade too. Buzz looks better, the contestants look better and so do the studio audience. The animations of Buzz and the characters you play with are also a step forward, providing something to laugh at in-between rounds. But, more importantly, the quiz studio has had a major re-work. There is a larger crowd which is more audible throughout the game and all contestants stand on a giant revolving studio floor which spins around depending on the type of round being played.

With the new studio, come more round types. There is Over The Edge, where for every wrong question you get wrong, your podium rises before you eventual fall in to a giant vat of gunge (just like the final round of Get Your Own Back!), Boiling Point, where there is a giant thermometer behind each opponent which rises each time you get a questions right (first to 6 correct answers wins the round) and On the Spot, where you place a bet on if an individual player will get a question right or wrong (bet correctly and you win the points while they lose the same amount, bet wrongly and they win the points and you lose).

Of course, old favourites return like Point Builder, Fastest Finger and Pass the Bomb amongst others, meaning that each game of Buzz will have a different selection of rounds to the last. This means greater variety and increased longevity. The final round is The Final Countdown, which is the same as the final round from previous Buzz! games (Your podium is higher depending on your points in the game so far, decreasing every time you get a wrong answer), only know they have the rights to the actual Final Countdown song by Europe. You can even create a custom game with the rounds that you want included, or chose from a list of pre-set games with certain rounds within them (e.g. a crazy round game, a 45 minute game or a quiz pack game).

It is also nice to see over 5000 new questions and I haven’t played the same questions twice yet. There also seems to be increased use of licensed video, pictures and music than in previous Buzz games too which all adds to the pseudo-TV game show feel.

But better than all of that is playing Buzz! Quiz World online over the PlayStation Network. You can now play with up to 4 people on your PS3 against another 4 people from around the world. You can player 4 vs. 4, or 2 people on your PS3 and 6 random people online. It all just works too. In an era where online modes are promising a lot, only to fall down due to complicated menu systems or broken laggy performance, Buzz Quiz World never ceases to impress. It is quick and easy to jump into a game (how many times have you heard that before and then be disappointed?), the games are well paced and you get a full 6 round game each time. You can also play using the brilliant MyBuzz user generated quiz questions. All in all, the online mode is highly accomplished, slick and great fun.

Local multiplayer has also had a bit of a spruce up too. In the past, if you played with more than 4 players (between five and eight) the game would be shorter and with limited round types. But now, you can play a full length game of Buzz with 8 people, which is a real blast. The front end menu is now easier to navigate (with descriptions beneath each game mode) and it all adds up to being a great night-in experience for everyone to enjoy.

Pros

  • Improved graphics, animations and atmosphere
  • Superb online modes
  • Still great fun local multiplayer
  • Increased question and round variety

Cons

  • You either love or hate the character Buzz
  • It’s yet another version of Buzz, so nothing ground breaking here

Every area of the game feels polished and complete. It remains great fun and competitive. With every element seemingly refined to television aping quality, it remains to be seen where else the series can improve further. It may not be not revolutionary, but Buzz! Quiz World is almost definitely the best and most complete Buzz game to date. 8/10

Comments

Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.

Newer Comments

  1. cpotey | 05/11/2009 08:07
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    55 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2009

    Nice, might get it.


  2. Radboud | 05/11/2009 08:21
    Member
    899 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008

    Tempted to get it for my birthday end of the month, always nice to play Buzz! with friends….
    Good review btw Tom, very nice overview.


  3. bunimomike | 05/11/2009 08:32
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    3366 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

    Great review. All along you know it simply can’t score anything stratospheric so an 8 is a very worthy mark as it seems they’ve polished this particular iteration ’til it shines. Very tempted to get it as we have the Buzz! controllers here already.


  4. cc_star | 05/11/2009 09:05
    Team TSA: Writer
    5866 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

    Since I lost my BC PS3 I’ve missed playing Buzz, and I’ve never felt compelled to buy a PS3 version, but this time around there seems to be some real improvements. Buzz with friends is awesome fun possibly even better than SingStar.

    Think I’m gonna have to hunt this down but I’ve noticed previous Buzz games don’t have a long shelf life and limited supply means there’s not much retailer discounting. This is yet another title Sony should advertise the hell out of to expand the consoles appeal.

    Might wait for a good price before parting with my cash, but looking forward to it.
    ps. Tom get a Gravatar, if you don’t know what you want then pick a local charity like I have :)


    • bunimomike | 05/11/2009 09:59
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      3366 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

      Drunken Buzz! is even better. You end up arguing about who’s got the best reactions times when trollied. :D Accusations of controller tampering abound.


    • bunimomike | 05/11/2009 10:01
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      3366 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

      Actually, you’ve got me thinking. It’s also psychological to return to a franchise we once enjoyed but feel that each subsequent release hasn’t improved enough until there’s a marked difference between the version we left and the version we’re about to come home to. Makes sense for Tekken, Gran Turismo… Buzz!, etc.


    • X201 | 05/11/2009 10:04
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      260 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

      I’ve got to pull you up on that.

      The main feature of Buzz! for Sony and Relentless is that it HAS got a long shelf life (or long tail as retail types call it) Amazon are still stocking Buzz! The Mega Quiz nearly 3 years after release.


    • tom_lord | 05/11/2009 11:18
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      If you have Buzzers already then it is around £20, which is very reasonable!


  5. haz360 | 05/11/2009 09:23
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    365 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

    Sounds like a great title to play locally at Christmas with the family. Not played Buzz! since the original one on the PS2, looks like a good time to pick up this one.


  6. djdustb | 05/11/2009 09:28
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    1207 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008

    Loved Quiz TV and played it to death, might have to look into this for the Christmas period. Better finish the platinum on the old one first, just need some more sofa vs sofa wins.


  7. X201 | 05/11/2009 09:34
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    260 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

    My copy finally turned up yesterday and I’ll get to play it tonight. I’ve got all of the Buzz! games and have been looking forward to the additions and tweaks that were promised for this version.

    Breaking through the TV screen and having the characters actually address you by name instead of Player 1 or by a pre-programmed name really helps the game experience – as long as it isn’t used to the point where it becomes grating, “Hey Codemasters, I mean you”, “Codemasters, you did great with that last title”, “Yo, Codemasters you …. etc etc


    • tom_lord | 05/11/2009 11:20
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      I haven’t found that element too repetitive and Buzz has plenty of phrases. Also, with more than just one person playing (like in a Codemasters game) it really makes everyone feel involved. Buzz will even comment on your past performances (As you profiles are now all saved)


    • X201 | 05/11/2009 11:26
      Member
      260 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

      By Codemasters, I was referring to Dirt 2, where it does start to grate due to the fact that its the same few quotes with your name tagged on over and over.


      • tom_lord | 05/11/2009 16:52
        Team TSA: Writer
        525 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009

        Yes, I have to agree with that, but with Buzz Quiz World it doesn’t grate as it is used sparingly and more intelligently than in DiRT 2 (Although, I still love DiRT 2!)


  8. BadBoyBoogie | 05/11/2009 09:43
    Let There Be Rock
    2516 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

    Might get this. I need a quiz game for when mates come round, and I know the Buzz games in general are pretty good.


  9. tantalus_blank | 05/11/2009 09:54
    Member
    616 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008

    Ah this’ll be great for christmas! It always got annoying how you couldn’t customise a game is Buzz! Quiz TV, as it got samey very quickly. Bit of a similar situation to the new Tekken game – not much has changed but I’m made to play it so much I’m dying for some variation.


  10. 3shirts | 05/11/2009 09:57
    Member
    1788 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008

    I just recently started playing Quiz TV again to get my platinum so have really got back into Buzz. I think its the most accessible local multiplayer game around and I frequently play with friends, both gamers and non-gamers. It’s the only game where a newbie can beat an experienced player without it feeling ‘cheap’ or unfair!

    I’ll definately be getting this.

    Incidentally, does anyone know if you can use four wireless and four wired buzzers? I don’t play with more than 4 people often enough to go out and buy more buzzers, especially since I still have the old PS2 ones in a cupboard.


    • bunimomike | 05/11/2009 10:12
      Member
      3366 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

      I believe the wired ones work perfectly… no wait. Um… arse. *goes to check* Right, mine are USB so surely they’ll be fine.


    • X201 | 05/11/2009 10:22
      Member
      260 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

      Any Buzz! game can use any combination of wired or wireless controllers.

      They are backwards and forwards compatible.


    • tom_lord | 05/11/2009 11:21
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      Yup, I play with 4 wireless and 4 wired


  11. djdustb | 05/11/2009 10:29
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    1207 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008

    “You simply chose from a list of names when inputting a new profile, and from then on Buzz will verbally abuse you or congratulate you directly.” I hate my parents for my name now, never get to hear it in games. Would love to hear it in FIFA and the like.


    • seedaripper1973 | 05/11/2009 11:08
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      1356 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

      yeah man..seems a bit cruel calling you ‘djdustb’ :P


    • tom_lord | 05/11/2009 11:22
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      You can chose from nicknames too


  12. Yung Jones | 05/11/2009 10:59
    Member
    637 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

    Damn, this will be the first Buzz game i’ll ever get. I know i’ve missed out on a lot…


  13. seedaripper1973 | 05/11/2009 11:10
    Member
    1356 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

    just a quicky…does this iteration come with wireless controllers packed in? and is it prohibitively expensive??


    • tom_lord | 05/11/2009 11:24
      Team TSA: Writer
      525 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009

      As far as I know, you can only get this version as a stand alone disc for around £20. My local Morrison’s has a pack of 4 wired buzzers for only £4.99. If you want to go wireless, then expect to pay around £30 for the buzzers alone.


      • seedaripper1973 | 05/11/2009 11:58
        Member
        1356 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

        so were talking 50 quid then?! cheers tom..i dont mind payin the extra for wireless as i had the wired ones before and they were a sodding nightmare of tangled wires!


      • tom_lord | 05/11/2009 16:55
        Team TSA: Writer
        525 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009

        Yes, around £50 for Buzz Quiz World and 4 wireless Buzzers is the best price I have seen


  14. Tuffcub | 05/11/2009 11:12
    Team TSA: Writer
    3444 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008

    Will be getting this for the post Christmas Dinner lull when back at the folks.


  15. nofi | 05/11/2009 11:35
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    3870 TSA Points | Member since: Forever

    Want this – loved the past Buzz games and hopefully will pick this up at some point.


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