Definitely the host with the most

We’ve had to deal with delays in the release date, but finally ‘Quiz TV is with us and we can say it’s been worth the wait.

Imagine a quiz show getting upgraded from a local TV network to prime-time digital TV; that’s how great this game looks compared to its predecessors. Sure, it’s got everything we loved from the earlier editions, however Buzz and his crew got a brand new, bigger set to play with. High-def graphics give the game a shine like never before, and with it, a wider range of character animations adds to its much cooler, stylish look.

On the downside, perhaps there could have been even more animations, as after a while you can begin to get irritated with your character’s repetitive responses to winning and losing rounds, but overall the negatives to ‘Quiz TV are few and far between. Instead it’s easier to notice the nuances that improve the gaming experience, such as the more detailed audience animation; each little bod claps at their own speed rather than en masse as a bunch of clones. A little touch, but one we liked nonetheless.

Then comes the gameplay. Buzz! has gone from a ‘show’ to a ‘network’ allowing you to pick which quiz genres you’d like to play: music, movies and TV, sports and science channels can be chosen for example, or you can choose the ‘Channel Hopper’ option, and basically set yourself a complete knowledge quiz. Sadly it’s all or one though, no picking two or three favourite genres to put together. We hope a future update might change this however.

Moving on, updates will also help to keep this game fresh. You already start with an impressive 5000 questions to tax your grey matter, however gamers will be able to download tens of thousands of new questions as and when these begin to get ‘stale’. All in all, we have to say that Relentless has created a pretty impressive, future-proofed game, and with the addition of wireless Buzz! controllers, it’s the ultimate quiz package for any console.

Further additions to the game such as the new rounds like Pie Fight and the big showdown of Final Countdown are good fun to play, but the killer offering this time round is ‘Quiz TVs online capabilities. Play other gamers online, or create and upload your own quizzes for PS3 owners to play globally – what more could you ask for?

In the Sofa vs. Sofa mode you can either play strangers in a set-up game, or invite friends on your list for some mental tomfoolery. Perhaps you’ve got far-flung friends and family? Well no longer do you have to wait for winter festivities and the Trivial Pursuit box to come out, you can now lay down the quiz gauntlet virtually, any time you choose.

The biggest leap forward this game makes is indeed in its interactivity and we expect a strong network of Buzz! ‘quiz masters’ to appear. You can use either your PC or PS3 browser to enter the Mybuzzquiz site and then it’s simply down to your imagination to create as many quizzes as you want. Creating a quiz is very simplistic too. You’ll need no more than 10 minutes to create your own masterpiece and you just follow the on-screen instructions of adding a question, giving the correct answer and then three wrong options and you’re good to go. Unfortunately, for now at least, your quizzes can only be eight questions long, making them ‘rounds’ rather than full-blown quizzes, however we do hope this might be another change we see a little further down the line.

Plus we’re serious when we say that the limit is your own imagination; quizzes can cover any topic and some people are already on the site creating weird and wonderful sets of questions, some of which are a real challenge and others just a laugh in that you’ll never get them right. For example, one lovely gamer created a quiz entitled ‘My Desk’, with questions such as ‘How many paperclips do I have?’ and ‘How many screens am I currently using?’.  Also, those with little ones fret-not, the game includes a mature content setting and is vetoed for bad language before going live both on the site and in-game (you can play the created quizzes on Mybuzzquiz.com).

With Buzz!’s new next-gen look, added variety and swathe of online options, you can’t go wrong with this game. An all-round quality quiz game, it will appeal to every type of gamer, and with the new wireless controls to top it off, you’ll be wanting to get those buzzers ready…