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Nat Geo Quiz! Wild Life
Quiz games
have definitely changed the face of party games on the PlayStation 3,
especially with Buzz! Of course, quiz games are not just limited to Sony
and Black Bean Games have released their own quiz game called Nat
Geo Quiz! Wild Life which has been put together with the help of
National Geographic, one of the world’s most popular resources of
wildlife, history and the like.
This
current game obviously revolves around wild life and is a game that can
be played by everyone, provided there is more than just one person. You
can play the game as a solo instalment, however it is lacking that oomph
factor, especially with the competitive streak of people. The simple
formula is... more people = more fun!
Nat
Geo Quiz! Wild Life
could be considered a casual game or family game and both suit the
premise perfectly. When you first load the game, it almost looks like a
National Geographic documentary with its branding and high quality
videos. Some nice presentation that the developers have managed to
recreate in a video game.
In terms
of control, accessing the questions and menu system is done through the
PlayStation 3 DualShock controller which most people should have no
issues whatsoever in accessing it. Even though the game has a
edutainment feel to it, this will probably be squashed by the players
competitive nature which makes this the perfect party game. We tested
this game with four people and had a blast playing it and needless to
say... tempers rose!
In terms
of gameplay, the game follows a similar premise to Buzz! and Scene It
which uses multiple questions, sound and visual prompts to assist with
the questions. With hundreds upon hundreds of questions, it’s very rare
that the same question will come up if you play it again, you are pretty
much guaranteed different questions.
The
questions are
quite diverse, including how they are presented such as jigsaw pieces,
movies or even world clues but generally, most are multiple choice. As a
carrot for the player, there is even a quest mode that urges the player
to get ten questions scored correctly in a row which is not as easy as
it sounds. Depending on who is playing, the game supports a variety of
difficulty levels, ensuring that younger gamers can also have a
go. Definitely a great family experience.
Visually,
Nat Geo Quiz! Wild Life is a good looking game on the PS3 with high
definition videos taken from a variety of National Geographic
documentaries. The high resolution videos look great and sometimes make
you want to learn more about the animal or animals in question. The
sound bites are professionally recorded and the only downside to the
title is the commentator who sounds a little too Buzz for my liking.
Personally, I would have preferred someone who is more refined and more
National Geographic than tacky quiz master.
In
conclusion, Nat Geo Quiz! Wild Life is another fun quiz game to this
genre on the PlayStation 3 and although it doesn’t use the Buzz!
controllers which is a shame, the PS3 controllers work almost as well.
Thankfully the game is well designed and doesn’t look like a cheap third
party game that has been tacked together. With the National Geographic
badge behind it, the developers have paid respect to their long diverse
history and at the same time, making an enjoyable game! |
