Some people might have their differing opinions on Scott Pilgrim, but Edgar Wright’s adaptation was one of those films during my childhood that ignited my love for movies. From there, I was able to venture into the source material by Bryan Lee O’Malley, which was just as great, if not better. It was not long ago that we got Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, an animated series on Netflix that was another interpretation of the original story. That’s what makes Scott Pilgrim one of the most accessible franchises that there is, as each adaptation is treated as entry level.
The class of Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game returns to bring us a whole new beat ‘em up game set in the world of Scott Pilgrim. Some members of Tribute Games originally assisted Ubisoft in creating the movie tie-in game that was released back in 2011. Since then, they’ve developed some outstanding arcade beat ‘em up games, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and their most recent addition, Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
Scott Pilgrim EX is a game that’s actively a sequel to not only Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off but truly any adaptation of Scott Pilgrim that exists, and thankfully it also works as an entry-level game for newcomers. Tribute Games have showcased how they’ve mastered the craft, and returning to the world of Scott Pilgrim is the perfect way to highlight that change.
With a game like this, you’re not truly focusing on the story, and it isn’t of much importance, but I can say that it’s a story that fits well into the Scott Pilgrim lore. It takes place in Toronto during an unspecified year, where Scott’s band, the Sex Bob-ombs, are rudely interrupted by Metal Scott, who kidnaps the band and their instruments. It’s then up to you to rescue each bandmate and their respective instrument so that you can make it to the big show. That isn’t all, though; the Vegans, Robots and Demons have travelled time and space with the assistance of G Corp to change the world for good.
Whether this is a game that’s a sequel to Scott Pilgrim Takes Off or not can be argued, but personally, I’ve gone with the mindset that this is, and there’s more than one reason to believe this, with one of them being the fact that Ramona Flowers’s super attack is her Super Ramona form that originated from the animated show. This game features the most playable characters for a Scott Pilgrim game and also changes how you engage with the story and Toronto. Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers remain as playable characters, but this time, we get the addition of some of Ramona’s exes. Gideon, Lucas Lee, Roxie Richter, Matthew Patel and Robot-01.
There’s a vast range of characters you can choose from who all feel different from one another with their unique attacks. It’s possible to switch it up while playing, but it’s best to focus on one character and attain accessories that can boost your stats. Sticking to one character through a playthrough becomes worthwhile and is part of the replayability, as each character has their own ending for the game that you can view.
You might see some faces missing from the game as playable characters, such as Knives Chau and Kim Pine, but you’re able to unlock them and many others as assists, WHICH YOU WILL NEED, to help you get through the game. From providing you with brief invisibility to a stampede of Sex Bob-omb fans (they’re actually all just Young Neil) swarming your enemies, the game never gets stale.
The biggest change from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game to Scott Pilgrim EX is that we’re no longer jumping from level to level. This is a first for Tribute Games, as even their most recent releases, such as Marvel Cosmic Invasion, follow this traditional format. Scott Pilgrim EX follows a system more similar to the River City games, where you have a whole map to explore and go back and forth to complete missions and obtain items.
This ended up feeling extremely refreshing, as I found myself opening the map several times to see where I had to go. There was even one instance where I had no clue where one location for a mission was despite the map showing me I was in the right area, only to discover that I had to enter Benvie Tech through the video store like I had previously done before. It’s nothing too challenging, but it does provide the opportunity to use your brain a slight bit more.
If you’re familiar with beat ’em ups or even the games that Tribute Games has developed, then you’ll likely find no issue with the combat system. It’s what you come to expect from these types of games. Although there are several playable characters and you’re bound to give them all a go like I did, you’re quickly going to find a character that just suits you, and as I previously said before, for me, that was Ramona Flowers. The ability to dupe enemies by jumping into her bag, which allows her to enter subspace and pop right back out on the other side, was never not fun.
Scott Pilgrim EX can tend to be quite difficult, and with boxes, skateboards and many items being thrown across the screen with a plethora of enemies also attacking you, it can be a lot, especially if you’re playing solo and haven’t got any friends to team up with you in co-op, which is how I spent my time playing this game. There were a few boss fights where I found myself dying numerous times, but instead of turning down the difficulty (no shame if you do), I backtracked, got better accessories and prepared with health items for when my health inevitably got that low.
It’s in their name, Tribute Games. They’ve given this promise of being able to take people back to a time of 16-bit beat ’em up games, and they do it magnificently, improving each time. Scott Pilgrim EX is nothing groundbreaking, but the few changes it makes do allow the game to not only feel refreshing but also have some replayability to it. If this is your first time with the Scott Pilgrim franchise, its chaotic and high-octane energy is sure to make you return and consume the other mediums that are available.
Anamanaguchi return once again to provide a score that you could listen to for days on end, giving you the energy you need to power through Toronto and return it back to its glory. Tribute Games, continue doing what you do best because so far, I have no reason not to return when your next game releases.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.
