When Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game came out in 2010, it was a breath of fresh air despite being a callback to video games several generations before it. Fast forward over 15 years, and while the feeling isn’t quite as fresh since beat-em-ups have more or less made a return, Scott Pilgrim EX presents an impressive follow-up that both old-school gamers and Scott Pilgrim diehards should enjoy.
Developed by Tribute Games, the studio behind other superb beat-em-ups like Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, is another sidescrolling adventure that is as fun to enjoy for newcomers as it is unapologetically Scott Pilgrim. For the uninitiated, Scott Pilgrim is the protagonist and titular character of a graphic novel series written and illustrated by Brian Lee O’Malley that was essentially a love letter to the 90s, video games, and pop culture. From bands named Sonic & Knuckles to numerous Final Fantasy and Nintendo references, the Scott Pilgrim brand eventually spawned a film starring Michael Cera as Scott and, eventually, the aforementioned video game.
On the surface, Scott Pilgrim EX is cut from the exact same cloth. Unlike the previous game, based on both the graphic novels and the movie, Scott Pilgrim EX features a unique standalone story that more than lends itself well to how a sidescrolling beat-em-up works. The game begins in 20XX in a strange and messed up Toronto where demons, robots, and vegans (yeah, vegans) are causing havoc in different parts of town, and Scott and his band Sex Bob-Omb couldn’t care less. All they want to do is practice for a gig coming up. Unfortunately, the evil Metal Scott had other plans, kidnapping Scott’s bandmates and their instruments, spreading them all across Toronto. Luckily for Sex Bob-Omb, Scott’s girlfriend Ramona was there to see it all, and she calls a few friends after helping Scott regain consciousness. With that, it’s high time to save Toronto, or at least bring the band back together.
So many nods to Zelda… more on that later.
It’s absolute silliness, but that’s what Scott Pilgrim is. That’s what arcade-style beat-em-ups are. What’s important is kicking ass and taking names of all shapes and sizes and having fun doing it. Scott Pilgrim EX does exactly that while introducing enough RPG and exploration elements to mix things up. Make no mistake about it, though, it’s the familiar multiplayer gameplay that takes center stage, for better or for worse.
In addition to Scott and Ramona, the game gives you access to five other characters including Lucas Lee and Roxie Richter–yep, members of the League of Evil Exes are playable in the game, but it’s not just them. Another former boss who’s back in the fray as a playable character is Robot-01, and each of these characters is really fun to play, and everyone having the same basic control scheme means you don’t have to try too hard to figure everything out.
Despite being bulky and a little slow, Lucas brings his devastating wrestling moves to the fray; Robot-01 brings the hurt with moves that combine the likes of Mega Man and a Transformer; Roxie is obviously a ninja, so the speed and aggressive precision she brings with her katana make fun devastating combos to unleash on every enemy that comes your way; Scott is … just Scott, but he can use the Shoryuken and Hurricane Kick. I’m going to stop short of mentioning every playable character in the game, both to not spoil the fun for fans and because Tribute told me not to, but I’ll tell you that the game encourages you to switch characters out every now and then, so a big part of the fun is finding your comfort level with everyone.
Buying food with all the money you make is the easiest way to replenish your gauges.
Every enemy you take down will drop coins that you can use to buy consumables and equipment. While typical consumables are laid out on the ground from time to time, there aren’t a lot because the game expects you to go to shops to replenish your gauges. I didn’t quite get this at first, and I had a hard time with every death bringing me back to the last checkpoint I found with the amount of health I had at that point. Unlike a traditional beat-em-up, progression in Scott Pilgrim EX‘s story isn’t level-based. The game actually takes place in a semi-open world, much like the one found in River City Girls, for you to explore and finish quests. Exploring, buying food, and figuring out the effects of each food was part of the fun.
I found this play structure interesting, but it wasn’t without its annoyances. Exploring the different biomes of Toronto 20XX had its moments. Opening up portals to places like the ice age, a space station, and even getting transported to high school by picking a certain movie at the video store were examples of memorable moments.
At the same time, the repeated traversal does get boring after a certain point. The game’s flow pretty much became “go to the objective on the map, kill everyone, go to the next objective, kill everyone again, and beat the boss to unlock the key to the next play,” and that was pretty mundane. It becomes an even more repetitive when you realize the only method of fast travel the game has is by going through a couple inter-dimensional paths similar to what Super Mario Bros. 2 did with potion items.
I tried to make backtracking less daunting by deciding to switch characters whenever the opportunity arose, so I could level up the ones you didn’t normally use as I made my way to my destination, but that only does so much. Leveling up your characters in the game doesn’t feel like it mattered, since I felt no noticeable gameplay difference between a level 118 Scott and a level 21 Ramona. Maybe it’s something experienced in harder difficulties, but I didn’t find the game any more or less difficult no matter which character attributes were upgraded. The other rough part is the only way to switch characters is by going to a specific house in the suburbs and doing it there.
There are no traditional “levels” in Scott Pilgrim EX. Progression is about finishing quests and objectives with the help of this map of Toronto.
The good thing is almost as soon as the structure starts to become a slog, the story is over not too long after. The main story in Scott Pilgrim EX only has 12 quests, which is great especially since the game has all sorts of replayability thanks to its New Game+ that allows you to restart everything while keeping all your inventory or character levels–and again, I couldn’t tell if leveling actually mattered, and that’s fine, because running around beating people up is fun no matter who you’re using. The game can be beaten in around four hours, and it can take even less time with friends. On that note, it’s much better with friends. I played it with both my partner and my brother, and they both had a great time.
There’s one thing I really wanted to mention, and I didn’t quite know where to put it, so I’ll mention it here. I went to a Scott Pilgrim EX panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and it was that panel that really sold me on this game, because as I watched newly released footage and listened to the devs, it really felt like the series would take more of a Zelda-esque top-down kind of turn. 95% of the objectives in the final game revolved beating up a bunch of people, but the game did have its fair share of puzzles. From simple favors where you just talk to people, to using bombs in certain places, or knocking diamonds and or graves into place, these added another layer of variety that felt like they fit but there wasn’t enough of it. I’m not in game development anymore, but if the publicists, Tribute, or even Brian Lee O’Malley take anything out of my review–the groundwork for a Zelda-like is totally in Scott Pilgrim’s DNA. Make it happen.
No review of this game would be complete without at least talking about the game’s presentation. The pixel art in the original Scott Pilgrim game was fantastic, and the art style in Scott Pilgrim EX is even better. Everything is moving, whether it’s the liveliness of the trees, or the light from every rift, it all completely moves in tune with the fantastic from Anamanaguchi, who returns after doing such an amazing job with both the last Scott Pilgrim game and the animated series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Scott Pilgrim EX is a great game, and I like that it takes some chances to bring its foundations up a notch with the intention of making it even better than great, but it falls short of that because it also feels like the game rests on its own laurels as a great multiplayer beat-em-up. I hope the next Scott Pilgrim game doesn’t settle for just being great because the potential to go beyond that is definitely there.
When Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game came out in 2010, it was a breath of fresh air despite being a callback to video games several generations before it. Fast forward over 15 years, and while the feeling isn’t quite as fresh since beat-em-ups have more or less made a return, Scott Pilgrim EX presents an impressive follow-up that both old-school gamers and Scott Pilgrim diehards should enjoy.
When Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game came out in 2010, it was a breath of fresh air despite being a callback to video games several generations before it. Fast forward over 15 years, and while the feeling isn’t quite as fresh since beat-em-ups have more or less made a return, Scott Pilgrim EX presents an impressive follow-up that both old-school gamers and Scott Pilgrim diehards should enjoy.
Developed by Tribute Games, the studio behind other superb beat-em-ups like Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, is another sidescrolling adventure that is as fun to enjoy for newcomers as it is unapologetically Scott Pilgrim. For the uninitiated, Scott Pilgrim is the protagonist and titular character of a graphic novel series written and illustrated by Brian Lee O’Malley that was essentially a love letter to the 90s, video games, and pop culture. From bands named Sonic & Knuckles to numerous Final Fantasy and Nintendo references, the Scott Pilgrim brand eventually spawned a film starring Michael Cera as Scott and, eventually, the aforementioned video game.
On the surface, Scott Pilgrim EX is cut from the exact same cloth. Unlike the previous game, based on both the graphic novels and the movie, Scott Pilgrim EX features a unique standalone story that more than lends itself well to how a sidescrolling beat-em-up works. The game begins in 20XX in a strange and messed up Toronto where demons, robots, and vegans (yeah, vegans) are causing havoc in different parts of town, and Scott and his band Sex Bob-Omb couldn’t care less. All they want to do is practice for a gig coming up. Unfortunately, the evil Metal Scott had other plans, kidnapping Scott’s bandmates and their instruments, spreading them all across Toronto. Luckily for Sex Bob-Omb, Scott’s girlfriend Ramona was there to see it all, and she calls a few friends after helping Scott regain consciousness. With that, it’s high time to save Toronto, or at least bring the band back together.
So many nods to Zelda… more on that later.
It’s absolute silliness, but that’s what Scott Pilgrim is. That’s what arcade-style beat-em-ups are. What’s important is kicking ass and taking names of all shapes and sizes and having fun doing it. Scott Pilgrim EX does exactly that while introducing enough RPG and exploration elements to mix things up. Make no mistake about it, though, it’s the familiar multiplayer gameplay that takes center stage, for better or for worse.
In addition to Scott and Ramona, the game gives you access to five other characters including Lucas Lee and Roxie Richter–yep, members of the League of Evil Exes are playable in the game, but it’s not just them. Another former boss who’s back in the fray as a playable character is Robot-01, and each of these characters is really fun to play, and everyone having the same basic control scheme means you don’t have to try too hard to figure everything out.
Despite being bulky and a little slow, Lucas brings his devastating wrestling moves to the fray; Robot-01 brings the hurt with moves that combine the likes of Mega Man and a Transformer; Roxie is obviously a ninja, so the speed and aggressive precision she brings with her katana make fun devastating combos to unleash on every enemy that comes your way; Scott is … just Scott, but he can use the Shoryuken and Hurricane Kick. I’m going to stop short of mentioning every playable character in the game, both to not spoil the fun for fans and because Tribute told me not to, but I’ll tell you that the game encourages you to switch characters out every now and then, so a big part of the fun is finding your comfort level with everyone.
Buying food with all the money you make is the easiest way to replenish your gauges.
Every enemy you take down will drop coins that you can use to buy consumables and equipment. While typical consumables are laid out on the ground from time to time, there aren’t a lot because the game expects you to go to shops to replenish your gauges. I didn’t quite get this at first, and I had a hard time with every death bringing me back to the last checkpoint I found with the amount of health I had at that point. Unlike a traditional beat-em-up, progression in Scott Pilgrim EX‘s story isn’t level-based. The game actually takes place in a semi-open world, much like the one found in River City Girls, for you to explore and finish quests. Exploring, buying food, and figuring out the effects of each food was part of the fun.
I found this play structure interesting, but it wasn’t without its annoyances. Exploring the different biomes of Toronto 20XX had its moments. Opening up portals to places like the ice age, a space station, and even getting transported to high school by picking a certain movie at the video store were examples of memorable moments.
At the same time, the repeated traversal does get boring after a certain point. The game’s flow pretty much became “go to the objective on the map, kill everyone, go to the next objective, kill everyone again, and beat the boss to unlock the key to the next play,” and that was pretty mundane. It becomes an even more repetitive when you realize the only method of fast travel the game has is by going through a couple inter-dimensional paths similar to what Super Mario Bros. 2 did with potion items.
I tried to make backtracking less daunting by deciding to switch characters whenever the opportunity arose, so I could level up the ones you didn’t normally use as I made my way to my destination, but that only does so much. Leveling up your characters in the game doesn’t feel like it mattered, since I felt no noticeable gameplay difference between a level 118 Scott and a level 21 Ramona. Maybe it’s something experienced in harder difficulties, but I didn’t find the game any more or less difficult no matter which character attributes were upgraded. The other rough part is the only way to switch characters is by going to a specific house in the suburbs and doing it there.
There are no traditional “levels” in Scott Pilgrim EX. Progression is about finishing quests and objectives with the help of this map of Toronto.
The good thing is almost as soon as the structure starts to become a slog, the story is over not too long after. The main story in Scott Pilgrim EX only has 12 quests, which is great especially since the game has all sorts of replayability thanks to its New Game+ that allows you to restart everything while keeping all your inventory or character levels–and again, I couldn’t tell if leveling actually mattered, and that’s fine, because running around beating people up is fun no matter who you’re using. The game can be beaten in around four hours, and it can take even less time with friends. On that note, it’s much better with friends. I played it with both my partner and my brother, and they both had a great time.
There’s one thing I really wanted to mention, and I didn’t quite know where to put it, so I’ll mention it here. I went to a Scott Pilgrim EX panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and it was that panel that really sold me on this game, because as I watched newly released footage and listened to the devs, it really felt like the series would take more of a Zelda-esque top-down kind of turn. 95% of the objectives in the final game revolved beating up a bunch of people, but the game did have its fair share of puzzles. From simple favors where you just talk to people, to using bombs in certain places, or knocking diamonds and or graves into place, these added another layer of variety that felt like they fit but there wasn’t enough of it. I’m not in game development anymore, but if the publicists, Tribute, or even Brian Lee O’Malley take anything out of my review–the groundwork for a Zelda-like is totally in Scott Pilgrim’s DNA. Make it happen.
No review of this game would be complete without at least talking about the game’s presentation. The pixel art in the original Scott Pilgrim game was fantastic, and the art style in Scott Pilgrim EX is even better. Everything is moving, whether it’s the liveliness of the trees, or the light from every rift, it all completely moves in tune with the fantastic from Anamanaguchi, who returns after doing such an amazing job with both the last Scott Pilgrim game and the animated series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Scott Pilgrim EX is a great game, and I like that it takes some chances to bring its foundations up a notch with the intention of making it even better than great, but it falls short of that because it also feels like the game rests on its own laurels as a great multiplayer beat-em-up. I hope the next Scott Pilgrim game doesn’t settle for just being great because the potential to go beyond that is definitely there.
by Danreb Victorio
