Scott Pilgrim EX Review

In 2010, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game came out at a time when most classic beat 'em ups were only popular because of nostalgia. But that game stood out. There was more to it than just the license or connection to the movie. The pixel visuals, fast-paced music, and arcade-style fighting were all suited for the crazy humor and attitude of the Scott Pilgrim world.

For many fans, it became one of those games that stuck with them long after it came out, even though it was gone from digital stores for years before returning. More than ten years later, the brand is back in video game form with Scott Pilgrim EX. Tribute Games, a studio with a long history in the genre, made this new game.

Before founding Tribute, some of the team members collaborated on the Scott Pilgrim game for Ubisoft in 2010. The studio has now earned a reputation for making modern beat-'em-ups that pay homage to old-school design. Games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge show that they know how to bring back old arcade games while making them feel new.

With that in mind, people naturally had great hopes for Scott Pilgrim EX.

The good news is that the game knows what made the first one succeed. Instead of trying to change the formula with pointless gimmicks, it builds on the key themes that made the first game so popular. This sequel isn't trying to follow recent trends after only a short time into the quest. It just wants to make a fun, stylish beat-'em-up that fits with the Scott Pilgrim world.

Scott Pilgrim EX doesn't waste much time going weird. Toronto is in disarray because different groups of demons, robots, and fanatical vegans are spreading unrest all across the city. At the same time, Scott's band, Sex Bob-Omb, has had its instruments stolen, and some of its members have been kidnapped.

That means that Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, and a group of others they know must hunt Toronto for their missing companions and stolen stuff. As they go, the crew goes through different parts of the city and meets all kinds of strange villains and crazy situations that match nicely with the series' comic book heritage.

The story isn't supposed to be very emotional or complicated. It doesn't do that; instead, it sets the stage for jokes, references, and character interactions. Dialogue has the same strange tone that fans of the series expect, and there are lots of visual jokes and references to video games throughout the journey.

The writing is clearly influenced by Bryan Lee O'Malley, which makes the characters feel more real than in the original material. The tale is easy to follow, even if you don't know anything about the comics or the movie. The game puts you right in the middle of the craziness of Scott Pilgrim's world and lets the humor and action move things along. The premise is meant to be silly, but that's what makes it fun.

Scott Pilgrim EX adheres closely to the basic beat-'em-up formula. In combat, you move through different areas, fight groups of adversaries, and clean the area before moving on. The game does have some extra features that make it more interesting than most side-scrolling brawlers.

The game not only lets you move from left to right through sequential levels.

Instead, it lets you explore a version of Toronto more freely. The city is like a connected map that sends you back and forth between different neighborhoods on quests. There are shops, side quests, and secret encounters all across the area, which makes you want to explore instead of just moving forward all the time.

The structure draws on classic games like River City Ransom, which combines fighting and role-playing elements. When you finish quests, you get stuff, equipment, and progress toward saving band members or getting back stolen instruments. Many missions take you to specific locations or "subspace" parts where more traditional combat stages happen.

There are seven playable characters, including Scott and Ramona, as well as a few other well-known characters from the series. Each character has their own particular moves and ways of fighting. Scott is a well-rounded character, but others focus on specific skills, such as ranged attacks, grappling, or mobility-based rapid combos. Changing characters changes the rhythm of fights considerably.

The core controls stay the same, but each character has their own methods that keep the game from getting boring. Scott Pilgrim EX spends most of its time in combat, and it does a good job at handling the genre as a whole. The system can make combos that can take out a lot of enemies at once by using light attacks, heavy strikes, throws, and special abilities.

Enemies often show up in groups, so you have to be smart about where you stand and when you attack instead of just pounding buttons. The game has a resource system called the GP bar that works like mana in other games. During longer battles, it's vital to keep an eye on this bar because it controls special moves, assists, and healing powers. If you use powerful moves without thinking, you could be in danger later in the fight.

Another great thing about the game is the boss battles. Instead of just being damage sponges, bosses usually add new mechanics or unpredictable situations. One noteworthy encounter culminates in a race on a high-speed train, where foes and items must be thrown into a furnace to speed the train. These kinds of moments make the bosses more interesting and break up the normal flow of combat.

Characters that help each other out also bring variety.

You can call on certain buddies to help you attack quickly, defend yourself, or clean the screen. Some objectives even demand you to use certain assistance at the appropriate time to get past obstacles, which makes some encounters feel like puzzles.

Of course, the way the fighting works isn't flawless. Like many beat 'em ups, alignment problems happen from time to time when attacks miss foes that are standing a little above or below you. When there are a lot of items bouncing around and foes flying around, it can be hard to see what's going on.

Platforming isn't perfect either. There are just a few parts where you have to jump or climb, and they don't always seem right. For example, characters sometimes slide off ledges or miss their intended landing spots. It's a good side that these things don't happen very often and don't ruin the experience for long.

Progression is a big part of Scott Pilgrim EX, which gives the game a slight RPG feel. During combat, enemies drop money that you can use at different stores in Toronto. These stores sell food, accessories, and makeup. Food usually gives you health or GP, which is why it helps you stay alive during arduous missions. Accessories, on the other hand, make your character stronger in areas like assault and defense.

These improvements work with the character's natural leveling up, so you may make your warriors stronger over time. Some quests even demand that you buy particular things before you can move on. This sometimes makes gamers return to previous locations to earn more money by killing foes. This little bit of grinding may slow down progress, but it also makes the game more like an RPG, which is what the developers want.

Each character levels up on their own, which makes it fun to try out different fighters. But if you find a favorite character, you don't necessarily have a good reason to switch to someone else unless you're curious. Scott Pilgrim EX is a great game to play with other people, but you can also play it alone. Local or online co-op lets up to four people play together, and cross-platform support makes it easy to play with friends.

Cooperative play adds some smart ways for players to work together.

Players can exchange money, bring back friends who have died, or work together to dominate big groups of enemies. These encounters lead to chaotic but often funny situations when working together is the only way to stay alive. The fights in the game also seem designed with multiplayer in mind. Enemy waves typically come at the group from all sides, making it important for everyone to work together to keep the battlefield under control.

The game is still great to play alone, but the enjoyment of four heroes pounding through foes together adds an extra level of enthusiasm that suits the tone of Scott Pilgrim well. Scott Pilgrim EX looks great in terms of graphics. Tribute Games doesn't abandon the classic pixel art style of the original game. Instead, they make it better by adding smoother animations and more detailed locations.

The character sprites are very emotive, showing the comic series's over-the-top responses and hilarity. During clashes, enemies bounce, spin, and fly across the screen, which gives each fight a lot of energy. Even with all the noise, the visuals are still clear enough to follow what's going on most of the time.

Toronto itself also feels alive. Each neighborhood has its own color scheme and mood, which makes exploring more fun than just walking through the same scenery over and over again. Every place has its own personality, from busy city streets to weird subspace zones.

The art's general style fits wonderfully with the show's fun, comic-book-like tone.

Scott Pilgrim EX's identity is very much tied to music. Anamanaguchi, the chiptune band that made the first game's music so unforgettable, is once again in charge of the soundtrack. Their comeback is one of the best parts of the whole thing. The city has separate tracks for each area, which gives each place a varied pace. The mix of techno beats and old game noises keeps the action going and fits the pixel graphics style wonderfully.

Some tracks are better than others, but the complete soundtrack has a strong feeling of personality. It's the kind of music that stays in your head long after you've played it. The sound effects likewise have the over-the-top excitement of old-school arcade fighters. Punches hit hard, foes explode into coins, and the noise and energy of battle are just right.

Scott Pilgrim EX doesn't try to completely reinvent the beat-'em-up genre, and that's what makes it so good. It doesn't follow the latest trends; instead, it focuses on performing the essentials really well. The result is a game that knows who it is. The fighting is fun, the graphics are bright, and the music keeps the pace up from start to finish.

Exploring a cartoon depiction of Toronto is a fun change from the normal linear brawler format. RPG features also motivate players to return to places and improve their characters. Certain tiny things are annoying along the way. Sometimes the platforming is awkward, the combat is misaligned, and you have to go back a bit, which makes the experience not quite perfect.

Still, none of these issues takes away from the main fun of the game. Scott Pilgrim EX gives fans of action games that are inspired by the past precisely what they want: a stylish, chaotic brawler full of music, humor, and personality.