Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game

We are Sex Bob-omb and we’re here to watch Scott Pilgrim kick your teeth in

Beat ‘em ups were never my jam, but when Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game came out in 2010 it completely changed my perspective. A bangin’ chiptune soundtrack with wicked pixel art and characters from one of the raddest original concepts made it one of the best games the genre ever produced.

10 years usually shows some wear on a game, but this isn’t the case here. In fact, it still feels so fresh and different that if I hadn’t already played it when it came out, I’d believe that it’s a brand new game. So here’s to your 10th anniversary, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – Complete Edition (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch [reviewed], Microsoft Windows, Stadia)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: January 14, 2021
MSRP: $14.99

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – Complete Edition (henceforth in this review known as Scott Pilgrim because, words) features the main beloved cast from the original game (Scott, Ramona, Kim, Stephen) along with DLC characters Knives and Wallace.

Each character has signature attacks, standard health and gut points which allow you to perform a Super Attack, and the ability to call an ally into battle for a quick boost. Co-op can be played via couch or online with up to 4 people, and players have the ability to lend money and health, resurrect others when they’re down, or even steal a life from someone else.

The game follows the main Scott Pilgrim comic book/movie storyline with Anamanaguchi’s catchy chiptune soundtrack blasting in the background, and features Ramona’s evil exes as the final bosses. Characters from the story are sprinkled in the background and have their own cute animations, while enemies range from disgruntled hipsters to The Clash at Demonhead fans, or actors wearing giant dinosaur costumes. The combination of the above with Scott Pilgrim’s eclectic sets (including Ramona’s Subspace Highway) gives the game its full Toronto hipster energy.

What’s unique about Scott Pilgrim is the ability to level up character stats across Defense, Speed, and Willpower which carry over from game to game, making it more engaging and replayable. Hidden shops across levels carry various stat-boosting goods like concert t-shirts, burritos, vegan cookbooks, and even Scott’s late fees from a video store. What’s particularly fun is that you don’t know what you’re really getting into until you buy the item, although there are plenty of guides online for those who don’t want to risk the mystery of paying over $500 for Scott’s late fees at No-Account Video.

In addition to the main game, there are 4 extra game modes: Dodgeball, Survival Horror, Battle Royale, and Boss Rush. None of these are particularly exciting, with Boss Rush as a potential exception for those who purely like fighting bosses or Battle Royale for duking it out with your friends.

Dodgeball is bland given it has no ruleset, so it’s basically a ball being thrown around at enemies, and Survival Horror is too slow with zombies creeping out at a molasses pace. However, the modes do provide some alternate gameplay for those looking to take a break or at the least some cute set pieces to look at.

I’m happy to report that just as bread still makes you fat, Scott Pilgrim continues to be the happy time sink it once was. My one gripe is that Knives, although advertised as part of the “Complete Edition,” can only be unlocked via creating an account and signing into Ubisoft Connect. So if Ubisoft ever decides to deprecate their service, Knives would basically go along with it.

However, we longer need to hoard our 360s/PS3s for fear of never being able to play Scott Pilgrim again, so it’s a win across the board for gamers and humanity alike.

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]