Scott Pilgrim EX Review – Is It Time to Grow Up? | games

IIt’s 20XX, and unrepentant slacker Scott Pilgrim and his friends are enjoying the throes of adulthood. It’s skinny, but in a way that’s wonderfully unrecognizable today (not least because no one can live anywhere near downtown Toronto). For many readers, Scott Pilgrim’s graphic novels have been a cultural touchpoint, a story about emotional immaturity, growing as a person, and ultimately defeating youthful arrogance. Having cemented its status as a cult classic with an Edgar Wright film, a 2010 tie-in game and a Netflix miniseries, it’s now back in the form of a rip-roaring adventure game, Scott Pilgrim EX.

This is a return of sorts for developer Tribute Games, which was formed by former Ubisoft employees who worked on 2010’s Scott Pilgrim. Having established themselves as stalwarts of the hit revival with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Marvel’s Cosmic Invasion, the team has stepped up for another crack at this essential coming-of-age story. Scott Pilgrim EX appears to be a passion project, so they have the powers of love and understanding on their side.

Game wise, Tribute Games certainly succeeded. Although the center of pop culture has moved on from gothic malls and arcade games, Scott Pilgrim EX feels nostalgic on Nostalgia, endless reference. Would it be cool to understand the imitation of everything from Super Mario Bros. 3’s cutscene to Resident Evil’s Raccoon police station? Yes, but the gaming experience is still fun if you don’t.

The game is a journey through Toronto, starting with the kidnapping of Scott’s Sex Bob-Omb bandmates before their next gig. Scott, Ramona, and several of her former friends who are no longer evil are tasked with getting the band and their instruments (and Young Neil, for some reason) back in time for the show. Meanwhile, Toronto has been overrun by life-like portals and a pile of new gangs, so you’ll battle demons, robots and vegans as you traverse everything from gothic castles to beaches and a medieval burger joint.

Seven playable characters offer a comfortable range of combat styles; Scott throws punches and knows his way around a bad ending with a bass guitar, while Ramona uses her signature hammer to bash bad guys over the head in cartoonish fashion. New to this game’s roster is former villain Lucas Lee, who has pushed the boundaries of pixel art animation through the martial arts of skateboarding. EVERYONE’S FUN AND EXCITING: Tribute Games knows what beat ’em up fans want, which is beating up thugs with metal pipes. Special moves help tame the crowds, from overpowering – Young Neil’s attack on Sex Bob-Omb’s fans helped me defeat several bosses – to brief and somewhat boring stat boosts. References to classic brawling games pile on top of pop culture homages, so you’ll be eating roast chicken off the ground and being met by men hiding in trash cans.

The most exciting thing to come from Scott Pilgrim EX is the new Anamanaguchi soundtrack. As vocally as important to the Scott Pilgrim universe as Sex Bob-Omb themselves, the New York City rock band returns with a very hands-on approach to the game’s music. Aside from the chiptune beats that Anamanaguchi is known for, we’re treated to some unexpected sounds, including industrial beats of a Casa Fania level that are delightfully ’90s. The band have matured as artists over the past 16 years, and their level of control over game sound design pays off.

While the music and gameplay have evolved over time, in terms of narrative, Scott Pilgrim EX plays it very safe. Although written by series creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, there is no feature that has guaranteed Scott Pilgrim his original cult following. For the most part, our staff has been successful in resolving their differences. There’s no David versus Goliath here, no antagonist forcing Scott and company to grow up in the chaos of bad relationships. Scott’s other friends appear as fun characters and cat Mew, but the story is a silly, shallow adventure that feels like a side quest, the kind of game Scott would stay up all night playing before missing his shift at work.

Maybe that’s good. Even if they all become better people, they never change, and for millennials who have read the comics, seen the movie, and played the original, Scott Pilgrim EX is a comforting step across from a cult property. It’s just that the world of Scott Pilgrim is now almost as old as Scott Pilgrim himself. Could it be time to grow up?