Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game is one of the very few exceptions to the stigma surrounding beat em’ ups. Just think about for a second. The genre is not the most popular around because it is just so damn hard to perfect. Not only do we live a faster gaming life than in the 90s but people simply demand more exciting games. Running around a 2D screen spamming the same button over and over again is not what I would call time well-spent. Thankfully, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition is still a jewel.
The game released way back in 2010 and much of the experience still remains the same. The rinse and repeat grind has remained untouched and the visuals and soundtrack still hold up strong today. Don’t get me wrong, even though the game remains untouched when it comes to gameplay, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition can feel dated at times. Even more so thanks to its overall gameplay loop.
Players are dropped into the world of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World based on the popular comic book series by Oni Press. Each individual character needs to be levelled up and progress through the game at your own pace meaning you can’t start with Scott and pick up with Ramona. The general idea of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition is to get through a series of levels while punching, kicking, tossing objects around and pulling off cool combos. While you are at it you need to take down a load of enemies and bosses which resemble crazy ex-boyfriends.
The over-the-topness of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition is where the personality comes from. Awesome soundtracks, crazy cameos and flashy special effects add to the overall experience which helps carry the game’s often-tedious grind. The game is tough at first. If you are new to the experience then make sure you read the “help” section so you know what you are doing. There’s a somewhat steep learning curve here which relies on making money, buying health to stay alive and using the rest to rack up stats including strength, defence and more.
When I died, I was simply taken to the map screen again with the money I earned during the level I failed in. I could then use this to enhance my character a bit and try again. And some the circle of life carries on. I died, levelled up, complete a stage and died again. Thankfully, every time this happened I felt stronger and the results were quite clear from the start. I punched harder, took less damage and everything just felt so much easier.
It also helps that combat is often fun. Once you have an enemy in a combo, they are easily tossed around along with whatever weapon I picked up along the way. The joy came from combining literally anything laying on the floor with the edge of the screen and simply kicked and punched while the enemy juggled in the air and the item kept walloping them across the head. However, when the combat does not work, I felt the difference. The game often feels clumsy. Enemies can get you into a corner to and beat the life out of you just as much as you can do this to them. There was nothing worse than being stomped and knocked down only to stand up and have it happen to me again.
Then there’s also the sheer madness of some scenes as dozens of enemies came at me at once. These moments are exhilarating but often exhausting too. This is where co-op comes in. The game can be played with friends both locally and online which makes it a true classic beat em’ up. So classic that even “those features we hated” are still around. This includes friendly fire which is always on. This means when I tossed a box at an enemy, there was a high chance that it would hit my friend. The same goes for their stuff too. The co-op adds either chaos or fun into the mix. It all depends on what stage you are playing and who you are playing it with.
Then we have the presentation. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition is a gorgeous classic. The music is snappy and addictive and the visuals have all the old-school retro art style you could ever ask for. Combine these two together and you have a fun retro side scroller. There was one issue I found though. The game sound effects are so low compared to the music levels. Often, the music would blow me away and I could nearly hear my character punch an enemy in the face.
There’s also a lot to love her when it comes to the game’s variety of stages. From epic concerts to film sets with Godzilla costumes and flying aliens. It is a mad adventure of pure randomness.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition Review Verdict
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition feels like it belongs even in the age of 4K 60FPS gaming. It has loads of personality that manages to carry the experience even in its most tedious stages. The combat is often a hit or miss but the package has never been better and anyone looking to jump back in time should consider it.
This Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – The Complete Edition review was based on a code sent to us by Ubisoft
Available On: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch | Reviewed On: PS5 | Release Date: 15 January 2021 | Price: R269
