Way back in 2010, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game debuted on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to much acclaim. Conceived as a tie-in game for the then-recently released live-action film, the Ubisoft Chengdu-developed title served as a fun take on the Brian Lee O’Malley comic book and a homage to classic, side-scrolling beat ’em ups. For reasons that are still unclear, Ubisoft pulled the game from the PlayStation and Xbox digital storefronts in 2014. Seven years later, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game returns from its digital graveyard none the worse for wear. Is it the same title we played in 2010? Yes, but we wouldn’t want to play this $14.99 PC game in any other way.
Fight for Love
For the uninitiated, the Scott Pilgrim comic book focused on the titular character, a guy who tries to win the affections of Ramona Flowers. The attraction is mutual, but Ramona can’t be with Scott until her seven evil ex-boyfriends are out of the picture. So, Scott must battle a gauntlet of evil exes (and their minions) to be with the girl he loves. The premise is decidedly silly, but it works, both in the comic and this game. It serves as the basis for seven core, themed levels that are laid out on a Super Mario World-style map.
If you’ve played River City Ransom or Double Dragon, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game will feel familiar. You beat the snot out of an assortment of hipsters, yuppies, bullies, ninjas, robots, and whatever other crazy foes the game tosses your way. Punching, kicking, and throwing objects at foes is satisfying and enjoyable. Although Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game lacks precise hitboxes and weighty attacks, it’s still pure, unadulterated fun.
Power Up
Unlike a standard beat ’em up game, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game requires more than skill and luck for you to see the end credits. You’ll need to purchase stat-boosting items from stores scattered through each stage. Snacks replenish health, while clothing and accessories provide added defense. Meals, such as sushi or steak, permanently boost your strength and agility. Defeated enemies drop coins that you use to purchase those items.
Make no mistake, this is one tough game, so you must grind to earn money. If you don’t like the idea of grinding in a beat ’em up, check out the excellent Streets of Rage 4 or Fight’N Rage, the Editors’ Choice pick for classic-style PC brawlers. That said, the light RPG elements give Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game a high degree of replayability.
Scott and his friends (you can also play as Ramona or Scott’s two bandmates) level-up over the course of the adventure. Each cleared level unlocks new attacks and combos that help you better demolish the numerous foes. Each playable character has a distinct move set that correlates to the game’s light/heavy/special attack combat scheme.
Retro Sights and Sounds
Nostalgia-fueled retro graphics and music are commonplace these days, even more so than they were back in 2010. In that sense, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game isn’t particularly unique in its presentation. Still, its art-style and chiptune music perfectly complement the comic book characters’ world. Anamanaguchi’s infectious retro soundtrack will drill into your head and remain there long after you’ve put down your controller. The pixelated, jaggy graphics look spectacular, even on a 4K TV or monitor. The game lacks graphical settings, so you’ll brawl at 1080p resolution. Despite that, your eyes will love what they see.
Since this is the “Complete Edition,” developer Ubisoft Chengu includes many extras that were once DLC. This includes the Knives Chau and Wallace Wells add-on packs and extra modes (Zombie Hordes, Boss Rush, Dodgeball, and Battle Royale). Zombie Hordes tasks you with fending off an undead horde. Boss Rush pits you against all of the game’s bosses in back-to-back fashion. Dodgeball is a four-player version of the schoolyard classic. The same four-player cap applies to Battle Royale, a mode that sees you duke it out inside a wrestling ring. The extra modes provide a nice respite from the core game.
Like the original release, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game lets you and up to three friends battle through the enemy swarms together. Unfortunately, we couldn’t test the online play in the game’s pre-release review period. We’ll soon update this review with our thoughts on the game’s online multiplayer.
Can Your PC Run Scott Pilgrim vs. The World?
You don’t need a powerful gaming PC to run Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. To play the game, your PC needs at least a 3.3 GHz Intel i5-2500K CPU, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 GPU (2GB), 8GB of RAM, 2GB of system storage, and the Windows 10 operating system. Unless you’re rocking a prehistoric gaming PC, you’ll be able to run this game just fine.
My rig, with its Intel i7-4790 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, ran Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game without issue. In fact, the Ubisoft Connect frame counter revealed that the action moved at 135-144 frames per second.
It’s Back!
Despite its long absence from the video game scene, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game has lost none of its charm and appeal. Last year’s Streets of Rage 4 provides a more satisfying beat ’em up experience due to the inclusion of fighting game-style combos, but Scott Pilgrim still holds its own as an excellent brawler. Let’s hope the game sticks around for good this time.
