If you were a fan of the original and haven’t been able to download it since it was delisted all those years ago, this is arguably the best package to have. It looks great, its brawler mechanics are solid, and even if it requires a grind it’s likely fans of this IP will take to it with gusto. It’s aged incredibly well and we suggest you download it now if you have any interest – after all, the first version of this disappeared a while back. It could happen again – you never know.
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Graphics
Released back in 2010, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game was fan service of the highest order.
Shot through with fantastic pixel-art and a chiptastic soundtrack, the game not only brought the world and characters from the comic book source material, but it was also a rather competent brawler. It may have come across initially as a simplistic affair, but as players committed to the grind of levelling up and learning special attacks, it became apparent – especially in the latter stages that button mashing wasn’t going to save them.
It was a cult favourite – those who took to it sang its (sometimes guarded) praises – even if it didn’t appeal to those uninterested in or unaware of the comics and movie. Then, for some strange reason, it was delisted four years after its initial release. Fans haven’t been able to pick up a copy since then.
Scott Pilgrim returns
All that changed last month; announced in December of last year, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition is now available. And for a game that was released around ten years ago, it actually holds up pretty well.
It hasn’t changed all that much; the arching difficulty is still present and correct and the grind involving character advancement is still there. Both these aspects are likely to attract about as many players as they repel.
If you’ve never heard of Scott Pilgrim, the setup is pretty simple – and it lends itself to video game format beautifully. Scott Pilgrim is an achingly hip nerd who finds himself enamoured by a lady named Ramona Flowers. Our intrepid hero would like to begin dating her, but before this can be accomplished, he has to defeat her seven evil ex-partners. This sees him head off on an adventure culminating in seven boss fights, at the end of which, Flowers will go out with him (and you thought your Tinder escapades were weird). Hilarity ensues.
This ain’t no button-basher
Scott Pilgrim shoves players straight into the action (they can pick one of four characters) and immediately a series of adversaries appear to pummel the hell out of them. The action is more than a little indebted to side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups like Double Dragon or Streets Of Rage, although unlike the former there are no magic move players can use to dominate the game (like ‘the elbow’).
Instead, players who skip the tutorial or set the game at hard difficulty at the outset are likely to get turned into paint quite quickly – that is… until they start learning combos and realise they actually have a block mechanic in this game.
Once they realise that they won’t be able to progress too far in the game by spamming the same attacks, players are likely to start to learn combos and block breaks at a pretty quick rate. As the screen becomes flooded with opponents, one also finds that staying mobile is a must; enemies have a nasty habit on higher difficulties to try and corner the player on one side of the screen, which can result in massive health loss if you end up in a juggle.
As they knock the stuffing out of opponents, players will notice they drop Canadian Dollars, which they can use to buy upgrades and level up their characters. Each character starts off with a set of moves quite similar to the next, but as players plough in dollars and time, they become beefed up significantly. This is a good thing because, between the slog of hammering foes for the lion’s share of the game, players can expect some rather challenging boss battles in the form of Flowers’s evil exes; these are the true highlights of the game, both visually impressive and challenging with enemies switching up attacks and powers as the player tries to take them down.
As is the case with most brawlers from the age this game taps into, SPVTW is best played with a couple of mates; not only does this bring its own camaraderie and hilarity (trying not to hit your fellow players with a badly times attack raises a wry smile), but it also allows players to level up together, expanding their move sets and becoming a veritable force to be reckoned with.
This edition essentially leaves the central mechanics and conceit of its forebear in place, but it does come with a couple of additions. Alongside all the DLC from the first game, Complete Edition boasts new modes such as Survival Horror, Boss Rush and Battle Royale. One could argue including all of this in the original package would’ve made it a stronger game, but it’s good to have it all present and correct here.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game Complete Ed. Verdict
If you were a fan of the original and haven’t been able to download it since it was delisted all those years ago, this is arguably the best package to have. It looks great, its brawler mechanics are solid, and even if it requires a grind it’s likely fans of this IP will take to it with gusto. It’s aged incredibly well and we suggest you download it now if you have any interest – after all, the first version of this disappeared a while back. It could happen again – you never know.
- Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition Review was reviewed on an Xbox One. A review code was supplied by the publisher