Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Chengdu
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4
Tested on: PC
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition – Review
It’s hard to believe that Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is actually already over 10 years old. Originally the game came out for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and was available for four years, before being removed from the digital stores. Due to its removal, it has been on many ‘rarest games’ charts for years, but it seems the game will now be readily available once more. This time we get the complete edition for PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch and Stadia. This so-called Complete Edition will include the original DLC content as well, making sure you have everything in one convenient download (or soon-to-be-released physical edition).
Story
The story follows Scott Pilgrim in his quest to be together with Ramona. While Ramona is also very much into Scott, she is currently not able to be together with him. In-between Scott and Ramona are her seven evil exes, who Scott must first defeat in order to ‘get the girl’. The story in the game is somewhat flimsy and doesn’t really do the comics justice, but this is then made up for in the game’s appearance and charm. Don’t expect to get the full story by playing the game, and you’ll be fine to enjoy this side-scrolling brawler.
Graphics
Even after more than ten years, this game looks amazing with its pixilated graphical style. The overall quality of the sprites is stunning and they certainly do the source material justice. We have to say that certain ‘grunts’ in the levels are not that diverse and then repeat over and over, but other than that the animations are splendidly handled. The backdrops are equally as nice to look at, with a lot of variation, and some being clear winks to other gaming franchises and series. There’s always something to be seen, and there’s a lot of variation between the different levels of the game.
Sound
Chiptune music and old-school sound effects reign supreme in this game. Everything, from start to finish, sounds as if it comes from an old-school 8 or 16-bit gaming console. This adds to the overall charm of the game. While the music and effects are also impressively handled, they are mainly functional, to properly maintain the already high quality that has been set by the graphical prowess.
Gameplay
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is a side-scrolling brawler/beat ‘em up game that was originally released over a decade ago. In the game, you will go through different stages, often with a special background theme, to defeat Ramona’s evil exes. The concept and offset are quite simple, as you just beat every opponent to a pulp, get stronger, defeat the bosses (exes) and get the girl by the time the credits start rolling. The game itself is actually not that short, especially considering certain levels may need a few retries before you pass them, even on the lower difficulty levels.
The controls are quite simple, and you’ll learn more and more combos as you progress and level up. While everything works in a clear fashion, the controls aren’t always as tight as you’d want them to be. Sometimes when standing too close, your punches or kicks will not connect with the enemy character(s), while they will perfectly hit you from that range. Sometimes there’s also zero tolerance when punching and not being on exactly the same height as your opponent(s), as the game is played in a 2.5D format. Older games actually seem to be more forgiving than this game.
When playing the game with friends, the difficulty will ramp up significantly, with a lot more foes blocking your path. This is not a bad thing, and it also allows other players to fill their wallets as well. Money is needed for items and certain upgrades, making progress slightly easier. Sometimes it is advised to replay certain zones to grind a bit, or even play the game’s other modes so you can also gain experience and cash. The game saves the progress for each character in terms of experience and money, while tracking the progress of the story mode itself as well.
Conclusion
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is a great revival of a game that was pulled from digital storefronts in 2014. While simply being a good port with the DLC content embedded into it, there’s not that much new for those who already played the game before (or still have it installed on an older device). That being said, if you missed this game, and want a side-scrolling brawler that can be enjoyed with friends, this one is certainly worth its very low asking price.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition - Review,
No Comments