Scott Pilgrim EX Review — The Garlic Bread of Pilgrim Games

Looking for the next game to enjoy with friends? Scott Pilgrim EX just might be the game for you.

Set in the iconic universe of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comic series, Scott Pilgrim EX sees the city of Toronto invaded by rival gangs of demons, vegans, and robots. What’s worse, the band Sex Bob-omb has been kidnapped by a weird mecha-Scott, and it is up to our players and the seven optional playable characters to get them back.

Built for up to four players at a time, Scott Pilgrim EX is not just a game you can play with your friends; it is a game that expects you to.

Made by the creators of Marvel Cosmic Invasion and TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, Scott Pilgrim EX feels like a classic arcade game with easy jump-in, jump-out multiplayer, playable both in local co-op and through Steam’s online services, just without the need to put a coin in the machine. While the game certainly can be played solo, it definitely feels better with two or more players, and I could argue that the spirit of the game demands that you play with friends or a significant other rather than taking it on alone.

It isn’t just an issue of balancing (I totally felt like the weak link playing through the game with a friend, and I’m not sure how I would have handled it alone), but also the fact that the game chooses to focus on the world and characters of Scott Pilgrim in particular, a comic series known for its strong focus on romance and the interpersonal relationships of its characters. These are themes that Scott Pilgrim EX picks up on and definitely emphasizes, both in its marketing and in-game interactions, like the achievement “Valentine’s Day,” which I got for healing Ramona as Scott.

Speaking of characters, I was absolutely enamored by the choice of playable characters in Scott Pilgrim EX. Across the game’s cast of seven, you of course have Scott and Ramona, but interestingly shift away from the original cast of heroes and find yourself playing alongside Ramona’s cast of “evil exes.” Among the playable characters in the game are Roxie Richter, Lucas Lee, Matthew Patel, and Gideon Graves. It is an interesting choice and one that I think makes the game stand out for fans of the characters such as myself.

It wasn’t just the cast of playable characters that I enjoyed, but the entire roster of characters in the game, from bosses to enemies to background characters. Each one had such a unique, personality-filled design, and I found myself stopping often just to watch the looping animation of the background characters. I was especially excited when I ran into Hazel from O’Malley’s other comic, Seconds.

The pixelated art style of the game captures Toronto and the characters in this gorgeous take on the art of the comic book, and I personally never got tired of looking at it. The map of the game can be a little difficult to navigate at times, but the glowing “GO!” pointer at certain exit points eventually got me on track, which made things a lot easier. I do wish certain mission objectives were a bit clearer, as there were definitely parts where I ended up getting lost.

As far as the gameplay goes, Scott Pilgrim EX is definitely a very traditional arcade side-scrolling brawler, with each character having their own set of moves and playstyle and the game throwing hordes of beat-’em-up foes at you to defeat. While the moves list of the game can seem deceptively complicated, the game actually plays fairly simply, and you’ll mostly be cycling through the same light and heavy attack combos with occasional throwing or grappling involved. It certainly can be a bit more complex, and I think the introduction of more combos would be an especially welcome change. Mixing light and heavy attacks would have been very welcome, as I was essentially always using one or the other.

The truly interesting complexity comes in how the game handles leveling. Each character has their own starting stats, and as you beat enemies up through Toronto and the other dimensions, you pick up loose change. This change can be used at various stores to buy ability-increasing gear or, most interestingly, food, which both restores your resources and permanently upgrades your stats. The progression in the game is this really fun mix of collecting coins and spending them at shops for permanent boosts to the stats of your choice, allowing you to really build characters as you see fit. This is especially true of Scott Pilgrim himself, who starts with a neutral four in all of his attributes. I do wish the game would be clearer on what these attributes do, but most are self-explanatory: Strength makes you hit harder, Vitality increases your health, etc.

For as great as the game is, I suggest players who don’t have access to a controller avoid it. While the game can certainly be played on keyboard, the controls are kind of miserable, and I even felt as if there were some delays in the buttons I pressed, often having to hit them multiple times to get what I wanted to happen. This could, however, be due to poor muscle memory, which is also a fault of how the game’s keys are bound, with no option to rebind them that I could find.

I won’t deduct points from the game for this because it, of course, warns you on launch that it is an experience best enjoyed with a controller. Still, if you don’t have one or aren’t planning on getting one, I would avoid Scott Pilgrim EX, as it simply is not designed to be as enjoyable of an experience without one.

Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC review of Scott Pilgrim EX. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Scott Pilgrim EX is available on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.