Beginning as a graphic novel in the early 2000s, “Scott Pilgrim vs the World” gained a vast following, eventually leading to the 2010 movie of the same name, and with it a game.

The Scott Pilgrim game lived in infamy for a while due to its removal from all digital platforms in 2014, rendering it impossible to play if you did not already have it downloaded. This was the case until this year when Ubisoft brought the game back with all the downloadable content, including a physical copy that is soon to be released.

Play as the titular, Scott Pilgrim and his friends, as you fight through the seven Evil Exes of Scott’s love interest and playable character, Ramona Flowers. 

The game itself is a co-op 2D style, Beat ‘em up game similar to the old Ninja Turtle or Double Dragon games. Unlike a lot of Beat ‘em up games, this game requires you to grind levels to make your character more powerful. This is by far the game’s worst feature as it often requires levels to be replayed two to three times before you’re tough enough to challenge the next one. When each level takes upward of 20 minutes to beat, it takes a toll on your entertainment value. The grind is mitigated if you are able to play with a group of friends.

While the game is playable with up to four players, finding friends for couch co-op can be challenging in this environment. Additionally, while the game supports online co-op, it is not always the most reliable as I found myself having connectivity issues in the middle of levels. The co-op I managed to play was enjoyable and enhanced the game overall, leaving my friends enjoying every level with me.

Speaking of levels, the game only consists of seven. While the number seems small, each level is jam-packed with enemies, secrets and callbacks to the games that inspired the series overall. 

The pixel art of the game is reminiscent of the Super Nintendo era, while cutscenes seem to be mostly quick Flash animations. However, these animations seem to be the only bits of story in the game, other than the multiple text endings. Because the game expects you to have already seen the movie, it might alienate those who are not familiar with the story of “Scott Pilgrim.”

A Chiptoon soundtrack by the band Anamanaguchivv gives a modern twist on classic game music, and left each new track being a welcoming surprise. 

Finally, for a game that was originally released in 2010, it holds up surprisingly well with its charming art and an excellent soundtrack. However, there are times when it can be a slog, and other times when the music starts to lose its charm when you hear it repeatedly while replaying levels. This is a game for the fans and is best played with good friends.

“Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game Complete edition,” is available on all major consoles and PC.

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