Everyone is all caught up in the mania that is Scott Pilgrim’s precious little life. Ubisoft is one of many at the forefront leading the march with the release of the game Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. PS3 gamers got a 2 week head start since their version release coincided with the release of the movie. The game only just dropped on the Xbox Live Arcade and I’ve been dying to give it a go to witness the magic for myself.
The game loosely follows the story of the comic and puts you in the shoes of Scott, Ramona Flowers, the object of his affection and Sex Bob-omb band mates Stephen Stills and Kim Pine. The game features 4 player co-op. In the comic, Scott has to fight for Ramona’s love against the league of her evil exes. Each fight brings forward a new opponent and challenge for you to take down!
The game falls under the classic side-scrolling action beat ‘em up formula. Each character features their own list of moves which you unlock as you level that character. You gain experience by (you guessed it) taking fools to school. In true beat ‘em up fashion, the players have to fight their way through legions of baddies to reach the next big fight. The combat is deep enough that it keeps you on your toes and forces you to vary your attacks to keep defeating enemies.
Each character also gets two special attacks, one featuring Knives Chau, Scott’s high school aged ex-girlfriend where her actions differ by which character summons her. Every enemy you fight and defeat drops money, which can be used to purchase items from one of the many stores in the game. There you can purchase food, specialty items to boost your stats or even lend some dough to a friend in need.
The game is a super stylish old-school wonderland. The colors are super vibrant and in your face. The levels are packed to the brim with tiny details, including weapons ranging from bricks to bamboo branches, barstools to broomsticks and swords to skateboards. Basically, if isn’t tied down to something, it’s fair game. If you’re familiar with the comic, you’ll see tons of familiar faces and in-jokes plastered all over the place and it shows a nice attention to detail by the people responsible for making the game.
To add the old school allure, the game features sounds straight out of some older titles to add authenticity. The soundtrack is done by NYC chippunk band Anamanaguchi. The music is hyperactive, wild and above all emanates nostalgic It fits like a frighteningly tight glove and gives the game style for miles.
The game especially shines when more players are brought into the picture. It’s a true co-op experience that rewards you for playing with friends with team up attacks and bonus damage. The game, however, is local multiplayer only. It takes zero advantage of Xbox Live, which is the biggest con of the entire game. Other than the lack of online multiplayer on a console which practically begs for the online experience, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a very fun, challenging and stylish game. It looks great, features fantastic gameplay and is a total treat for game enthusiasts and fans of the graphic novels alike. Check it out today, it’s totally worth the 800 Microsoft points.
