Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Posted by Ben on August 19th, 2010 | 0 Comments | Tags: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Scott Pilgrim has a tough time ahead of him. Not only must he defeat Ramona Flowers’ 7 evil ex boyfriends, but he also is tasked with proving that the beat-em-up is still relevant as a genre in this day and age. A task that he (mostly) succeeds in.

If you’ve ever played River City Ransom, you’ll know exactly what to expect when you pick up Scott Pilgrim, and that’s a game with hordes of enemies, along with the ability to level up your character, and unlock yet more moves with which to knock seven bells out of your opponent. Now, all this would be for moot if the game didn’t provide an enjoyable experience, and it certainly does. The enemies come thick and fast, and can sometimes overwhelm you in their numbers. This is certainly a game that’s meant to be experienced with friends, and the co-op is by far the best part of the game, as the whole experience becomes far more manageable when you have people to blame for all your mistakes. Its an incredibly fun time with 4 friends, but the lack of online co-op saps the replayability somewhat, as you’re unlikely to have 4 friends to hand any time you want to play the game. The game is really quite hard solo, a fact that I experienced first hand as I was forced to beat the final boss on my lonesome, which is a task I’d rather not repeat.

However, the game’s looks and sound sapped most of my frustration in the game’s most harrowing moments. This is a beautiful game, with gorgeous pixel art taking up every inch of the screen, and bright, vibrant colours permeating every frame. This is a backed up by a fantastic chip tune soundtrack, with toe tapping beats and great melodies backing up the standard punching and kicking sound effects. This is a game that certainly has flair, and it’s this flair that saves it from being nothing more than a standard beat-em-up.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a good game that doesn’t escape the trappings of its genre, but nobody was really asking it to. What you get here is a game with style and a boatload of fun. It’s really meant to be enjoyed with 3 friends, and if you have the means to play it with them locally, I’d highly recommend checking it out. If not, you’re in for a challenge, but one you’ll gladly take up. After all, there’s a woman at stake!

A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. For more info on our review policy click here. This review is for the PlayStation 3 version of the game.