Ex-actly the sequel we needed
By Paul Hunter
The Scott Pilgrim franchise has had quite the journey and I’ve been along for most of it. The graphic novel series wrapped up in 2010, the same year Edgar Wright’s film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and its video game adaptation both came out. The 2023 Netflix anime gave the franchise a second wind, and now Tribute Games, the crew behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, has built something brand new with Scott Pilgrim EX.
Getting a proper new beat 'em up in this universe was a genuine treat for me. The pixel art is gorgeous, Anamanaguchi is back on the chiptune soundtrack, the playable roster is bigger than ever, and up to four of you can team up locally or online.
Is Scott Pilgrim EX the couch co-op beat ‘em up worth rallying your crew for? Let’s find out!
Fortunately, you won't be going it alone. The playable roster includes a fun mix of former enemies and Evil Exes, including Ramona Flowers, Roxie, Lucas Lee, Gideon, Matthew, and Robot-01. Standing between you and the band are three rival factions, the Vegans, Robots, and Demons, who've carved up Toronto between them, and tracking down the band pulls you across time periods through portals while a bigger threat secretly works against you behind the scenes. Whether you've followed the franchise for years or this is your first visit to this universe, the story is easy to follow and keeps things moving.
What really got me was how much fun the writing is throughout. I caught myself laughing more than once at the references scattered across the world, like a Demon stronghold called Casa Vania and a distinct Scorpion-style enemy who wants to pull you in close before you've had your morning coffee. Side missions flesh out the adventure too, and the one built around fixing Young Neil's broken Game Goose was a personal highlight. The Vegan Police show up too, and Julie hilariously appears to be employed at basically every location in the city.
The seven playable characters all work from the same core moveset: light attacks, heavy attacks, throws, and special moves. But characters all have unique differences, like Ramona who wields an oversized hammer that hits hard at mid-range and throws a sucker punch straight through subspace. Meanwhile, Roxie is a ninja who fights dirty, Lucas Lee is your powerhouse grappler, and Matthew is a firey puppet master character, Gideon brings constant offensive pressure, while Robot-01 prefers to zone enemies out from a safe distance. Light attacks are your combo builders and heavy attacks stack stun status on enemies, making crowd control far more reliable when the screen fills up. The game also gives you a block, a backstep, and precise-timing parries to work with, which adds real depth for tackling those tougher bosses.
Your GP gauge powers your Super Attacks and equippable assist character attacks. Stephen Stills is the friend I called upon the most, when you trigger him you'll gain temporary invincibility, and I cannot overstate how good it feels to speedrun bosses using this power. Other useful assists include Katayanagi Twins who restore your health mid-fight, and Demon Hipster Chick's fireball barrage melts enemies like butter.
The game include RPG elements too, including shops scattered across Toronto selling stat-boosting gear and badges with passive effects, all funded by coins your enemies leave behind. The Lion Banner badge is a personal favourite, making Super Attacks cost less GP and letting you unleash them more often in battle. Permanent stat upgrades come from food and video tapes left by enemies or purchased in shops. The early game requires a bit of grinding to beef up your stats, but once your character starts hitting harder, the combat opens up in a satisfying way.
Anamanaguchi delivering another chiptune soundtrack for this game was a great decision, and you can hear why immediately. The music is a step up from the original game's already strong baseline and it hasn’t left my head since I started playing. Every track is the kind of thing you'll still be humming hours after you put the controller down.
Turning our attention to performance, the PS5 version held up well throughout, with the framerate holding steady even when playing with a co-op buddy and the screen was littered with enemies and special effects. All in all, Scott Pilgrim EX is a great-looking, great-sounding game that backs it all up with silky smooth performance.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Tribute Games
Publisher: Tribute Games
Genre: Beat 'Em Up
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
The Scott Pilgrim franchise has had quite the journey and I’ve been along for most of it. The graphic novel series wrapped up in 2010, the same year Edgar Wright’s film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and its video game adaptation both came out. The 2023 Netflix anime gave the franchise a second wind, and now Tribute Games, the crew behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, has built something brand new with Scott Pilgrim EX.
Getting a proper new beat 'em up in this universe was a genuine treat for me. The pixel art is gorgeous, Anamanaguchi is back on the chiptune soundtrack, the playable roster is bigger than ever, and up to four of you can team up locally or online.
Is Scott Pilgrim EX the couch co-op beat ‘em up worth rallying your crew for? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
The story drops you right into Toronto, during the year 20XX, in the middle of band practice. Metal Scott, a chrome-plated evil version of our hero, crashes the session and kidnaps all of Sex Bob-omb, Scott's band, along with their instruments, leaving only Scott behind. It's a classic beat 'em up setup with a clear goal: rescue the band and get everyone to the big show before time runs out.Fortunately, you won't be going it alone. The playable roster includes a fun mix of former enemies and Evil Exes, including Ramona Flowers, Roxie, Lucas Lee, Gideon, Matthew, and Robot-01. Standing between you and the band are three rival factions, the Vegans, Robots, and Demons, who've carved up Toronto between them, and tracking down the band pulls you across time periods through portals while a bigger threat secretly works against you behind the scenes. Whether you've followed the franchise for years or this is your first visit to this universe, the story is easy to follow and keeps things moving.
What really got me was how much fun the writing is throughout. I caught myself laughing more than once at the references scattered across the world, like a Demon stronghold called Casa Vania and a distinct Scorpion-style enemy who wants to pull you in close before you've had your morning coffee. Side missions flesh out the adventure too, and the one built around fixing Young Neil's broken Game Goose was a personal highlight. The Vegan Police show up too, and Julie hilariously appears to be employed at basically every location in the city.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Scott Pilgrim EX is set in a fully fleshed out Toronto where instead of picking levels from a menu, you’re moving through the city to complete quest capped off by boss fights. Win those fights and you'll recover an instrument or rescue a band member. Timed challenge objectives are spread across the city too, with rarer item rewards if you hit them in time. The campaign runs 5 to 10 hours depending on how much side content you go after.The seven playable characters all work from the same core moveset: light attacks, heavy attacks, throws, and special moves. But characters all have unique differences, like Ramona who wields an oversized hammer that hits hard at mid-range and throws a sucker punch straight through subspace. Meanwhile, Roxie is a ninja who fights dirty, Lucas Lee is your powerhouse grappler, and Matthew is a firey puppet master character, Gideon brings constant offensive pressure, while Robot-01 prefers to zone enemies out from a safe distance. Light attacks are your combo builders and heavy attacks stack stun status on enemies, making crowd control far more reliable when the screen fills up. The game also gives you a block, a backstep, and precise-timing parries to work with, which adds real depth for tackling those tougher bosses.
Your GP gauge powers your Super Attacks and equippable assist character attacks. Stephen Stills is the friend I called upon the most, when you trigger him you'll gain temporary invincibility, and I cannot overstate how good it feels to speedrun bosses using this power. Other useful assists include Katayanagi Twins who restore your health mid-fight, and Demon Hipster Chick's fireball barrage melts enemies like butter.
The game include RPG elements too, including shops scattered across Toronto selling stat-boosting gear and badges with passive effects, all funded by coins your enemies leave behind. The Lion Banner badge is a personal favourite, making Super Attacks cost less GP and letting you unleash them more often in battle. Permanent stat upgrades come from food and video tapes left by enemies or purchased in shops. The early game requires a bit of grinding to beef up your stats, but once your character starts hitting harder, the combat opens up in a satisfying way.
Presentation and Audio
The pixel art in Scott Pilgrim EX is genuinely beautiful. Tribute Games put real care into the animation work here, and you feel it immediately in how much personality every character has in their movements. The city of Toronto is vibrant and full of visual details that reward just pausing for a minute and looking around. The whole presentation channels the original Scott Pilgrim comic book artwork faithfully, which is something longtime fans will notice right away and appreciate. I also loved spotting the easter eggs like the Sonic-inspired checkpoint design or the Mario green shell, small touches that fits the game’s reference-heavy identity perfectly. Unlockable colour palettes for every character add a nice extra reason to tinker around before the action starts.Anamanaguchi delivering another chiptune soundtrack for this game was a great decision, and you can hear why immediately. The music is a step up from the original game's already strong baseline and it hasn’t left my head since I started playing. Every track is the kind of thing you'll still be humming hours after you put the controller down.
Turning our attention to performance, the PS5 version held up well throughout, with the framerate holding steady even when playing with a co-op buddy and the screen was littered with enemies and special effects. All in all, Scott Pilgrim EX is a great-looking, great-sounding game that backs it all up with silky smooth performance.
The Verdict
I had a great time with Scott Pilgrim EX and I think fans of the series will too. Tribute Games built something with real passion here, with the combination of deep, satisfying combat and gorgeous pixel art creating a package that's easy to love. When playing the game locally or online with friends it pushes an already fun experience even further. Whether you're a longtime fan of the franchise or enjoy great beat 'em ups, this one is well worth your time.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Scott Pilgrim EX details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Tribute Games
Publisher: Tribute Games
Genre: Beat 'Em Up
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.