Back in 2010, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game arrived at a time when beat ’em ups were mostly living off nostalgia. But what made that game special wasn’t just the license. It felt fresh and completely locked into the vibe of the Scott Pilgrim universe. For a lot of players, it became one of those games that stuck with you, even as it disappeared and resurfaced over the years.
Now, 16 years later, Scott Pilgrim is back with Scott Pilgrim EX from Tribute Games. And make no mistake, this game doesn’t feel like a remake or a reboot trying to modernize everything for the sake of it. It feels like a game that understands why the original worked and builds on that foundation instead of tearing it down. Within the first 30 minutes, it’s clear this is less about chasing trends and more about delivering a Scott Pilgrim beat ’em up that actually feels good to play in 2026.
A Version of Toronto Worth Exploring
Visually, Scott Pilgrim EX looks fantastic. The modern pixel art style feels like a natural evolution of the 2010 game rather than a complete overhaul. Animations are smooth, characters are expressive, and enemy designs stay readable even when the screen fills up with chaos.
The story wastes no time getting ridiculous. Sex Bob-omb is kidnapped, their instruments are stolen, and Toronto is overrun by demons, robots, and, worst of all, vegans. You’re fighting your way across the city as Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, and others, moving through different neighborhoods that each feel distinct.
Each area has its own music track, which helps sell the idea that you’re actually traveling through the city instead of clearing the same space over and over. Some tracks land better than others, but overall, the soundtrack does a great job keeping things fresh. Progression helps here, too. Instead of pushing you straight from left to right, the game sends you up, down, and across different parts of the map, giving the city a real sense of layout and personality.
Excellent Gameplay With Minor Hiccups
Combat is where Scott Pilgrim EX really comes into its own. You’ve got seven playable characters, including Scott and Ramona, and they all feel meaningfully different. Special attacks aren’t just cosmetic changes, and switching characters genuinely changes how fights play out. The game makes it easy to learn those differences, too, thanks to a training mode that lets you practice every move and focus on specific characters to figure out combos before heading back into the story.
Like everything else in life, money makes the world go round in Scott Pilgrim EX. You earn it by fighting enemies and smashing environmental objects, then spend it on food, character palettes, accessories, and other stat boosts. Some quests require specific purchases, and you won’t know that until you hit those moments. If you’ve been skipping fights or spending freely, you might need to backtrack, grind enemies, or sell items to move forward.
GP acts as your resource system, basically serving as mana for special abilities, assists, and healing when you’re low. As you play, you also can’t just mash your way through fights, even on easy. Figuring out the best way to combo your attacks goes a long way towards clearing waves of enemies and taking out the bosses, especially as they get tougher.
Speaking of the bosses, all of them require you to take out their health while fighting waves of enemies as well. But the way each one attacks and fights keeps them from feeling repetitive. There’s even one that’s set up thanks to a train race where you’re throwing enemies and items into the furnace to make your train go faster.
Going back to assists, they also add a lot of personality to the game. They range from escaping to safety to full-screen attacks that attack every enemy in the path. Power-ups and food push progression further, boosting attributes along with restoring health, which makes upgrades feel meaningful instead of temporary. There are even times when you need to use a certain assist, like Stephen Stills’ ability to grant temporary invincibility, to complete a task like shutting down a power source.
It adds just enough tension to make your decisions matter.
Co-op is another highlight. Whether you’re playing locally or online with cross-platform support, teamwork can matter. You can share money or even give up some of your own health to keep a teammate alive, which leads to some genuinely fun moments and keeps everyone involved.
There were only two real frustrations I found while playing. During the few chances you have to jump and climb platforms, it can be inconsistent, as it can occasionally feel finicky and have you sliding around and off ledges when you least want to. There’s also a small issue with backtracking or having to run back and forth from one end of the map to another. If anything, it just leaves you annoyed, but not enough to ruin the fun.
Scott Pilgrim EX Review Verdict
Through the roughly four hours it takes to beat the main story, Scott Pilgrim EX feels like the follow-up fans have been waiting a long time for. It respects what came before, adds depth where it counts, and delivers a beat ’em up that feels confident, modern, and completely at home next to the game that started it all. And don’t worry, after you beat the story once, New Game+ is unlocked to experience it all over again.
Are you going to pick up Scott Pilgrim EX? Leave your thoughts down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
Scott Pilgrim EX
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Scott Pilgrim EX
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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