Scott Pilgrim EX Review
Tribute Games are back with another retro-themed beat em' up, but is this one as good as their last?
For all you fans of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s quirky Canadian comic and the Edgar Wright-directed adaptation, I really hope you’re aware that a new Scott Pilgrim game is out.
Following in the footsteps of the cult fave Ubisoft beat em’ up from 2010 - which featured music from chiptune band Anamanaguchi - Scott Pilgrim EX is a love letter to arcade gaming, geek culture, and good vibes, seeing Scott and Romana Flowers team up with her evil exes to reunite Sex Bob-Omb, who’ve been kidnapped by the evil Metal Scott.
(Anamanaguchi are also back, which is wonderful.)
Scott Pilgrim EX marks another home run for developer Tribute Games, who’ve been on a nostalgic hit-streak for the past few years with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in 2022, and also Marvel Cosmic Invasion in 2025. All the hallmarks that made those two titles so appealing are present and accounted for in EX, only this time we’ve got the added bonus of a sort of overworld to navigate and loads of NPCs to interact with.
In fact, it’s easy to see this becoming a sort of template for Tribute going forward, although what IP they’ll tackle next could be anyone’s guess. Am I a fool to hope for a Simpsons arcade revival? (The answer, unfortunately, is yes.)
Either way, Scott Pilgrim EX is a great time and also - compared to Ubisoft’s original title - mercifully forgiving. While there is nuance to the combat and some challenging sequences, this is far from the bone crusher its predecessor was and fosters a much more enjoyable couch co-op experience. Up to four players can explore and do battle in the fantasy land of Toronto and as with most co-op brawlers, the old adage of the more, the merrier, very much applies.
Would I say it’s Tribute’s best game so far? Not quite, but I think that generally just comes down to being a bigger Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Marvel guy and being on a different stage of my Scott Pilgrimage to where I was in 2010. For those who are still locked into O’Malley’s work, or who have fond memories of the original Ubisoft tie-in, this will no doubt make for a great gaming highlight of 2026.
Ultimately, though, it’s just nice to see Tribute Games delivering these premium, throwback experiences so consistently. Whenever they’re involved, whatever license it may be, you know it’s in safe hands.
Review Score: ★★★★☆
Game code supplied by publisher for review, played on PlayStation 5.