I was a huge fan of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World back when it came out on PlayStation 3 in 2010. I played through it more times than I can count. It was a great experience. So, getting a game in that same vein with Scott Pilgrim EX made me ecstatic beyond imagination.
Game Name: Scott Pilgrim EX
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Reviewed On: PC
Developer(s): Tribute Games
Publisher(s): Tribute Games
Release Date: March 2nd, 2026
Price: $28.99
Scott Pilgrim EX is a brand new game in the Scott Pilgrim universe. In this game, Metal Scott comes and steals the bandmates of Sex Bob-Omb during one of their practice sessions. Also, he moves their instruments to other locations. Scott Pilgrim must ask for help from Romana’s evil Exes to get them back.
Some Things Never Change
The core game loop of Scott Pilgrim EX is simple. You will have an objective, and you have to find a way to go to that objective while beating up baddies as you traverse Toronto and time itself. Once you get to a certain spot, an interaction plays out, and you will have to do a boss encounter. The gameplay system at its core is a beat ’em up. You have a button for a normal attack, a grab, and a heavy attack. You can combo them together or string them consecutively. You can grab enemies, or you can grab items on the ground to hurt baddies.
Shops are all throughout the world that house items. These items heal you, but they can also give you permanent stat boosts. The items will have question marks under them until you buy an item for the first time. Then once you buy it, you can see what the item does to your character.
Co-op also makes a comeback. You can do online multiplayer or local multiplayer. You can have a party of up to 4 players. Each player has their own supply of money. It is not shared, so don’t worry about spending too recklessly. I have only tried local multiplayer thus far, and it works well. If your person goes to 0 hp, you have 10 seconds before your body becomes a ghost. The other players can get you back up.
Scott Pilgrim EX Finds New Ground
The core gameplay loop of Scott Pilgrim EX may be very similar to Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, but there are still some key differences. For one, the playable roster is different. You now join Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers like normal, but the rest of the roster is tied to Ramona Flowers evil Exes. Not all of them are playable, but the majority of them are. Sadly, I don’t get to play as Kim Pine, but playing as Mat Patel or Gideon makes it all worth it in the end.
One big difference is the way the map is handled. Scott Pilgrim EX has an actual map this time around. Rather than just moving forward, this comes up with a metroidvania map. You can see certain obstacles, but you can’t get past them unless you get a certain band instrument or a certain music sheet.
Rather than a long-running stage for each encounter, boss fights are a lot more cinematic in nature and bigger spectacles. So stages are usually only a few screens at a time, but you keep coming back for certain objectives. The time travel sprawls can feel a little short due to these changes, but they do make encounters interesting.
Scott Pilgrim Vs Time Travel
Ultimately, Scott Pilgrim EX is an addictive beat ’em up formula. If you wanted more Scott Pilgrim goodness after Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, then this is the next one to get into. If you want a more traditional beat ’em up, you might be a bit disappointed without the classic systems in place. I found it enjoyable and will likely try it again with some more friends this time around.
Scott Pilgrim EX is available digitally on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
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Review Disclosure Statement: Scott Pilgrim EX was provided to us by Tribute Games for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
Scott Pilgrim EX is a fun game to play. It has a good-sized roster and variety in the characters’ movesets. It has some compromises in making it a Metroidvania map system, but it does make it a different experience in the genre.
Pros
- Gameplay is fun and engaging
- Playing as the Evil Exes is a nice change to the roster
- Lots of easter eggs from the Scott Pilgrim world
Cons
- Stages are smaller
- It can get annoying having the same baddies come at you from the same places
- Playable Characters from the last game get cut out
