It was 2004 when a very particular title began to appear on the various shelves in American comics. The Canadian author and designer, Bryan Lee O'Malley, was not yet a particularly well-known name, but luckily with her Scott pilgrim will soon be able to achieve success, up to the victory of various awards as "best emerging cartoonist". From then until 2010 - with a rather irregular cadence - six volumes in black and white were published: with his particular style and plot, Scott Pilgrim is certainly a work that does not go unnoticed. The series was immediately a huge success, so much so that shortly after the release of the last volume several "works" dedicated to it were published, among the most famous we will certainly remember the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (released in November 2010 and available today on Netflix) and the video game Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3 and Xbox One in August 2010). The video game in particular immediately captured the interest of the public, being Scott Pilgrim a very “suitable” title for a videogame interpretation, and the beat 'em up genre loved by many. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this title loved by young and old, Ubisoft has decided to publish a "new version", adding DLC and various additional packages: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Complete Edition.
The fascination of 2D fighting games
From the introductory screen we are immediately catapulted into the world of Scott Pilgrim. The graphics are obviously very faithful to that of the comic, as indeed was that of the original title (but we'll talk more about it later). A series of bright and cheerful colors entice the player to start a new adventure. The novelty this year will be the possibility to play with your friends. In fact, it will be possible to face the story with up to four players (whether they are online or locally), or challenge each other in a series of fun and perfect mini-games to embark on bizarre and hilarious challenges. Before starting your story, you will need to choose your character. As well as the maximum number of players, four of the protagonists of the story will be available, namely Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, Stephen Still and Kim Pine (in addition, two additional packages will also add Knives Chau and Wallace Wells). Obviously taking a cue from the original plot, the aim of the players will be to face the seven evil ex-boyfriends of Ramona Flowers.
Starting from the frozen streets of Toronto, the aim of the players will be to overcome various stages and levels retracing the journey of our favorite characters. Each character will have a series of standard moves, special shots and combos at their disposal, many of which will be unlocked as the game progresses. It will also be possible collect coins left by defeated opponents, to be used to buy food or items in the shops on the map during the game. Purchases will allow you to boost several stats, that is speed, defenses, force e will, in order to improve your qualities and efficiency in combat. In addition to the story mode, as mentioned above, there will be the minigame mode, where you can have fun alone or in company facing games such as dodge-ball, survival horror, battle royale and boss-rush.
Graphics and gameplay: respect for tradition or backwardness?
As for the graphics there is very little to say. As in the 2010 video game, a style was chosen that was very reminiscent of the typical cabinets of the 80s / 90s. Being a 2D scrolling fighting game it is certainly the optimal choice, perfect for evoking and remembering the style used in comics (but also in the film). A graphics that is not really complex also allows those who do not have a high-performance PC to play with it, almost always guaranteeing maximum performance. In fact, a second generation i5 processor and a GTX 660 video card will be enough to play the title to perfection. As for optimization, unlike the previous version released for only two consoles, the developers had a lot more work to do. This time the game will in fact be available for most platforms, namely: PC, Ubisoft +, Stadia, Luna, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia e Amazon Moon.
One of the few feasible criticisms against this title could certainly be the "rigidity" of the controls, especially in the absence of a possible customization. As in most of the titles of this genre, the commands are quite basic, very comfortable when it comes to using a controller (also recommended by the developers), a little less using the keyboard (but still quite optimal). The only flaw we found (easily circumvented with a little training) is the running issue. In a game of this kind, especially as regards the first levels, speed and immediacy should be a key part of it. Instead of an automatic run we will find, instead, a slow walk - which will become a run only with a double click of the directional arrow or the analog - which will make the gameplay initially cumbersome.
To draw conclusions, we are talking about a perfect title for the nostalgic, for fans of the world of Scott Pilgrim (now in its tenth anniversary) but also for those approaching this genre for the first time. Obviously, this is not an impeccable and flawless title, but it can be the right choice to spend a few evenings in the company of friends (also given the distance to which we are forced in this period). The package is also even more convenient if you take into consideration the aforementioned presence of the various DLCs, and the dusted-off graphics which, although not exaggerated, is more than appreciated. You just have to wait for the 14st January to download Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game Complete Edition on all your favorite platforms.
