Back to the Streets: Scott Pilgrim EX PlayStation 5 Review
Scott Pilgrim EX brings the fractured streets of Toronto to life in a vibrant, side-scrolling action-adventure where space and time are tearing at the seams. Players take control of Scott, Ramona, and five other allies to battle through rival factions like the VEGANS and ROBOTS in a quest to save the city. Featuring a fresh story penned by series creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, it blends high-energy combat with a signature retro aesthetic. Whether playing solo or joining forces in four-player co-op, it’s a stylish journey through a world of wacky weapons and chiptune beats.
Developer: Tribute Games Inc.
Publisher: Tribute Games Inc.
Genre: Side-scrolling Beat ’em up / Action-Adventure
Release Date: March 3, 2026
Website: scottpilgrimex.com
UK Store: Scott Pilgrim EX PS5 Store Page
Scott Pilgrim EX PlayStation 5 Review: Specs & HUD
- The how to play section is like a manual with images and text.
- Health bar-based system, and you pick up hearts to replenish it.
- Combat rings are in the levels, and triggering these starts the event or story scene.
- Markers for missions exist on the map, but you can choose to ignore them.
- Find your house (which is easy), and here you can swap between characters.
Gameplay Review & Mechanics Breakdown
Beat ’em up action gameplay is the name of the game here. Adventure mode has four difficulties: Super Easy, Easy, Normal, and Hard, so you can pick your poison. You’ve got seven playable characters to mess with: Roxie, Robot 01, Ramona, Scott, Matthew, Lucas, and Gideon. Each character has a list of colour variants to choose from, which is a nice touch. Four player Co op support is in there too, and it has online and offline local support if you want to bring mates along.
Combat is button-mashy on the surface, but it does have a huge stable of combos and attacks akin to a proper fighting game, like a Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. You earn exp and level up to increase your core stats automatically, which are Vjt, WP, Str, and Agi. Find computers with Chez robots hosting them; it’s a shop where you can buy buffs to help you out. Load out wise you can buy items to go into your slots, which are accessories (four slots), badges (two slots), and assist power, which is assigning another character to jump in and help. You can pick up and use weapons, crates, jars, etc., and even throw them at the enemies. Outside of the combat rings, it’s just an ordinary side-scrolling beat ’em up, but the map is all interconnected, and you can kind of go where you want.
Locations are big and varied, they look great, and they can have different locations stitched into them. I do appreciate that they have made it so coins dropped by enemies don’t disappear, which saves a lot of hassle. There are a lot of nods and interpretations of classic video game sequences and mini games, Easter eggs and a lot more to see. Different types of locations will have a selection of shops, so you do get quite a lot in the way of creating a character. Training is split up into all types of gameplay and combat, and is practical sessions to get you up to speed. All cutscenes and in-game interactions are in-game, and you’ll run into some big boss encounters along the way. Checkpoints can be triggered for respawning if things go south.
Scott Pilgrim EX PlayStation 5 Review: Performance & Fidelity
- Beautiful pixel art graphics that look great.
- 722.1MB Download size, nice and small.
- Catchy chiptune-inspired soundtrack matches the vibe.
- Shaking effects can be toggled in settings.
- Performance is solid, with quick character swaps at your house.
Settings, Customisation & Control Details
- Platinum trophy included for the hunters.
- Own in-game trophy system to track progress.
- Game settings include filter, hands-free run, automatic back attacks, and shaking effects.
- Sound volumes for sound, music, and master volume.
- You can remap the controls to suit your playstyle.
- Simple controls make it accessible to get into.
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Scott Pilgrim EX
Summary
THRILLS & HIGHLIGHTS This one is a real looker with beautiful pixel art graphics and a catchy chiptune-inspired soundtrack that keeps the energy up. I love that they added a platinum trophy and even their own in-game trophy system for extra bragging rights. The combat might look button-mashy on the surface, but it has a huge stable of combos and attacks akin to a proper fighting game, like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. The map is all interconnected, so you can kind of go where you want, and the locations are big and varied, stitched together with a lot of nods and interpretations of classic video game sequences and Easter eggs. Being able to buy buffs from Chez robots and having four-player co-op, both online and offline, makes the adventure mode a blast, and I really appreciate that coins dropped by enemies don’t disappear!
KEY NEGATIVES
It’s not all smooth sailing, though; the opening tutorial for combat is not clear and very frustrating. It could just be my dumbass, but I could not get combos to register at first. Combat gets repetitive after a while, and I found that once I had the items I wanted, the money became redundant. You can also just farm enemies over and over by leaving and entering the screen, so the challenges can be negated pretty easily. A major annoyance is judging attacks and making sure you are in line with enemies; it is still a problem, and even more so on challenges where you need to be precise.
OVERALL VERDICT
Scott Pilgrim EX is a solid bit of kit, but I personally just found it to be another good side-scrolling beat ’em up. I don’t really see the appeal of another Scott Pilgrim game, to be honest. Granted, I’m not the biggest fan, but this is just that game again, just with a few good touches and additions. It’s got the 90s grit and looks fantastic, but the repetitive combat and alignment issues hold it back from being a total knockout. If you’re a die-hard fan, you’ll love the Easter eggs, but for everyone else, it’s just a decent brawler that doesn’t reinvent the wheel.
