The cult popularity that led to the creation of Scott Pilgrim EX is rooted in the comfort of nostalgia. The action-comedy movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, based on an indie comic book, was chock-full of references and recognition of gamer culture, even as it drew on more grounded themes of learning and growing after a messy breakup.
A tie-in video game from Ubisoft was a pure throwback to classic brawlers, and its removal from storefronts in 2014 (and subsequent return in 2021 after years of fan outcry) only accentuated its cult status. Scott Pilgrim EX is very much a spiritual successor to that earlier game, amping up every aspect that made its predecessor memorable–especially the nostalgia.
In fact, playing Scott Pilgrim EX often feels like a game of “Spot the References.” The world is full of homages to everything from 8- and 16-bit game franchises to movies like Hot Fuzz, a movie that was helmed by Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright. Characters are self-aware that they’re inside a video game and will casually mention elements like tutorials. It’s all very Millennial-coded, and maybe slightly cloying for those of us in that sweet spot, but it feels at home in a game that so happily wears its inspirations on its sleeve.
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