I am sure all of this already appeals to those of you who love comics and "retro" games, but let's break it down and see if Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - The Game can actually take on the gaming world.
Graphics:
Like I mentioned above, the entire look and feel of the game has the "retro" look to it - 8-bit sprite style graphics and Mega Man style story screens. Hell, it even has a world map that is set up very reminiscent to Super Mario Bros. 3. They really captured that "retro" vibe for you there.
Unfortunately, to me at least, they tried too hard to do this. Certain elements get lost in the background. For instance, the cue to press buttons to react or interact. They blended into the rest of the games graphics so well that there were times I was forced to cycle through the buttons to find what I needed. While these instances were few and far between, they were still an issue within the graphics style. A graphical style that screams "Let's Make People Buy Games Because Of Nostalgia."
Audio:
Just like the graphics, the good old days of MIDI audio has returned. Ah, the repetition and limitations. It is obvious why Ubisoft would go down this path - it accompanies the graphics in triggering the "better times" portion of the brain. Though for some of us who enjoy innovation, maybe not looping the same bits over and over would have been nice, or you know, use some of the score that is coming out for the film too.
Yes, I understand it is the style, but that doesn't mean you have to actually use the limitations that spawned the style decades ago. The same 30 second loops were needed then, but today you can actually have full length MIDI music. Not to mention the possibility of using a variety to shake things up. I suppose if Megan Man can get away with it, we'll let it slide here as well.
Controls:
Graphics and audio were something I was able to get use to, but what I was not able to actually wrap my hands around were the controls for the game. Ubisoft, did you just try to use the entire control scheme from all of those NES games? Yes it was simple, but it was also some of the most unresponsive I have touched in a long time.
The game is a button masher. There is no way to try and hide that fact. The main issue is that generally, you are mashing the buttons so that after the third press you finally get to throw a punch or kick. While playing, I was actually asked why I am trying to press so hard/fast. To which I replied, so I can actually get to throw a punch since the game insanely lags on registering my button presses.
Now while this is a problem for combat it makes other actions completely useless - like say jumping, calling in aid, using a special skill or blocking. I tried to play using the whole gamut of options open to me, but I had to literally pound through entire game pressing only the Square and Triangle buttons. On rare occasions, I was actually able to get the dash/run action to kick in also.
Game Play:
Now from the look of things, the game should be just as simple as the graphics are. Even the basic concept of what to do in the game makes it seem extremely simple. This could not be further from the truth.
The game looks like it has one setting throughout, until you begin to level. That being, extremely hard. I began play on normal mode figuring it would be safe, but found that to be a faulty assumption in my case. Even when dropping down to an easier mode, this only let up slightly, leading to a lot of frustration. That is, until I gained a few levels. Then it just prolonged the beat downs due to the shoddy controls.
Even by the time I reached level 10 things did not get all that easier as I continued through. That even includes with a bit of extra gear equipped. Maybe this is why there are all the cheat codes for the game, because it is close to unplayable with the level of frustration it produces. Almost like it is forcing you to play the game in off-line co-op to even get anywhere in the game.
Overview:
I know that the Scott Pilgrim franchise has become the big new thing. I get it. But did this game really need to be rushed like this? I mean, there are freezing and audio bugs popping up all over message boards; all to go along with what I mentioned above. This game feels like if it wasn't trying to make a film release it could have been something all of you "retro" gamers would have loved. To me, it lived up to what would be expected back in the day of "retro."
Personally, I wouldn't endorse dropping the 10 clams on this title unless you are a hardcore fan of Scott Pilgrim in general. I'm referring to hose individuals who - like the drones that worship sparkly vampires - will shell out anything for another piece of the franchise. I even think some of you "retro" game lovers would be a bit let down, but it may fit in well for a small portion of you.
What I'd say is download the demo and give it a try. If you can honestly say you would endure another few hours of the game, then drop the cash, but be careful on picking this one up without giving it a test drive. Believe me, you'll be happier in the long run.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - The Game was developed and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation Network on August 10th, 2010 and retails for $9.99. A copy of the game was supplied by the publisher for review purposes.
