After the 2015 launch of Gat out of Hell, the Saints Row series was on an uncertain basis. The developers in Volition had apparently used the series because it was worth shining out every bite absurd drop while adding super powers, aliens and even a musical to hell. Instead of continuing down the scratched road, Volition instead chose to go another way and create a new hero-based game called Agents of Mayhem . The title is the studio’s first new IP since the launch of Saints Row in 2006 (though it contains some crossover elements from the main series), offering an individualistic game mechanics where you can switch between a set of heroes in the battle’s heat.
As a spiritual sequel, Agents of Mayhem’s roots are clearly planted in the Saints Row universe throughout the show. From the agents’ obsession over the color purple, to the recognizable emblem, and the same remarkable form of humor. Two of the unlockable agents are also recurring role figures from former Saints Row titles. Kingpin, perhaps better known as Pierce, makes a comeback together with the Russian muscle bundle Oleg, now known as Yeti. One even has the opportunity to play as a series favorite Johnny Gat as a DLC bonus. While bearing its heritage proud of its shoulders, Agents of Mayhem introduces enough of its own flair and individual mechanics to distinguish it from its predecessors.
In the heat of battle you have the opportunity to switch between three agents – with the ability to lock up more by performing specific operations. None of the agents feel identical. For example, Rama is fast, flexible, and uses an auto-sifting armbrush for its long-distance attack, while Hardtack is much more compact and heavy while shooting powerful shotguns. You get the opportunity to put together a team of three agents before commencing an assignment; This required a strategic approach, as you will put together a trio of complementary skills. An agent like Yeti, for example, who can lame enemies with his icecream, fits perfectly with an agent like Hardtack, which can be a long-term incident to the lame enemies. Each agent can be easily exchanged by pressing left or right on the D path, which feels floating even during shot shifts.
Agents also have their own set of special attacks, weapons and passive duplets, which can be locked up over twenty boards. With these things, you can shape the characters of the characters by changing factors such as weapon damage, health and secondary weapon effects. This will later be expanded through an upgrade line similar to what we have seen in the Borderlands series, where you can assign unlockable points to expand certain hero properties. Each agent also has its own special attack called Mayhem, which you can use after killing enough enemies and is definitely worth it. Enabling these abilities is the source of some of the most fun moments in the game. Take Kingpin’s Mayhem for example. This is a reminder of the Groovatron in the Ratchet & Clank and Dubstep rifle from Saints Row IV. The enemies only have to follow the rhythm of the giant boombox.
Tripling over the rooftops on a stream of purple to collect crystals in a similar manner to Crackdown provides the basis for much fun in Seoul. In addition to this, we felt that many of the goals outside of the main story were tame disturbances, which consisted of little more than spurting through checkpoints, hostages, and elimination of enemy troops and vehicles. One of the most praised aspects of the Saints Row series is silly side activities such as insurance fraud, trail blazing, and the ability to go berserk with a tank. Agents of Mayhem is admittedly a separate and independent title, but it’s hard not to think how good Volition solved these aspects in earlier releases.
The technological paradise of Seoul serves as a great wallpaper for your adventure, and the city is decorated with cherry blossoms, traditional Asian architecture, and towering skyscrapers. While the city is a joy to explore, the streets feel inexplicably desolate and empty. Here you are lacking the illusion of being in a vibrant futuristic utopia. Games like Grand Theft Auto V and Watch Dogs 2 seem to handle this aspect much better as they offer streets filled with pedestrians as you can see live conversations or participate in recreational activities like yoga or instrument play.
Agents of Mayhem offers impressive 16 levels of difficulty, where each step on the ladder offers even better rewards for brave players. There is also a solid amount of playtime, with 50+ quests, multiple page assignments, and unlockable items that you can fill the time with. What’s missing, however, is the ability to play the story part with a friend. Instead of this, we find contracts where you can follow others online to complete small assignments within a given timeframe. Although the contribution of a dose of multiplayer functionality is appreciated, feel that the lack of co-op is rather disappointing, especially since it is one of the best elements of Saints Row IV.
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In this way, too, in the Saints Row games, you have a base for purchasing new upgrades, embark on VR training, and throw you into global conflict goals. Global conflict, which reminds a lot of the Dragon Age: Inquisition Warfare, allows you to send out inactive agents on your behalf to raise funds and other resources. VR simulations give you the perfect arena to test out new locked capabilities. The requisition also allows you to exchange money for agency assignments, which gives you benefits in terms of earning experience points, recovery of health and boost for your vehicles.
Agents of Mayhem’s visual style is wonderfully vibrant, with a cartoon-like flair that is not too different to what you see in Overwatch. The movie sequences are also fully animated, and appear as cartoons from Saturday morning in the early 90’s. It’s therefore a shame that the game does not run well, especially when fighting against the hordes of enemies. Then the image update really started to struggle. We also came across several glitches where the enemy was hopelessly stuck in things, and the game crashed twice, which forced us to play again from the start. Hopefully these issues will be addressed through a future update, as they currently inhibit the game’s outstanding combat system.
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If you are one of the many fans that are ever after the launch of Saints Row V, you should definitely consider checking out the Agents of Mayhem. It may have a dose of technical errors and minor imperfections, but it’s still a fun game with tons of personality. The ability to switch between a team of three agents on site presents an extra layer of strategic depth, while the beautiful cartoon-like world and crisp humor make for an engaging journey from start to finish.
