Agents of Mayhem

Agents of Mayhem offers fast-paced and mindless fun filled with Volition’s signature crude humour, but elements of it make it feel like a missed opportunity. The open world setting seems lifeless compared to games of its kind, the missions are extremely repetitive and there are a few bugs that will need addressing. Still, the impressive array of weapons and abilities, as well as the diversity of the different Agents on offer adds a level of depth that will help to keep you playing to the end. It's far from perfect, but if you can stand the repetition, there's enough left over to blow up and make you laugh.

The first few hours of Agents of Mayhem are genuinely exciting and entertaining. And funny too. It’s the open-world of high-tech Seoul and the repetitive missions that fail to live up to the colourful Agents and the Saturday morning cartoon vibe. Which is unfortunate. The juvenile sense of humour won’t appeal to everyone, but the same could be said for just about every Volition-developed title of the past decade. And in that sense, the studio’s latest effort is worth considering if you’re a Saints Row fan. For everyone else, imagine a ludicrous ‘80s cartoon built around the profane and juvenile marines featured in James Cameron’s classic film Aliens. Where they’re globe-trotting government agents, and prone to enter fits of gravity defying carnage.

There’s a good formula hiding somewhere in Agents of Mayhem, I just don’t think the solution was ever found. Perhaps in time with some improvements, my mind will change, but right now I don’t know if I’ll enlist with the Agents of Mayhem again.

A bit of a departure from Saints Row (though not really a massive one), Agents of Mayhem is an entertaining spin-off shooter laced with RPG elements that enhance an otherwise uncomplicated game. There's fun to be had here, providing you can get past the repetitive action.

Agents of Mayhem is one of those games with so much potential that just doesn’t quite reach the heights it probably could. That being said, it’s exhilarating combat and unique character system have me looking forward to a more polished, more fully conceived sequel.

Is Agents of Mayhem worth a purchase? That really depends on how much extra cash you have laying around. If you’re someone who has limited spending ability and can only buy a select amount of games each year, you’re better off saving your money for something else and maybe waiting for a sale or price drop on this one. There’s nothing about this game that really stands out or separates it from the pack in any meaningful way, which is disappointing for more than just one reason. Still, it's got a few funny lines, has some solid moments and can be somewhat fun.

A spin-off that unfortunately fails to scratch that irritating Saints Row itch. [Nov 2017, p.85]