Agents of Mayhem

Agents of Mayhem is an open-world action game built around a squad of colorful heroes, run-and-gun shooting, and mission hopping in the Saints Row family of design. By our assessment, its real strength is the comic-book energy of swapping between agents and treating each one as a different combat tool, which gives the game a playful rhythm. The downside is that the open-world loop can feel stretched when the missions do not vary enough to keep that energy fresh. In practice it is a loud, movement-heavy game where the fun comes from switching characters and using their distinct abilities rather than from a careful simulation of anything. Compared with tighter character-action games, Agents of Mayhem is broader and messier, and it works best when a player wants constant motion more than precision.