Agents of Mayhem

This action game is great in concept, but overall it stumbles in execution. First, the good news. An all-new superhero game is enough to get many gamers excited, and to this game's credit, the fast-paced action sequences, huge cast of diverse characters, and clever use of the environment all give a good first impression. The charming cartoon-like graphics and simple controls also help bolster the game's appeal. But it doesn't take long for the charm to wear off. For one, the constant banter between the superheroes grows tiring after a short while, laden with insults and profanity, as if the developers were trying to impress the gamer. It's excessive, and will cause many an eye roll. Secondly, while the action is fun and frantic, and experimenting with new superhero abilities and weapons is gratifying, the missions themselves grow repetitive after a while (unlike Saints Row or the similar Grand Theft Auto series, both of which offer more variety). Plus, you're expected to zigzag across the city often, even if it doesn't seem to make much sense given your assignment, and some locations, like the underground LEGION hallways, are drab. Third, the game is buggy, including instances of waypoints disappearing, not being able to swap agents during a fight, or getting a person or car stuck in an object.

It's too bad, really, as Agents of Mayhem looked like a refreshingly fun game. Perhaps some of these issues can be fixed, including assorted technical or graphical bugs, while others might be more difficult to fine-tune after the fact, such as mediocre mission objectives. Either way, it's worth waiting a bit before picking up this game (if at all) to see if it gets patched, reduced in price, or both.