Volition’s Agents of Mayhem–Saints Row Meets Crackdown

Without a doubt, two of my absolute favorite franchises of last gen were the Crackdown series and the Saints Row series. In fact, when the Crackdown series went dark after Crackdown 2 in 2010, the Saints Row kind of became its spiritual successor for me.

In Crackdown, you were a super-powered agent in Pacific City, systematically taking down gangs that had seized power. Saints Row had a similar dynamic, and with the addition of super powers in Saints Row IV, the series really became as close to Crackdown 3 as we would get that generation.

This week, Saints Row developer Volition announced their next project, Agents of Mayhem, and it seems to be an evolution of where they were going with the Saints Row franchise. It’s even more Crackdown than ever, featuring super-powered agents who work for the Multinational AgencY for Hunting Evil Masterminds (MAYHEM). The game takes place in Seoul, South Korea, where the agents are working to bring down the various lieutenants of LEGION, an evil group run by a guy named Doctor Babylon. The game takes place in the Saints Row universe, and MAYHEM is funded by the Ultor corporation, which makes me insanely happy. Comic writer Tony Bedard (Exiles, R.E.B.E.L.S.) co-wrote the game’s story, so I’m highly confident it will be both funny and epic.

I know we’re getting a new Crackdown, and I am super excited about that, but I also can’t wait for Agents of Mayhem. The gameplay in the Saints Row series is just so much fun, and now that they’ve fully embraced the Crackdown vibe, I think this game will be an absolute blast. I’m looking forward to learning more about it when E3 happens next week.