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Creator of Saints Row reveals open-world superhero game ‘Agents of Mayhem’

Agents of Mayhem Official Cinematic Announcement Trailer
Saints Row series creator Volition today unveiled Agents of Mayhem, a high-octane, open-world action game inspired by superhero comics and films.

While few details regarding the upcoming project are known, Volition revealed that Agents of Mayhem takes place in the Saints Row universe, opening the door for a potential franchise crossover.

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Agents of Mayhem pits the heroic “Agents of M.A.Y.H.E.M.” against the villainous “L.E.G.I.O.N.” in a series of battles across a futuristic urban landscape. Between encounters with the game’s superpower-equipped enemies, players will explore a massive open world in search of side quests and unlockable content.

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Players control a squad of three characters in Agents of Mayhem, recalling the protagonist-switching mechanics of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V. Each character brings their own weapons and abilities into battle, allowing players to outfit their squad to suit current mission objectives.

Studio Volition first emerged during the PlayStation 2 era, developing popular titles like Red Faction and FreeSpace. The company kicked off its Grand Theft Auto-inspired Saints Row series in 2006, leading to a string of well-received sequels and spinoffs.

Initially a straightforward crime drama series, the Saints Row games took a surreal turn starting with 2011’s Saints Row: The Third, effectively parodying the open-world genre with outlandish weaponry and supernatural story elements.

2013’s Saints Row IV continued the trend, doubling down on the series’ bizarre storyline twists by equipping players with devastating superpowers in addition to high-powered traditional weaponry. It’s likely that Agents of Mayhem will follow suit in similar style.

After an initial run on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Saints Row IV and its expansion Gat Out of Hell later made the jump to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as part of a 2015 compilation release. Agents of Mayhem will be Volition’s second major release for current-generation consoles.

Agents of Mayhem is currently in development for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms. Volition targets a multiplatform launch in 2017.

Danny Cowan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
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