Agents of Mayhem: A Second Chance to Make a First Impression - An Open Letter to whom it May(hem) Concern

Below is an email I’m sending to the developer and publisher of the game Agents of Mayhem.

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Hi Volition & Deep Silver,

I came across Agents of Mayhem in a PSN sale. After looking into the game before buying it for a ridiculously low price I could not believe my luck. For the longest time I have been looking for a game that was a combination of two games I love and play ad nauseam: Rogue Company and Warframe. (I am currently at odds with the developer and publisher of Warframe but that is beside the point.) My wishlist for a game like that was a third person perspective, a simple and funny storyline and lore, having likeable, over to top characters, fluid gameplay and controls, and a game I could pick up if I just wanted to have some mindless fun but also if I was in the mood for tackling a hard challenge. With that specific of a list of requirements I never expected to find such a game. Imagine my surprise when after watching some trailers and gameplay videos I felt I found the game I was looking for. Imagine my further surprise when after playing the game for just about 30 minutes I realized that it delivered on all of my wishes and so much more. To cut a long story short I am having tons of fun playing the game.

On the flip side I was baffled by how such a good game could achieve so little critical and commercial success it did. I so could not wrap my mind around the fact I got my hands on a game that just oozes AAA production value and quality so cheap that I had to spend a couple of hours trying to figure out how this state of affairs came to be. I may be wrong about this but after doing some digging I believe it came down to a handful of reasons: no multiplayer which this sort of a game just screams for, some mixed messaging about Agent of Mayhem being a part of the Saints Row franchise or not, and a buggy launch.

As for the first one -- lack of multiplayer -- I do concede that it could have elevated the fun factor of the game but IMHO the game is not just fun enough but a ton of fun even without it. I also do understand the developer’s philosophy and reasoning for not including multiplayer in their game: they wanted to squeeze as much fun out of the singe player experience as humanly possible and felt that including multiplayer would compromise that goal. In my judgement they 100% succeeded and in fact overdelivered of the single player experience and I lack the expertise to pass judgement on whether including multiplayer would have compromised -- either conceptually or technically -- the developer’s stated goal.

As for the second one -- association with the Saints Row franchise -- I do understand the Saints Row faithful’s less than enthusiastic reception of the game and their negative vibe seeping into the reviews. From what I understand they wanted a new iteration of their beloved game and were rightfully confused by the mixed messaging around Agents of Mayhem being or not being that game. I happen to believe that Agents of Mayhem should, could, and does stand on its own legs and should have been marketed as its own thing from day one. I would also like to think that the Saints Row storm has passed and this game has a chance for a Second Wind, to barrow a phrase from Borderlands. Hence my this here email.

As for the third one -- a buggy launch -- it seems that this is one lesson the gaming industry just refuses to learn. As unacceptable as a buggy launch is I do not want to spend too much time running circles around it because buggy launches are a dime a dozen these days and one could argue that it became the norm rather than the exception. For the purpose of this here email let me just state the the game has been patched since its launch and I only came across two minor bugs since I stated pouring hours on end into the game and none of them were game breaking.

After that prelude let me come to the reason I am writing this email.

As the game did not meet expectations and was considered a failure the game’s servers, which are required for unlocking some of its trophies, were shut down. I cannot not mention how ironic I find that a game so laser focused on its single player experience cannot be completed because of a minor multiplayer feature.

I do admit that I have a bit of an OCD and like to get all the trophies of the games I really enjoy but that alone would not compel me to put all these words to keyboard.

I am not unselfish enough to request an update to a game that has reached end of life in the name of the gaming community just so that everybody can enjoy the full experience, that alone would not compel me to put all these words to keyboard.

I have a degree in computer science and some work experience in software project management so I have an understanding of how easy and cheep it would be to fix this currently unobtainable trophy but that alone would not compel me to put all these words to keyboard.

I do have some gripes about paying for a game that cannot be completed but that alone would not compel me to put all these words to keyboard.

However combing all of the above together does compel me to write this email and request You to fix this unobtainable trophy problem in Agents of Mayhem.

I see it as a win-win-win scenario. I am convinced that the game has the potential for a Second Wind, I am convinced that the fix would be a very minor investment to make, and I am convinced that the gaming community would appreciate this token gesture and could generate some hype around the game which could lead to additional sales. If there is one game that deserves a second chance it is Agents of Mayhem. I also have to note that it could also set an industry standard for how to properly retire a game which would also provide some well deserved marketing for the game, the developer, and the publisher.

I hope you will find my request worth considering.

gg,
Zim