Promise Mascot Agency gets deep dive trailer, continues to be 2025's most tantalising open world game
Actually looks like quite a complex management sim, too
I don't think I'm capable of rivalling Nic's enthusiasm for Promise Mascot Agency, the new open world game from Paradise Killer devs Kaizen Game Works, so I'll settle for saying "EEEEE". The developers have just released a nine-minute explainer video, which teems with scenes of gimp suits, winged vans, rocket-propelled pinkies, vicious card battles against small excited dogs, and a surprisingly in-depth management component. There are bits that make me think of Batman: Arkham City, and bits that make me think of Pathologic, and bits that make me think of Yakuza - a combination fit to burst the brain. Quick, before your brain bursts, watch the video for yourself below.
My overall takeaway is that this seems quite a complex and in-earnest play experience, for all its obvious whimsy. The gist: you're a disgraced yakuza sent to a wonky backwater to run a mascot business - mascots, here, being monstrous cartoon organisms, rather than people in suits. You'll recruit mascots after negotiating terms such as time off allowance and profit share, assign them to businesses after further haggling, and then send human "heroes" to deal with any emergencies that arise, such as misbehaving cookers. The overall goal is to pay off a colossal debt, but if that's the only thing at stake I'll guzzle my fedora. In the words of game director Oli Clarke Smith: "this video shows you just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more mascots to meet, people to help and FORBIDDEN MYSTERIES to uncover."
Watching the footage, I can already feel myself settling into the rhythms of polishing my bottom line based on mascot traits, and building a rapport with eccentric clients. But this isn't just a management sim: you get to drive around town in a pick-up truck with Pinkie, your digital co-manager, who doubles (given upgrades) as a projectile for the purposes of smashing open secret areas. I really like the visual direction, from the sheeny, mildly grotesque character portraits to the mildewed geography: it's sparkling yet sour, like a dodgy gameshow watched at 3am on a cracked motel screen. It makes me think strongly of Persona 4's nowhereville. Will there be a school? It's surely missing a trick, if there isn't a school.
I'm supposed to be writing a feature series about open world games, though the industry keeps interfering with my Creative Process by announcing stuff at me. Promise Mascot Agency feels like a strong act to follow. Part of the charm is its apparent smallness, next to yer Ubiworlds, and by extension, its concentrated sense of character. It's more of a neighbourhood than a world and that suits me just fine. It's out next year. Learn more on Steam and the Epic Game Store.