Gaming
Agents of Mayhem Board Game Seeks to Improve on the Video Game
Agents of Mayhem is a fun but ultimately underwhelming video game. Many critics state the game is overly grindy and repetitive, but that might soon change. No, Volition isn’t patching the game, but Academy Games is developing a board game based on Agents of Mayhem that promises a unique experience with every playthrough.
The board game, titled Agents of Mayhem: Pride of Babylon, is described by the Kickstarter campaign as a “story-driven 3D tactical boardgame,” and it does mean 3D. The game board includes modular tiles that form several destructible towers, which dynamically affect how players can go about the game. Moreover, the story is derived from player decisions; each action has a “ripple effect” that will significantly impact missions and character abilities. Oh, and Academy Games promises plenty of humor, so the game’s got that going for it, as well.
As you might expect, players will be able to control either the “heroic” titular agents of M.A.Y.H.E.M. or the definitely villainous members of L.E.G.I.O.N., each with his, her, or its own unique upgrades, abilities, equipment, and meticulously detailed plastic miniature. A major sticking point of the Agents of Mayhem video game is players can’t create their own characters, but the board game looks as if it will be a much better fit for the pre-made agents and villains. While the base game will only include the agents Fortune, Hardtack, and Hollywood, along with the villainous Dr. Babylon and a collection of L.E.G.I.O.N. troopers, more will be provided to backers depending on the number of stretch goals unlocked. So far, only the L.E.G.I.O.N. shock trooper and the agent Scheherazade have been announced, but Academy Games promises more down the line. Moreover, players can obtain new building tiles through stretch goals and add-ons for even more explosive mayhem.
Agents of Mayhem: Pride of Babylon looks like a complicated game on paper, as it will require players to manage combat die, resource counters, effect tiles, character cards, and whatever else the board throws their way. It looks chaotic, but what else did you expect from a game with the word “mayhem” in the title? Academy Games has a history of creating award-winning board games, so I am confident Agents of Mayhem: Pride of Babylon will be an enjoyable romp.
As of writing this article, the Agents of Mayhem: Pride of Babylon Kickstarter campaign has blown past its $30,000 goal, which is impressive since the campaign started today. The campaign only has three pledge tiers, starting as low as the $85 early bird special, which contains the base game, the Gaunt character expansion pack, and all stretch goals, including the Kickstarter-exclusive “Total Mayhem” goals. While the $90 tier is identical to the $85 tier (it is meant for those who miss the early bird special), the $115 tier gives gamers a taste of the source material by including the Agents of Mayhem video game. Additionally, only three add-ons are available for purchase: a copy of the Agents of Mayhem game for PC, a set of giant building tiles, and the Johnny Gat character expansion. Now, a friendly reminder: all prices listed on the Kickstarter page do not cover shipping costs.
I look forward to the release of Agents of Mayhem: Pride of Babylon. It looks promising and could very well be the definitive Agents of Mayhem experience.
Consoles
To keep Apex Legends running for an additional “10 to 15 years,” Respawn opens a third studio
Apex Legends developer Respawn has created a third studio in order to keep the popular battle royale genre running for another “10 to 15 years”. Madison, Wisconsin is where the new studio is situated.
This third studio (the first two being headquartered in Los Angeles and Vancouver) will largely focus on Apex Legends in order to ensure a continuous and, most importantly, sustainable production pipeline. It may, however, contribute to other Respawn products in the future. Ryan Burnett, who previously served as director of engine production at Epic Games and had a distinguished 14-year career at Raven Software, the Call of Duty Studio, will serve as the studio’s head.
Senior VP of operations at Respawn, Daniel Suarez, claims in-depth in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that “Because we intend to stick with this for the long haul, team health is unquestionably a top priority for us. We’re eager to see Apex become a franchise that endures for ten, fifteen, or more years because we think it will. We can’t just accomplish everything at once, exhaust ourselves, and be unprepared to do it over the long run.”
Consistency (as well as adequate production runway) are essential to make Apex Legends’ 90-day turnaround for new seasons of content realistic. Suarez observes that the introduction of new characters to the game takes a lot longer than you might anticipate “It takes us between a year and a year and a half to become proficient in a Legend. We are therefore making preparations well in advance.”
Only a few weeks ago, parent company EA fired more than 200 Apex Legends quality assurance testers in an impromptu Zoom call, raising concerns among some fans about the game’s future.
Do you support Respawn’s decision to open a third studio? Do you believe Apex Legends will still be around in 15 years?
Kingdom Eighties, a micro-strategy game coming out for the PS5 in 2023, is a loving tribute to that legendary time period.Eighties will be a stand-alone novel like earlier books in the Kingdom series, such as Two Crowns or New Lands.
You take on the role of the leader, a camp counselor tasked with protecting the village against enigmatic creatures known as greed. Bike around the neighborhood with youngsters like The Champ, The Tinkerer, and The Wiz, who will support you in combat and each contribute something unique to the table while doing your best Stranger Things impressions.
Your thoughts about Kingdom Eighties Have you played any of the other Kingdom games?
Just now, another great update for PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium came out.There are 17 titles in all that are available for these higher membership tiers in March, which is a wonderful collection that should have something for everyone. In Europe, these games are now available for download on the PS5 and PS4, and they will soon be released in North America.
Here is a list of everything included as a reminder:
PS Plus Extra: March 2023
- Tchia (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (PS5) | Review
- Immortals Fenyx Rising (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Rainbow Six Extraction (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Ghostwire: Tokyo (PS5) | Review
- Life is Strange True Colors (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Life is Strange 2 (PS4) | Review
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS4) | Review
- Street Fighter V Champion Edition (PS4) | Review
- Untitled Goose Game (PS4) | Review
- Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PS4) | Review
- RAGE 2 (PS4) | Review
- NEO: The World Ends With You (PS4) | Review
- Haven (PS5, PS4) | Review
PS Plus Premium: March 2023
- Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS1) | Review
- Ape Academy 2 (PSP)
- Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP)
Tchia, an independent open-world adventure, debuts on PlayStation Plus Extra on the first day of this month. In addition to everything else mentioned above, members will also have access to this endearing new game. The three classic games mentioned above are also available to PS Plus Premium subscribers. Both Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Ape Academy 2 provide a set of trophies, which is always a welcome extra.
According to our most recent poll, the majority of you are happy with the new games and oldies that were added to the catalog this month, and we don’t blame you. It’s a fantastic choice. With these more recent membership tiers, Sony seems to be finding its footing after a somewhat poor start.
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