Promise Mascot Agency Review - The Little Kei Truck That Could

Promise Mascot Agency's original reveal trailer contained the words "From the creators of Paradise Killer," and that's all that needed to be said to know I was on board. Paradise Killer was a game of immaculate vibes and eccentricity, so I hoped that, at the bare minimum, Promise Mascot Agency would be similar in that regard.

Thankfully, Promise Mascot Agency is even more zany than developer Kaizen Game Works' first game. I mean, look, the concept alone is crazy enough: A disgraced Yakuza must make amends for a merger deal gone awry, and to do so, he has to run a mascot agency out of a dinky love hotel in a town cursed to kill any Yakuza that enter. That's really just the tip of the iceberg.

Kaso-Machi, the Cursed Town of Promise Mascot Agency

The town of Kaso-Machi, Japan is one that's way behind in the times. It's incredibly disheveled and forgotten. As such, Kaso-Machi is so woefully dilapidated that its infrastructure and culture are basically stuck in the 80s.

This is the setting of Promise Mascot Agency, and where the player character, Michi, turns that ol' love hotel I mentioned into a mascot agency. It's his last hope after a Yakuza business deal goes bad, and he needs to make a lot of money, and fast. With the help of good business decisions and, of course, mascots, you might just be able to break even.

Mascots are not people in cartoonish suits in this world -- they're real, living beings. We're introduced to Pinky, a literal sentient severed finger, but along the way, we'll meet so many more wild and creative characters. Mascots take the form of pretty much anything: a piece of crying tofu, a sentient burial mound, and even a split-open unagi eel with a crown.

Mascots are the backbone of your business, and you're not able to make money without their help. You're starting from the absolute bottom, mind you, so you'll have to convince these mascots to join up by offering appealing contracts. The better the contract (i.e. a larger share for the jobs they complete, or paid time off), the happier they are.

Managing Mascots in Promise Mascot Agency

But what are these mascots doing, anyway? As the town of Kaso-Machi slowly rises up from the ashes as you complete new jobs and errands for its inhabitants, opportunities pop up for mascots to represent different brands. The main way to make money is by having these mascots represent certain shops and locales around town.

And this is all where the business management aspect of Promise Mascot Agency comes in. Giving mascots deals so that you're able to take a large enough portion to pay your bills, all the while reinvesting money into the town and business, creates an engaging gameplay loop that constantly introduces new mechanics.

Usually, issuing out new jobs to mascots is a passive activity. Pick the job that fits what kind of mascot is needed (some are creepy, some are cute, etc), and after several in-game hours, you should see some money coming in. Unfortunately, it's not always that smooth as these mascots tend to run into trouble during the job.

Coming to a mascot's aid is a crucial part of Promise Mascot Agency. It's up to you if you want to help them, but don't expect extra money from the job if you let them fail. Should you aid them, a cutscene will play. A mascot might get stuck in a door, or, befitting the game's overall playful tone, stalkers might harass and weird your mascots out on the job.

This brings forth a little minigame featuring cards. I know, most people either love or hate card mechanics, but it's a pretty simple and fast aspect of Promise Mascot Agency's gameplay. These cards, or "Mascot Support Heroes" as they're called, have values that take a certain number of points off a life bar.

Cards have energy, so you need to make sure you don't run out of energy and fully deplete that life bar. Some cards give more energy, some draw more cards, or some even do both. It's tricky at first since your cards aren't powerful to start, but it becomes a tad dull to play after your cards upgrade into much more powerful ones.

It's also just a bit annoying to have several mascots in need of emergency at the same time, taking your attention away from whatever it was you were doing in the town of Kaso-Machi. You can mitigate this by giving mascots support items on the job, but sometimes it's inevitable, and you'll have to divert your attention to this somewhat repetitive mechanic.

Bringing Life Back to Kaso-Machi, One Mile at a Time

Thankfully, failure or not, you make money. Investing this cash in your agency buffs your mascots' energy levels and allows you to pull in a bit of extra dough. Meanwhile, putting that money back into the town opens up new opportunities by renovating touristy areas, thereby opening up potential for even more jobs with your mascots.

Seeing the town of Kaso-Machi slowly but surely revive itself is a gratifying gaming experience. The town starts out quiet, broken, and has trash everywhere. Cleaning up trash, investing in the town, and progressing the story creates a busier and more lively town, as though it were recovering from a near-fatal illness.

Promise Mascot Agency also manages to stand out in the way it allows you to explore Kaso-Machi. You control Michi through his handy Kei truck, a small and utilitarian vehicle found in Japan. You're able to explore pretty much every inch of the town with it, and as it turns out, this is quite the versatile machine. This is the meat and potatoes of the gameplay.

The Kei truck is equipped with boosters, and eventually you can find upgrades that'll turn it into a boat or even a glider. It's just the type of wackiness you'd come to expect from Promise Mascot Agency, and makes exploration quite enjoyable. Eventually, you can launch Pinky from the back of the truck like a missile to clean up trash and knock down barriers.

The town is also filled with a ludicrous amount of collectibles and optional objectives, but they don't feel like a chore to complete. Extras are clearly marked on the map of Kaso-Machi and so, if you're driving around, you're bound to come across them naturally as opposed to going out of your way. 

These collectibles usually contribute to some sort of gameplay mechanic, too -- either by giving you money or adding to your agency's popularity -- so it's not a waste to go out and find them. Collectibles, combined with managing your agency, talking and aiding townsfolk, and upgrading things with your funds, create a gameplay loop that assures there's always something to do.

A Compelling Narrative Grips Players in Promise Mascot Agency

Doing business, making money, and exploration are all vital components of Promise Mascot Agency. It's a game that also places heavy emphasis on narrative and dialogue. There are a lot of characters here, each well-written and with their very own, distinctive personalities. I'm not just talking about the mascots, I mean the human characters, too.

There are plenty of allies in Kaso-Machi who are upset with the state of affairs. The town they grew up in is no longer thriving. The mayor is suspected of being corrupt, taking money for his own benefit and not the town. The townsfolk want to help, and they'll all do it in their own way. You'll very likely get attached to these characters and their stories.

At the heart of Promsie Mascot Agency's story is a mystery, too. This makes for a compelling way to keep players focused on the story instead of just gathering as much money as possible. Mysteries like, why does the town curse any Yakuza who enter? What's with the giant tanuki statue in the lake? And why are there people spying on you, as if to sabotage your business?

Like Paradise Killer, there is a truly captivating mystery at play here that slowly comes together as you progress. And it's all wrapped in this retro-Japanese setting that respects the country and understands its culture well. If the business mechanics or exploration aren't all that interesting, then at the very least, the mystery will keep you going.

My only complaint in regard to the story is that it desperately needs a chat log. There's quite a bit of dialogue, and there's no way to go back and see what was said. The narrative has a lot of moving parts, so it would help to have something to refer back to.

I also briefly touched on the overall aesthetic of Promise Mascot Agency, but really, words don't do it justice. The combination of graphics, music, and art design creates a wholly unique experience unlike any I've played.

The mascots and other characters are simply delightful and exceedingly creative. There are also a lot of menus in Promise Mascot Agency, but the UI is designed in such an appealing way that it shows a great deal of thought was put into the presentation. 

The graphics, on the other hand, have this grainy, slightly unsaturated filter to make Kaso-Machi look a bit more antiquated and out-of-date. And the music, don't get me started on how good it is. It has this spunky quality to it, not too dissimilar from Persona 4, actually. The soundtrack serves as the perfect backdrop to exploring the town.

Promise Mascot Agency Review | Final Thoughts

One last issue: once you hit a certain point in the story, you'll have to continue to deposit cash to pay off your debt. The timer can feel a bit hectic and strict at first, making it difficult to upgrade the town and agency so you can make more money. Eventually, you hit a point where you're raking the the dough, but it makes this relatively chill game a bit stressful.

But for how much I enjoyed it, Promise Mascot Agency is a tough game to talk about. It's difficult to put into words why it works so well. Mechanics are introduced gradually so as not to overwhelm players, but if you take a step back, you can see there are a lot of different moving parts. That's what makes it such an engaging game, though.

This is such an endearing title, and though it can deal with more serious subject matters, Promise Mascot Agency fills me with joy. Fun driving and exploration with an absolute masterclass soundtrack, combined with the satisfaction of seeing your business and the town thrive, creates a gaming experience that will stay with me for years to come.

Promise Mascot Agency was reviewed over approximately 20 hours of gameplay on PC with a key provided by the developer. All screenshots were taken during the review process.