Promise Mascot Agency

Promise Mascot Agency is a uniquely quirky open-world business sim blended with visual novel elements, where players manage a mascot agency in a rundown Japanese town. The game features a wide variety of bizarre and endearing mascots, memorable characters, and a gripping story about redemption, community, and family ties. Players explore the large town of Kaso-Machi by driving or flying a customizable Japanese kei truck, completing quests, collecting items, and upgrading their agency. The gameplay loop revolves around sending mascots on jobs and occasionally stepping in with a simple card-based mini-game to resolve humorous mishaps.

While the game shines with its charming writing, excellent voice acting (notably by Takaya Kuroda), and atmospheric soundtrack, some players found the story pacing uneven and the worldbuilding underdeveloped, leaving many mysteries unexplored. The collectible hunt can feel grindy, and certain mechanics like the crane minigame and card battles lack depth. However, the overall experience is cozy, funny, and immersive, earning high praise for its character interactions and distinctive style.

Highlights

Players highly praise Promise Mascot Agency's engaging and well-written storyline, drawing favorable comparisons to the Yakuza series' narrative style. The game's cast of quirky, lovable mascots and townsfolk bring the world to life, enhanced by stellar voice acting and a catchy city-pop-inspired soundtrack. The open-world exploration is fun and rewarding, with smooth driving and flying mechanics that encourage discovery. The blend of management sim and visual novel elements creates a unique, addictive gameplay loop. Fans appreciate the game's humor, heartfelt themes, and the satisfying progression of rebuilding the town and expanding their agency.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the game's pacing and lack of depth in some gameplay systems. The card-based mini-game is considered overly simplistic and repetitive, offering little strategic challenge. The crane minigame is seen as clunky and frustrating with poor controls. Some players felt the story and worldbuilding were underdeveloped, leaving many intriguing lore questions unanswered. The collectible hunting can become tedious, with map markers appearing late, and the lack of meaningful rewards for 100% completion was noted. Additionally, the game’s driving mechanics, while generally praised, received some complaints regarding accessibility and control sensitivity.