Why you can trust Creative Bloq

Publisher Kaizen Game Works

Developer Kaizen Game Works

Release date 10 April 2025

Format PC (reviewed), PC, Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Game engine Unreal Engine

If you’ve played any recent Yakuza / Like A Dragon games – read our Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review to see what you’re missing – there’s always one substantial mini-game that feels like it could be its own stand-alone game. Which, in a way, is what Promise Mascot Agency feels like.

Promise Mascot Agency review: Showa don’t tell

Although the work of UK-based Kaizen Game Works, the Showa-era Japanese retro aesthetic of Promise Mascot Agency is nothing short of exquisite, whether that’s the 2D portraits of characters or their 3D renderings in this backwater ghost town.

(I met Promise Mascot Agency’s art team and discussed its approach to design and style, and it’s worth reading.)

That’s largely thanks to concepts from Ikumi Nakamura and Mai Mattori, whose character designs have such rich cultural specificities for its misfit mascots, such as one modelled after a Japanese burial mound or another that’s not just an egg but an egg cooked from the heat of an onsen.

Promise Mascot Agency review: paradise filler

The fundamental issue I have with Promise Mascot Agency is that it constantly bombards you with things to do, which while typical of management sims, really drags the open world exploration.

Despite the charm of driving Michi’s beat-up old truck, I also often wished I could just explore the town on foot instead of grappling with the vehicle’s physics up hills or when colliding into fences and guardrails.

Conclusion

One other fundamental difference is that while Yakuza mini-games help you make money to spend on cool items and upgrades, Promise Mascot Agency’s loop often feels like you have to put more in just to make seemingly less.

Crucially, it’s about sending money to your crime family so that your matriarch stays out of danger from would-be usurpers, but then you’re also having to spend money to open new businesses or cut deals with your mascots, and paying running costs each night.

FAQs

Q: What is Promise Mascot Agency?

A: Promise Mascot Agency is a management simulation game where you help a disgraced yakuza lieutenant revive a failing mascot agency in a backwater Japanese town.

Q: What is the gameplay like?

A: The gameplay involves managing the agency, recruiting and assigning mascots to businesses, and exploring the town to uncover its secrets.

Q: Is the game worth playing?

A: Yes, if you enjoy management simulations and unique settings, Promise Mascot Agency is worth playing. However, be prepared for a slow-paced game with frequent interruptions from various tasks and quests.

Q: Is the game’s aesthetic unique?

A: Yes, the game’s Showa-era Japanese retro aesthetic is a standout feature, with beautiful 2D and 3D visuals.

Q: Is the game’s story engaging?

A: Yes, the game’s story is engaging, with a complex conspiracy plot and relatable characters.

A Fresh Take on Film Posters: Fantastic Four: First Steps

A new movie poster has dropped for Fantastic Four: First Steps, and fans are loving the 60s-inspired design. The iconic Marvel Comics superhero team is set to reboot on 25 July, and if the classy poster design is anything to judge by, we’re in for a film filled with retro delights.

A Step Back in Time

For a while, it seemed we were stuck in a slump of cut-and-paste floating head film posters, so it’s refreshing to see more stylized designs emerging (especially from Marvel – let’s not pretend they weren’t one of the worst offenders). The new Fantastic Four poster proves that stripped-back design can be just as evocative as an action-packed poster, perfectly balancing nostalgia with contemporary flair.

A Closer Look

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

What’s Behind the Design

The poster design features a simple blue and white color palette accompanying the silhouettes of the legendary Fantastic Four. A repeated ‘4’ motif stretches into the distance, giving the design a sense of depth. Minimalist, stylized, and slick, the new design proves that film poster graphic design is back with a bang.

Reaction from Fans

“I love the Saul Bass retro-vibe of this,” one fan commented on the r/marvelstudios subreddit. “I absolutely love this poster! Clean, simple, and retro all at the same time.” another added, while one fan chimed in “The art for this movie has been to die for. Man. Whoever is doing this graphic design should be proud!”

Conclusion

It’s great to see Marvel redeeming itself after fans called out that controversial Fantastic Four AI poster – consider my faith officially restored. The new Fantastic Four poster is a refreshing change of pace, and it’s clear that the design team has put a lot of thought into creating a unique and captivating visual identity for the film.

FAQs

Q: When is the release date of Fantastic Four: First Steps?

A: The film is set to release on 25 July.

Q: What is the style of the new Fantastic Four poster?

A: The poster features a 60s-inspired design with a simple blue and white color palette and a repeated ‘4’ motif.

Q: What do fans think of the new poster?

A: Fans are loving the poster, praising its unique design, simplicity, and retro vibe.

Marvel Rivals – A Fight Brewing

There’s a fight brewing in Marvel Rivals – and I’m not talking about the comic book heroes squaring off against Marvel’s supervillains. No, the real showdown is happening online, where fans are side-eyeing the suspiciously similar design of the game’s famous blonde female characters.

We’re used to artists taking on and adapting Marvel characters to their style, read my interview with Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau for how this can be done, but the blonde female characters in Marvel Rivals – including Invisible Woman, Dagger and Emma Frost – all do, kind of, look the same, and fans aren’t happy.

Marvel Rivals as a Character Design Problem

The main culprits appear to be Dagger, Invisible Woman and Emma Frost, but fans are also adding Captain Marvel and Gwen Stacy into the mix to suggest Marvel Rivals has a blonde white girl problem. Each character has the same heart-shaped face, delicate nose, pouty lips and tussled, wavy blonde hair. The dev team certainly has a ‘type’. But fans are saying, from a character design view, it feels like an overuse of Ctrl+C, Ctril+V.

Good character design, even when adapting a famous or predefined character, should be about putting the personality front and centre, so players and fans can see, at glance, who the hero is and what they stand for. But in Marvel Rivals, it feels like any sense of individuality is being massaged away in favour of a popular but ultimately similar look.

Stylisation too far?

To be fair to Marvel Rivals art team, the game has defined style and it’s proven incredibly popular, and within that style there’s likely little space to manoeuvre to make each new character truly distinct. That, and the dev team knows which Marvel characters their fans are going to love and, well… they happen to be busty, slim blonde females.

Marvel Rivals is a huge hit, at its peak the game has had 644,269 players on Steam, so it’s doing okay and has a formula. But if Marvel Rivals wants to win over casual and diehard comic fans, especially legacy Marvel fans, it will need to address this character design problem. Right now the game’s blondes are blurring together and no one seems happy.

Conclusion

Marvel Rivals has a character design problem on its hands. The game’s blonde female characters are all starting to look the same, and fans are not happy about it. While the game has a defined style and has been popular, it needs to find a way to make each new character truly distinct and not just a rehash of the same old design.

FAQs

Q: Why are Marvel Rivals’ blonde female characters looking the same?
A: The characters are all based on the same template and have similar design elements, which is causing them to look similar.

Q: Is this a problem unique to Marvel Rivals?
A: No, character design issues are common in video games, and fans often notice when characters start to look similar.

Q: Can Marvel Rivals fix this issue?
A: Yes, the game’s developers can try to make each new character more distinct by adding different design elements and personality traits.

Q: Will this issue affect the game’s popularity?
A: Yes, if left unchecked, the character design issue could negatively impact the game’s popularity and reputation among fans.

Could You Walk Me Through a Typical Day in Your Role?

My day typically starts around 7, as I get my 6-year-old daughter ready for school. Once work starts there’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ day because my clients are spread across the globe – one morning I might be discussing design concepts with South Korea at 8 in the morning, the next checking in with my teams, or collaborating with a games company in Europe.

I block out my first hour to catch up on emails and map out my priorities. After that, it’s often a blur of meetings: juggling client work, team check-ins, mentoring, and marketing. My days are packed, and I often end up working 12-hour stretches. But the busyness and variety suit me – my dyslexic mind thrives on switching between projects every 20 to 30 minutes. I bore easily, so I love that every day brings something new.

What Was Your Early Career Like?

My early career was diverse. I never set out to become a brand designer – I sort of fell into it after a short stint at Pentagram. Feeling restless, I tried a bit of everything: gaming, toy design, animation, and advertising. In the mid-2000s, the industry was a different world: big egos, blatant sexism, intimidation, and a lot of late-night drinking sessions were commonplace. It was tough, but it also helped me build resilience and pick up a range of skills by moving around different agencies.

Tell Me About a Tricky Work-Related Challenge and How You Approached It

One situation that stands out was when a client refused to back work we truly believed in, they preferred a route which we felt deep down wasn’t the right direction. Rather than simply pushing back, I spent time with the CEO to understand their concerns and build trust – explaining our rationale, sharing insights, and showing why our approach would benefit them in the long run.

It’s not just about having a strong creative vision; it’s also about relationship-building and communication. In the end, they trusted our recommendation. That’s design leadership in a nutshell: balancing creativity with genuine client partnerships.

Which Project Are You Most Proud Of and Why?

I’m proudest of a new mindset I’ve introduced to Wolff Olins, it’s encouraged a shift in how we – and our clients – view design: not just as pictures or surface-level visuals, but as a mindset that runs through everything a brand creates. By embedding design at the heart of strategic decisions, we’ve transformed the way brands articulate their purpose and connect with audiences.

Seeing this ethos embraced by our teams and clients is what I’m most proud of, and it means I get to quote Bruce Lee every time I introduce it to new people! “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.”

In What Ways Has Neurodivergence Influenced Your Career?

Neurodivergence has shaped who I am, how I work and create – but I also see how badly understood it still is. Many agencies want good PR for their inclusivity stance, but their actions do the opposite: back-to-work policies, poorly designed open-plan offices and rigid hours favour neurotypical talent with no outside of work commitments, it’s backwards. It’s taken me a very long time to be comfortable with my dyslexia, but now I genuinely see it as an advantage.

My tendency to lose focus and daydream actually fuels my creativity. I encourage any neurodivergent reading this to lean in and own it, it’s part of you. Make it your superpower.

How Inclusive Is the Design Industry in 2025?

Let’s be honest, it’s still shit but it also depends on which aspect of diversity you focus on and at what level you’re looking. Director roles remain dominated by straight white men, while strategists are often from privately educated backgrounds. For working parents or individuals with disabilities, inflexible back-to-work policies are a big barrier.

And let’s be real, agencies based in expensive cities like London make it even harder for people from different socioeconomic backgrounds to break in, unless they have a rich relative. We need to do a lot more than just talk about diversity to change things, and that action starts at the top.

Could You Tell Me a Little About Your Mentoring Experience?

I take mentoring seriously, as it’s something I didn’t really have early in my career. I try to offer my time to anyone who reaches out, but I’m selective about who I choose to support. My focus is on helping individuals who are less privileged break into the industry.

I’m passionate about reaching out to schools in deprived areas and supporting females as they transition into leadership positions. I want to give back to those who might not always have the same access or opportunities, and help navigate a career in design. It’s a powerful way to foster greater inclusivity in our industry.

What Do You Think the Industry Needs to Improve?

I think the industry still has too many privileged and self-important men in positions of power, which stifles new perspectives and real change. On top of that, when parent companies buy up creative agencies, they often push a corporate, Wall Street mindset that just doesn’t mesh with how true creativity flourishes. It’s partly why there is an unfortunate homogeneity in the work – agencies are trying to impress each other rather than genuinely innovating, and because everyone’s looking at the same references, it’s felt in the end result.

The truth is, creativity doesn’t come from sitting at a desk or following some manufactured ‘studio culture’; it comes from unique individuals, their experiences, worldviews, and the random leaps they make. The freedom to explore, experiment, and take risks needs nurturing if we want to make truly impactful work.

What Are Your Favourite Tools?

My favourite tools are my imagination and the personal experiences that shape it. I also love anything whimsical – Studio Ghibli films, illustrations, comics – basically anything that challenges our usual perception of reality. This is what sparks my creativity. It’s all about embracing wonder and injecting a bit of fun into my thinking.

What Career Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self?

Don’t try to fit in. Be proud of being different. As Bruce Lee said, ‘Be like water’: stay adaptable, flow around obstacles, and keep evolving without losing your essence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Emma Barratt is a highly creative and innovative individual who has made a significant impact in the design industry. Her experiences, both personal and professional, have shaped her unique perspective and approach to design. Her passion for inclusivity and her commitment to fostering greater diversity in the industry are inspiring and much-needed.

FAQs

Q: What is your favorite project that you have worked on?
A: I am proud of the new mindset I have introduced to Wolff Olins, which encourages a shift in how we view design as a mindset that runs through everything a brand creates.

Q: How do you approach a challenging work-related situation?
A: I try to understand the concerns of the client and build trust by explaining our rationale, sharing insights, and showing why our approach would benefit them in the long run.

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?
A: Don’t try to fit in. Be proud of being different. As Bruce Lee said, ‘Be like water’: stay adaptable, flow around obstacles, and keep evolving without losing your essence.

Q: How do you stay creative and innovative?
A: I love anything whimsical – Studio Ghibli films, illustrations, comics – basically anything that challenges our usual perception of reality. This is what sparks my creativity. It’s all about embracing wonder and injecting a bit of fun into my thinking.