Evil Genius 2: World Domination is the long-awaited sequel to 2004’s real-time strategy management title, Evil Genius. The original game was released by Elixir Studios, toward the end of a wave of quirky real-time management sims that began with 1997’s Dungeon Keeper. Although it arrived in a crowded genre, Evil Genius quickly established itself through its tongue-in-cheek humor, slick 60s style, and clean, cartoon-like visuals. However, despite the game’s success, Elixir Studios closed down a year after it was released. The rights were bought by Rebellion Developments, which announced in 2017 that it was working on a sequel.
Just like its predecessor, Evil Genius 2 is set in an alternate version of the 1960s/70s, in which devious Geniuses attempt world domination while being opposed by the Forces of Justice. This theme is carried beautifully by the game’s sense of style and humor, which are two of its strongest features.
When talking about the style of Evil Genius 2, it’s easy to assume that it drew inspiration from movies like The Incredibles, Despicable Me, and even Austin Powers. However, it’s worth remembering that its visuals are inherited from the original game, which released before the majority of those movies. In fact, the game owes more to the campy spy movies of the 1960s. Everything from the stylish soundtrack to the Atomic Age-styled furniture sells the idea of a 60s spy-flick. The character models and animations are varied and well-defined, allowing players to see who’s who and what’s what in a crowded Lair at a glance.
In Evil Genius 2‘s campaign, players take on the role of one of four Geniuses, each with their own story, their own enemies, and their own doomsday device to construct. All four of the Geniuses feel distinct, as each one focuses on a different facet of gameplay. Maximillian is the all-rounder choice, a mega-rich megalomaniac who grants additional bonuses to basic Minions. Red Ivan is all about combat, and is the handiest of the Geniuses in a fight. Zalika is the technology-expert, with special buffs toward science Minions. Finally, former-spymaster Emma is all about manipulation, with bonuses to both social Minions and Henchmen.
After picking a Genius, players next choose one of three islands on which to build their Lair. These islands don’t differ much in terms of scenery, but each offers a unique layout as well as its own advantages and disadvantages. These features are varied enough to aid replayability, but it’s a shame that there are fewer islands to choose from than there are Geniuses, meaning that players who want to experience all four campaigns will have to repeat an island.
Once players have arrived on their new home, they’ll quickly settle into managing their evil Lair. With a building system that will be familiar to fans of titles like Two Point Hospital and Rimworld, players will expand their Lair with new rooms, as well as provide for and train their Minions. The number of room options can be daunting, but the tutorial does a good job of introducing them slowly and guiding players through the essentials of Lair management. It’s also well-supplemented throughout the game by a system that generates random Optional Objectives, steering players towards activities or expansions that they may not have considered.
One of the most important rooms that players will need to build in their Lair is the Control Room, which allows Criminal Networks to be established on the world stage. These Networks allow players to send their Minions out on Schemes, which can earn money, unlock new Minion-types and buildings, or complete quest objectives. Minions sent out on missions don’t return when they’re done, which makes them feel properly expendable. It also adds an extra layer of strategy, forcing players to weaken their Lair in order to complete a rewarding Scheme.
As Schemes are the player’s main source of income, they’ll spend a lot of time dispatching Minions onto a new mission whenever the last one finishes. While this is fairly easy to keep on top of early-on, it can get tricky as the campaign progresses. There are 23 regions on the Global Operations map, and most Schemes only last for a few minutes. This means that players with a large global presence can end up constantly bouncing between the Lair and Global Operations maps. This problem is exacerbated since it is oftentimes hard to tell at a glance which Criminal Network is free. The communications tower of a free Network will flash, but it’s not that easy to spot, and doesn’t show at all on the higher zoom levels.
Despite these small quality-of-life issues, the Scheme system does work well to get players out of the Lair and remind them that they’re a global villain. The Criminal Networks are also a primary tool in advancing the story, allowing players to unlock new types of Minions, new opportunities, and bigger and better Schemes.
However, expanding the Criminal Networks isn’t without hazards. Eventually, the Genius will attract the attention of one or more of the Forces of Justice, intelligence agencies that will dispatch agents to investigate the Lair. These range from simple Investigators who can easily be distracted or dispatched, all the way up to James Bond-esque Super Agents.
These Super Agents are one of the main limiting factors in Evil Genius 2‘s campaign, and can be a little frustrating to deal with. They each have a different method of attacking the Lair, and if killed will simply teleport away to return later. They can be captured but they break out every few minutes, often killing more Minions each time before they can be recaptured.
However, Lair defense is handled not only through training combat Minions, but also through constructing traps. Players can unlock new traps through research, and combine them to create ingenious ways of incapacitating their enemies. For example, one trap encloses the target in a floating soap-bubble, which can allow a giant fan to easily push them into a wall of lasers. While setting up these trap gauntlets can be tricky on some of the more cramped islands, they really allow players to get creative in combining their effects.
Players need to make sure they have a strong defense not just against the Forces of Justice, but also against rival Crime Lords. Unlike Super Agents, these unique enemies will only appear once a player chooses to start their Side-Story Mission. Crime Lords can wreak havoc on an undefended Lair, but after completing several Missions focused around them, players will get the chance to permanently recruit them as new Henchmen.
Henchmen fill the gap between the fully-controllable genius and their automated minions. They’re unique characters with their own abilities who will wander freely, but can also be directly ordered. Collecting new Henchmen is one of the most exciting parts of Evil Genius 2, and there’s a lot of satisfaction in turning a powerful and interesting enemy into a new ally.
Overall, Evil Genius 2 is a worthy successor to Elixir Studio’s cult classic. Despite some minor pacing and quality-of-life issues, the game delivers a compelling and detailed management sim with an engaging theme. Its excellent use of tongue-in-cheek humor and bold style do a great job of capturing the feel of an over-the-top 1960s spy spoof, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the world of super spies and doomsday devices.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination launches March 30 on PC. Game Rant was provided a code for this review.
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