Everyone has had dreams of being on top; of ruling the world with an iron fist. Now we have a chance to experience this fantasy. Evil Genius 2: World Domination is a strategy and base-building game published by Rebellion Developments, who also created Evil Genius in 2004.
In this game you will choose an ‘evil genius’ to play as from a cast of colorful characters, before beginning on your own private island. The simplest of these evil geniuses and the only one returning from the game’s predecessor is Maximillian, who is an all-rounder character that is good for new players. The next is Red Ivan, who is returning from Evil Genius 1, but has now been upgraded to a playable character. He focuses on military might for a more brutal playstyle. For those who want others to do everything, Emma is a good choice. She has abilities that focus on making her henchmen more effective. The final evil genius is Zalika, who uses powerful technology to crush her foes.
On your character’s private island/lair, you will begin boring into the large mountain to create your underground base. Your twisting hallways will lead to barracks for your minions to rest, research areas that help you gain the advantage, and, of course, huge vaults for your riches. However this attracts attention, so you must also work on building your lair’s front. A large casino where people can come to give you their wealth, as well as a place where secret agents can be thrown off the scent.
Once you have mastered the basics of base building, you are able to send your minions to famous locations in the world for them to heist, terrorize, and other dastardly deeds. However you must remain vigilant, as multiple secret agents will attempt to sneak into your base.
The game tries and succeeds to create an air similar to Bond villains. You have things like laser space stations and pits of crocodiles, and overall doesn’t take itself too seriously. This gives the game a fun and unique feel.
The graphics of this game are cartoony and colorful, but in a way that it is clear that was the goal. After all, how realistic can you make a pool of laser sharks look anyway?
The game also has no glaring issues or game breaking glitches, which helps create a smooth experience. While you are shooting holes in North America or stealing the Eiffel Tower, you can rest assured that no inanimate objects will start flying around you. The game also has no online component, meaning lag is not a likely issue you will run across.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination will be a fun game for players who consider themselves more casual. There is not a large amount of strategy involved, just playing a fun base-building game that pokes some fun at itself and the genre. The game is available on most gaming platforms and websites for around $40, which does seem a good price for around 30 hours of gameplay and a decent amount of replayability.
