Do you like films like Gru: My Favorite Villain, Austin Power or James Bond and video games like Theme Hospital, Overlord or Tropico? If the answer is yes, you will be pleased to know that Evil Genius 2: World Domination draws on these two concepts to turn them into a video game. Because no matter which protagonist you choose, you become a supervillain who yearns to dominate the world through a story full of references to pop culture, comedy, solvent mechanics, and an extraordinary general design that make you wonder why they did it has to wait so long for the second part.
There are several legs that manage to keep this project going. The first, the workers, because you won’t get very far without a good team. You can hire more minions with money or wait for their number to automatically increase at intervals. They have to take care of their basic needs such as food, rest or mood so that they can train and become specialists in the rooms provided for them. There are four categories: Technician, Scientist, Soldier, or Front-Ops Team, that is, the people who work in the casino to make money and maintain the true functions of the hideout. Then there are multiple professional roles in each of them, important classes to make sure everything is going well. One of the most important tasks is to unlock them.
The second leg is science used to drive improvements and new constructions, while the third is the game world itself, which looks like it came from XCOM. This duality between the central base and the outside world is a system that has proven to work well on other occasions. You build bases in different parts of the stage so that you can operate from there to accomplish goals such as: B. rob banks or shoot down planes. What happens is that everything on the card works on a text basis. You have to stick it out because this is where you get the money you need to face the forces of justice, the “good guys” in front of your super villain.
What if it wasn’t the fourth and final leg of your own character. The first thing that calls you when choosing between the four available is that each is part of a different gameplay. There are four campaigns that differ a little for both story and goals. Thanks to this Evil Genious 2, the replayability is improved. If you choose Red Ivan, your subjects will defend the dungeon better than if you choose Maxiliam. In this case, however, you will collect more gold and have more people in your care. Spy master Emma excels in being better at deceiving her rival spies and being more effective in the outside world. And finally, Zalika, who I started with, is an evil scientist obsessed with tricks and inventions. The actions are one of the strong points of this type of game and this is no exception. When all of these mechanics are used as they are, they do so like clockwork, regardless of their colorful and somewhat simple design.
When the forces of justice invade your base, you’ll need to send your minions, special forces, traps, and your own super villains to look after them. To help you there is also an option to press a large red button that will sound the alarm. Fun to see everyone go on alert and all exits closed. People run back and forth in fear while the soldiers get rid of the intruders. Over time, these become more difficult and complex. The common denominator is that they want to kill the leader and destroy the base. What changes is how. Sometimes they try to set it on fire, blow up the reactor, or steal the gold. So you always need to be clear about what the hiding place is and don’t s top investing in it, no matter how much it is necessary to keep an eye on the game world expansion plans again. Sometimes you know when law enforcement officers will be arriving because they are very enthusiastic about announcing it, but sometimes they plan surprise attacks and these are the most difficult.
Much of the game is based on the dynamics created between these two scenarios that develop in parallel. Virtually every performance in the outside world requires men who never return to the grassroots. This means that you need to carefully consider when, where and how to deploy resources and manpower. Because when you send your entire hiding place on a mission and it coincides with an invasion of the judiciary, survival becomes difficult. Enemy agents are also specialized and know how to open doors, sabotage traps, or set fire to anything they see fit. Maintaining the balance between the units in each room is the key to progress. But it’s not that it’s a game that makes it very difficult or that punishes you a lot for mistakes, it’s pretty soft in terms of difficulty and allows you to rest and get stronger again. The only thing that cannot be recovered is your super villain’s death in battle. Game over, bye, bye.
When I think of those moments when I play Evil Genius 2: World Domination, I especially remember the details. From the way the workers behave in search of their improvement to the torture of an enemy who tickles their feet. The study has worked to the very last corner of the game so nothing seems improvised or filling.
Despite its strengths like its great sense of humor, good handling, and retro aesthetic, it also has some weaknesses. For example, there are only a few islands that you can choose from as a starting point for your hideout. Plus, the effects of super weapons when playing the game are far from clear, and one of them is quite disappointing. So much work for almost nothing. The thing is that the information is not presented clearly in certain passages and the user interface is not always optimal.
Evil Genious 2 makes you feel like a villain like an Austin Powers movie, but for all viewers. It’s creepy, weird, funny, messy, and kinky, but always from the positive side of each concept. A worthy legacy of the original that may not have been able to offer anything really new.
