Evil Genius 2: World Domination

 PC
User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 57
  3. Negative: 22 out of 57

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  1. Nullimus
    Mar 31, 2021
    8
    Being a big fan of Evil Genius I was early on the bandwagon but skeptical that the lightning could be put back in the bottle for the sequel. I am glad to say that after my first 10 hours playing the game I am not disappointed.

    Getting into the visuals: The visual style is updated but true to the original. I enjoy the cleaner asset design that adds to the satirical flare and creates a    Being a big fan of Evil Genius I was early on the bandwagon but skeptical that the lightning could be put back in the bottle for the sequel. I am glad to say that after my first 10 hours playing the game I am not disappointed.

    Getting into the visuals:
    The visual style is updated but true to the original. I enjoy the cleaner asset design that adds to the satirical flare and creates a very readable visual for your base. The updates to the visuals of the world map are again spot on with the vibe of the original while updating it to fit with the modern aesthetics.

    Getting into the mechanics:
    My favorite aspect of building my base in the original was the creation of diabolical trap combinations that made it nearly impossible for the Forces of Justice to penetrate my defenses. I would say my greatest disappointment is the fact that traps are not as customizable and therefore less effective than they were in the original. I would have loved to be able to control the placement of trap triggers like I used to. The traps in Evil Genius 2 are more engaging as a bit of comedic relief than they are truly deadly for the Agents of Justice. Perhaps as I unlock more advanced traps I will find a way to kill an entire team of enemy agents with a diabolical chain reaction, but I am not optimistic.

    Missions in Evil Genius were always a bit cumbersome. Having to remember exactly which minions needed to be sent on each mission when that information would disappear when you started to select the minions to deploy was a hassle. This problem has been elegantly addressed in Evil Genius 2. Simply click on the mission icon and select "Deploy". I also like the fact that the requirements for a mission are always clearly listed in the mission description. In Evil Genius the triggers to make a mission appear on the map were not always clear. It is very possible that there are missions that I never even saw on the world map and I have no way of knowing what I missed.
    One big problem with the missions in Evil Genius 2 is the fact that minions do not give mission deployment top priority. They seem to deploy only after they have maxed out all of their stats. This is frustrating because it can take 15 minutes for a minion to go to the helipad and many missions have a limited mission availability. On top of that, the missions are always one way trips, so there is no reason to require that the minions are at max on all stats before deploying.
    In Evil Genius the effectiveness of your command center was always ambiguous. This has been cleared up in Evil Genius 2 by listing clearly what resources are produced by the command center and what is needed to establish a criminal network and the passive income that is generated is far more manageable than having to deploy minions to territories whenever more income is needed. This is probably one of the greatest improvements over Evil Genius, from a mechanics perspective.
    Research is much clearer to understand in Evil Genius 2 than it was in Evil Genius, but the tech tree approach is very expensive in resources and time. In Evil Genius research was essentially flat and it could evolve organically. That simply is not possible with the tech tree. It is also frustrating to have to spend time and resources on tech that I would prefer not to research, to get to the tech that I want.

    Final Appraisal:
    Being a fan of Evil Genius it is very difficult not to see this game through the lense of comparison. I have spent hundreds of hours on Evil Genius and based on what I have seen so far, I will spend hundreds of hours on Evil Genius 2 as well. It is enjoyable and stays true to it's roots. While there are some changes that are net minuses, the majority of the changes are positive and it is just as enjoyable for me as it's predecessor.    … Expand
  2. questerra
    Apr 2, 2021
    9
    Великолепная игра. Чувство как будто снова вернулся в 2004 год.
  3. alfneo
    Apr 1, 2021
    9
    If you loved the first you will love this, what a great game that runs so smooth!
  4. AusJolt
    Apr 7, 2021
    8
    The game is exactly what it set out to be from day one: a revival of the original with new graphics and new features. While there are a few bugs (some even game breaking) everything else is exactly what you would have hoped for from an Evil Genius upgrade. Many of the less user friendly parts of the original have been simplified. Your scientists no longer run aimlessly around the base withThe game is exactly what it set out to be from day one: a revival of the original with new graphics and new features. While there are a few bugs (some even game breaking) everything else is exactly what you would have hoped for from an Evil Genius upgrade. Many of the less user friendly parts of the original have been simplified. Your scientists no longer run aimlessly around the base with clipboards, as they did in the original, and you can see the entire research tree from the start. You no longer need to manually assign minions to schemes on the world map as the game now does that for you. The casino is no longer largely useless; most enemy agents will enter through the casino where you valets can rob them blind and send them home without them every getting into your base. Heat is far more easy to manage and can be reduced using schemes. And with the right henchmen (Eli and Jubei) and enough muscle, super agents aren't really a threat.

    I've played for 25 hours so far and thoroughly enjoying it.    … Expand
  5. PotatoePink
    Jan 31, 2023
    8
    Very fun and unique on the first time playing through the game but doesn't have enough to make me want to play through it again.

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 19, 2021
    80
    The terrific concept, the amazing music, the minions bustling around the retrofuturistic secret base of my own design – there was a moment when I was deeply in love with Evil Genius 2. Hours later I discovered that it drags research out frustratingly and the choice of rooms you can build is too narrow considering the length of the scenarios. What’s the point of having a multistory facility if all the floors look the same? Still, it’s a fantastic game that will make all fans of Dungeon Keeper feel right at home. [06/2021, p.46]
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jun 17, 2021
    58
    There are only a few changes over the original game, and almost all of them are for the worse. Not to mention that the increased amount of busywork made me feel more like an evil genius’ butler than the big man himself. [Issue#253, p.48]
  3. Checkpoint Gaming
    May 29, 2021
    80
    Evil Genius 2: World Domination proves that exciting strategy games aren’t always super complex and difficult to learn.
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