Evil Genius 2: World Domination Reviews
While not without its glitches, there was multiple times my minions stood around when I raised the base alarm due to an agent being detected. Or when I gave my henchman a kill command to an agent and instead, he ran to the 3rd floor and back down again which allowed said agent to escape. These things happen but don’t destroy the sheer delight of ‘trying to take over the world’. I am extremely happy that Evil Genius was brought back, and I hope that we can see more and more entries into this zany world of evil scientist and crazy dictators.
There's a lot to like in Evil Genius 2 for both fans of the original and new aspiring super villains. For fans, Evil Genius 2 accurately recreates the feel of building up and defending a Bond villain's lair from the original, but with a host of quality of life changes that make it feel effortless. For the newly curious, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is a witty, stylish, and surprisingly deep base builder.
Evil Genius 2’s strengths are its presentation and its base building mechanics. Building the ultimate Inner Sanctum, complete with devious traps and scurrying minions is a lot of fun. But the news isn’t all good. Less enjoyable are some of the game’s busywork missions, lack of clarity around goals, and overall feeling of outstaying its welcome. Playing in the sandbox mode helps with the tedium, but overall Evil Genius 2 would be a better game if lost some complexity and padding, and focused on what it does best.
Still, there’s no question this is one of the better strategy games you’ll find on console. The controls mostly map well and the systems pair well with a stellar concept. With melodramatic, James Bond-esque music and some entertaining voiceover work, this is a tycoon-turned-strategy title that tests your grey matter and allows you to be the villain for once. Being bad never felt so good.
Evil Genius 2 on PS5 is as enjoyable as it is on PC, mainly thanks to the great work on adapting its controls for the DualSense and for the ability to use mouse and keyboard on console.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Then again… sometimes I want to play out certain scenarios in gaming. Sometimes I want to pilot a starship and escape from devious traps. Other times, I want to make my way through an emotional family drama. There are different feelings for different days. Evil Genius 2 has a strength that no other game can offer – there’s nowhere else to play out this fantasy. Because some days you want to be Dr. Evil, and it’s pretty cool that there’s an outlet for those megalomaniacal tendencies!
Evil Genius 2: World Domination has a certain nostalgic charm, and not just because of its retro 007 stylings. It feels like something you might have found on your dad or friend's computer back in the Windows 3.1 era and sunk a few diverting hours into. Unfortunately, a lack of depth, challenge, and modern features makes the game hard to fully recommend in 2021. Some fun can be had if you keep your expectations in check, but don't count on Evil Genius 2 taking over your world.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination is a competent sequel, even if it remains inferior in several respects to its direct predecessor. The gameplay formula has been modernized, but some features that made the first chapter a cult classic have been inexplicably removed. A shame because otherwise we would have had a real masterpiece in our hands, but several shortcomings and smudges make it "only" a good video game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
That’s a perfect example of the kind of dastardly fun lies within the complex menus and systems of Evil Genius 2. Laying out the fortress, stocking the rooms with equipment, and executing Schemes is a powerful feeling, like I’m at the top of an empire. I can strike fear into my minions whenever I wish, or I can sit back and take a hands-off approach. Sometimes that hands-off approach takes a little longer than I’d like, but eventually I’m back into the action. Evil Genius 2 allows me to tap into my inner mastermind, creating an evil empire worthy of Blofeld himself even if the game is more Dr. Evil in its demeanor. It’s not a perfect empire, as some technical aspects are more frustrating than fun, but I still had a nefariously good time tapping into my inner evil.
Evil Genius 2 is the natural continuation of the 2004 base-building, trap-laden classic. New evil geniuses, new minion types, and expanded bases round out this mostly satisfying sequel, but a grindy mid-game and no minion control dulls the game's shine a bit.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination is a worthy successor to that never forgotten first chapter.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Evil Genius 2 has no delusions about what it’s trying to do. It’s simply trying to be a good sequel to a classic, well-loved game and at that it more than succeeds. Its simplicity or lack of innovations aren’t shortcomings. Instead, it allows the game to do what it does best without trying to be something it isn’t. It’s just plain and simple good fun.
For better and worse, Evil Genius 2 on console is exactly the same as on PC, complete with glitches and menu navigation. It needs a bit of work to smooth out the experience, but the game itself is a ton of fun and well worth playing, however you can get your hands on it.
If you've ever had dreams of taking over the world with a comical Doomsday Device, then Evil Genius 2: World Domination is the near-perfect game for you to see it happen.
Evil Genius 2 does a good job of reviving the spy-themed dungeon management game, but it's twice as long as it needs to be and it's sorely lacking for precision controls and policy settings.
In some ways falling short, but in many ways vastly exceeding the original, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is everything we wanted in a sequel to one of the best evildoer simulators ever made. It recaptures the spirit of the original, brings it up to modern standards, and lets us play in an evil sandbox of our own making.
Fun and accessible, yet deep and detailed, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is pure fantasy fulfilment for anyone who has ever quite fancied being Ernst Stavro Blofeld or Hank Scorpio, and holding the globe to ransom.
Thanks to Great Art Direction and Tone, Evil Genius 2 Is a Base Builder That Is Captivating to Play, Even If it Gets Tiresome at Times.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination proves that exciting strategy games aren’t always super complex and difficult to learn. This base-builder is an outright joy to play for both hardcore players and those who just want to dip their toes in. Compared to the original, the gameplay is much more engaging and appropriately paced across the early to end game lairs. The often underutilised spy theme is used so well and feels fresh, with Rebellion Developments presenting it superbly in both style and substance. While it does suffer from some finicky menus and AI, it’s easy to be charmed by the rest of the package.