Evil Genius 2: World Domination Reviews
By perfecting the Dungeon Keeper formula, the best James Bond game since GoldenEye proves that playing the bad guy really can be more fun.
Though by no means revolutionary, Evil Genius 2 is a solid, expansive, and fun lair management and defence game and a welcome return for the franchise.
But even with these brief spots of imbalance - when the Lemming-like behaviour of minions can feel a little too brain-dead or uncontrollable - Evil Genius 2: World Domination is still an impressive revival of a decades-old philosophy on strategy games.
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.
Everything that made that original game special, and ultimately a cult classic, is faithfully and lovingly reproduced here. It’s a safe reimagining, but simply on merit of all the small modernizing touches, which add up to a lot, it’s also pretty clearly a better game than the original – and considering how much I loved that game, that’s no small feat. I can see many more hours in my lair ahead – and with potential updates and DLC down the line to address some issues, true world domination could still be ahead.
Anyone who ever dreamed of being the villain building an island base to rival Dr. No should give Evil Genius 2: World Domination a fair shot.
Evil Genius 2 is a surprisingly addictive (evil) management sim. Despite there being a bit of repetitive busywork to do, there’s plenty of global domination wickedness for even the most power-hungry megalomaniac to sink their avaricious teeth into.
All in all, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is an entertaining sim with an incredibly fun premise that while slow at times is still rewarding to stick with and see through to the end. It’s also great to see developer Rebellion go out of their comfort zone and try something besides a shooter every now and then. They’ve managed to build quite a catalog during their run, and if Evil Genius 2 is any indication, they are more than welcome to experiment with their other hits of old.
Evil Genius 2 is a solid management sim that will keep you entertained for many hours between its good-natured humor, fun gameplay loop and little details. The game can get a bit frustrating due to the repetitiveness of the world stage and the stubborn minion AI, but not enough to overshadow its successes. Also, it is incredibly satisfying to see the agents try to pass your trap maze.
A great sequel for a great classic. Management can be tricky and some items can feel unbalanced, but all in all Evil Genius 2 is stylish, delightfully comedic and a blast to play.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Evil Genius 2: World Domination has heart and humor which makes for a couple of memorable, chuckle-worthy moments. It can be intensely satisfying when you finally figure out how to do the things you need to do. The game’s music and atmosphere are very well crafted too. This is a game you can sink hours upon hours into, but your experience will be both good and awful, which is a bad thing to experience when it comes to a lair-builder game. It has a ton of quandaries Rebellion Developments will have to iron out in future updates, but for a game belonging to its genre, it’s not necessarily a bad game. However, at times, especially later on, calling it an “enjoyable game” increasingly becomes more and more untruthful.
Evil Genius 2 is a worthy return to the world stage for the classic lair builder formula. While there's certain areas that could be improved in the presentation or the game balance, building up your 60s spy villain lair and defeating the seemingly endless string of agents trying to foil your plans is immensely satisfying and engaging.
Evil Genius 2 makes good on the premise of the original. A superb concept is fully realized with fun and intricate gameplay to back up stellar presentation.
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.
In Evil Genius 2: World Domination, a fiddly world map and confusing objectives foil the plans of this stylish, gleeful villain simulator.
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.
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.
If you love building games, creating elaborate strings of traps, playing the bad guy, and generally living your best island life scamming tourists, Evil Genius 2 is for you.
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.