Evil Genius 2: World Domination preview - Despicable me

Initially released back in 2004, Evil Genius was a real-time strategy game that put players in the shoes of an evil villain hellbent on world domination. Despite a positive critical consensus and amassing a sizable fan base, the game never got a proper sequel. That is finally set to change, as Rebellion Developments has picked up the reins of the franchise and are working on Evil Genius 2, a proper sequel to the original game. I had the chance to get an extended look at Evil Genius 2 behind closed doors.

Become the villain

Evil Genius 2 lets players live out their sinister fantasies, as a super villain looking to take over the world. Players will build lairs, amass an army of henchman, and ultimately devise a plot to seize the world. During my preview, I got to see what the standard gameplay loop will be like in Evil Genius 2. 

On their own secret island lair, players will build and manage a number of facilities in pursuit of building a powerful doomsday device. The game features a number of different playable geniuses, each having their own unique stats and abilities. Similar to other games in the genre, players will determine which structures they want to prioritize, and will allocate henchman to complete the given task. 

Minions

Resource management will be a key aspect of the gameplay loop in Evil Genius 2. During the preview, I watched as players gained money through their existing facilities. They then used those finances to build barracks and dining areas to keep minions satisfied. Taking care of minions is also necessary to keep their stats up. Like other management sims, there is a lot to pay attention to and balance in Evil Genius 2.

Minions will help to build and maintain facilities, but will also serve a number of other purposes in Evil Genius 2. Each minion falls under one of three classes: muscle, deception, and science. Each of these classes have sub-roles that players can individually assign to each minion as they progress. The size of a player’s lair and the facilities within it will determine how many minions they can have. 

Defending your turf

In Evil Genius 2, you have your own secluded island, but that doesn’t mean they’re free to scheme in peace. From time to time, intruders will stop by looking to cause thwart your evil plans. Players will need to set traps around their base in order to keep those pesky good guys out of their hair. 

Who’s bad?

Evil Genius 2 is looking to bring back the cult-classic management sim with a bunch of new bells and whistles. There are a lot of customization options, allowing players to approach the sim in a way that best suits their style. My preview didn’t cover all aspects of the game, but I was impressed with what I saw from Rebellion Developments.The game is set to launch in the first half of 2021 for PC.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_