Evil Genius 2: World Domination

 PC
Evil Genius 2: World Domination Image
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

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  • Summary: A satirical spy-fi lair builder where YOU are the criminal mastermind! Construct your base, train your minions, defend your operations from the Forces of Justice, and achieve global domination.

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Evil Genius 2 - Official Gameplay With Developer Commentary

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. TheGamer
    Mar 29, 2021
    100
    The balance of needing to manage your lair and check your world map is particularly well done. As your network grows it can get harder to avoid lockdowns, but upgrades bring it back in line. My only minor gripe is that you can’t properly micromanage minions. They have auto-assigned tasks and if you need things prioritizing - for instance, the removal of dead agents blocking the corridor - you need to get your Genius to step in, which can be dangerous. 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.
  2. Hardcore Gamer
    Mar 29, 2021
    80
    While the visual aesthetic and tonal backdrop may not look or feel that important to proceedings as a result, it’s Evil Genius 2: World Domination‘s cunningly-emergent approach to base-building where a lot of the hidden little joys are to be savoured. Conjuring all manner of obsession on shape, size and positioning alike. Never stopping, never wavering and all the better because of it.
  3. God is a Geek
    Mar 29, 2021
    80
    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.
  4. 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]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. PC Gamer
    Mar 29, 2021
    75
    A superbly stylish and surprisingly challenging management game, Evil Genius 2 is let down only by its tendency to bloviate.
  6. Digitally Downloaded
    Apr 5, 2021
    70
    When Evil Genius 2 gets it right, it gets it spectacularly right, and if you’re the type that can bury your brain into resource management while laughing at the deliberately cliched and over-the-top style of the game, you’ll have plenty of moments of fun taking over the world, one carved-out-of-mountain-rock room at at time. However, there’s still some rough edges here, and some game balancing that could have made it even more engaging, both for those who adore resource management and those who might just like the challenge of taking over the world with the help of a few shiny new doomsday devices.
  7. 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]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 59 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 29
  3. Negative: 14 out of 29
  1. questerra
    Apr 2, 2021
    9
    Великолепная игра. Чувство как будто снова вернулся в 2004 год.
  2. foofix
    Apr 4, 2021
    8
    N'ayant pas jouer au premier opus je trouve celui ci très agréable,addictif(+45h la premère campagne) certe un peu de redondance dans lesN'ayant pas jouer au premier opus je trouve celui ci très agréable,addictif(+45h la premère campagne) certe un peu de redondance dans les quêtes mais le jeu reste très plaisant à jouer.… Expand
  4. Jimbob2k666
    Apr 6, 2021
    7
    Being a gamer in my early 50's, I have some memories of the first Evil Genius. However, I'm never one for examining sequels that areBeing a gamer in my early 50's, I have some memories of the first Evil Genius. However, I'm never one for examining sequels that are literally just a revamp of the original where said game was more than 15 years old. I don't have particularly fond memories of the original anyway, and I found it clunky, too complex for what is essentially The Sims with a purpose. So, I couldn't find myself having time to relax in the original and gave up quite quickly.

    The first 10 hours of Evil Genius 2 does allow for some relaxation, but it is all a prelude to what becomes a bit of a mess. The heat system could have been a good feature, but it requires far too much micromanagement, and if that wasn't bad enough, the interface (World Map) where you attempt to control it is not well thought out and needs some sort of list feature, instead of trying to frantically scroll around trying to figure out what needs to be taken care of.

    The amount of incursions to your lair by Investigators, Soldiers is OK at the start, but later on, when you are constantly fighting against the world map design, the uncontrollable heat, and then trying to focus on the main and side missions, it all becomes too much. My first playthrough lasted 15 hours before I gave up in the hope I'd learnt enough to make my second run better, but then that run also felt like I was getting nowhere fast. This was playing on the 1 star easy mode too!

    I'm all for spending time to learn how to play these types of games, but I feel that 35+ hours in should mean I know how to cope. Playing on easy mode, I would have expected to have virtually completed the game, yet I am miles away from completing it. Having so many setbacks in easy mode does not make for a great experience. I was hoping to beat it on easy, then work my way through the other 2 difficulty levels to ensure replayability. However, I'm feeling like either I make a breakthrough soon (can't get to research 3) or i'll give up.

    I hope they do some balancing so that easy mode actually is easy mode. I'm not the greatest gamer that ever lived, and I'm always first to admit that, but when easy means hard, it makes me mad!    … Expand
  5. isocano
    Jun 6, 2021
    5
    Un juego peculiar para muchos seguramente, algo original incluso, aunque a mí me recuerda a un theme hospital que no llega a encajar del todo.Un juego peculiar para muchos seguramente, algo original incluso, aunque a mí me recuerda a un theme hospital que no llega a encajar del todo.

    A nivel visual cumple e intenta ser gracioso, aunque para mí no lo consigue como sí hacía el theme en su día.

    Respecto al gameplay... he intentado varias mecánicas y me parece algo lento y repetitivo, a la vez de falto de opciones.

    El tutorial en concreto es muy aburrido y creo que deberían haberlo hecho algo más libre, para el juego que es te obligan en exceso a seguir un camino predeterminado y aburrido.

    Aprueba porque para los fans del género puede dar bastantes horas, para el resto de personas creo que no es una gran opción, esperaba algo más sinceramente.    … Expand
  6. Frontal
    Apr 15, 2021
    3
    So here we are

    EG2 finally came out A whole bunch of socially awkward gamers awaited this ever since, the first one was a masterpiece!!!    So here we are

    EG2 finally came out

    A whole bunch of socially awkward gamers awaited this ever since, the first one was a masterpiece!!!
    This one here does not live up to its legacy however.

    Pro:
    - Nicely overhauled building system allows you to preplan your entire base (if you want) and allows you to fix smaller parts of your lair by adding material,
    - Recruitment system is easy to understand. Nothing to master here.
    - Fancy new "Protocols" allow you to deal with invaders quick
    - Different Armaments for your Minions allow you to focus on certain tasks, either capturing, or killing them
    - Corpse disposal has become much easier, unlike back in the days, where you had to wait for "years" until the freezers were free again
    - Looks nice

    Cons:
    - It lacks the kind of humor of the old one - EG1 was funny, but in a serious way. EG2 is TRYING to be funny, but in a childish, really not funny way, e.g. you only have the one chair for questioning, unlike EG1 where you could extract intel by putting your enemies into the bowl at the mess hall...
    - Minions are portrayed as incompetent fools, rather than actually pros
    - The Dialogue scenes ridicul your avatar in many ways, making it lose the seriousness of the entire thing overall
    - Making money ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sucks, passive income is low, and you just grind schemes to make cash
    - They removed the reknown system
    - Super agents are not a real threat since there is only one entry, and you just place all your guard tables there, and it's GG
    - There is no outside world anymore
    - "MORE POWER NEEDED"
    - The AI voice is annoying
    -...

    Tl;Dr
    Overall, it did not live up to the expectations. Some parts included quality of life changes, but it is overall simplified in ways that are just a letdown for old veterans like me.
    The Cons overweigh the pros on so many ways. Hands off this game, as much as it hurts.    … Expand
  7. JohnSnowKnows
    Apr 15, 2021
    2
    Game runs and looks great. Only problem is that the mid game is the most tedious grind I have ever played. It feels more like a pay to winGame runs and looks great. Only problem is that the mid game is the most tedious grind I have ever played. It feels more like a pay to win mobile game. Passive "heat" leaves you constantly baby sitting territories you aren't even active in, and the punishment is hyper aggressive super agents that walk through all your minions like paper, or you have to spend minions decreasing heat constantly, so you can't earn money. I honestly don't believe this game was play tested at all.… Expand
  8. lucame
    Jun 17, 2022
    0
    I start the game tutorial and i have to build a vault. Ok, fine, vault built. Next task, build a barrack, and ok, barrack is done. Now i amI start the game tutorial and i have to build a vault. Ok, fine, vault built. Next task, build a barrack, and ok, barrack is done. Now i am asked to place the bunk beds in the barracks but... all the minions are stuck in the room, and the option to build ANYTHING are disabled. I try to look around, check for info online, and turns out that this bug happens since release. I am stuck at the THIRD TASK you have to do just after starting the game, not even 10 minutes in. How is this acceptable? Well of course it is when you get Timmy Tencent money and are free to release an unfinished and buggy game, without ever bothering to finish it since YOU WERE PAID ALREADY, and fk the customers. So i uninstalled and refunded.… Expand

See all 29 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

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