E V I L G ENI U S 2: WOR L D DOM I N AT ION

No, dear reader, I expect you to die.

his is a direct sequel to the cult classic 2004 lair builder of over-the-top spy-fi comedy and action. Evil Genius is strategy management unlike any other, and the team at Rebellion knows that. It’s more lavishly made, with a more ’60s retro flair than the first, but it retains and updates the best parts.

TI watched a live gameplay demo and spoke with two members of the EG2 team: producer Ash Tregay and lead designer Rich Edwards. Edwards is an EG superfan, so this is his dream design. He’s so enthusiastic that when interviewed for the then-secret project he puzzled out what Rebellion was doing and asked pointblank, mid interview, if it was EvilGenius2.

In EvilGenius2 you dig into the nitty-gritty details in the life of an over-the-top spy fiction villain. You build up your base and casino resort cover operation on a tropical island, gathering an army of minions and building infrastructure for your Doomsday Device.

None of this is cheap, and that means stealing a lot of gold. You manage strategy on a world map to accomplish missions, building a worldwide criminal network. You also need armed thugs, media spin doctors, and deadly traps to keep the Agents and Superspies of the Forces of Justice off your back.

To start you’ll pick one of four evil geniuses and one of three islands. “The island you choose is your home for the entire campaign,” says Tregay. One island has already been shown – the medium option. Another is tall and narrow, with more vertical space. On that island visitors arrive by cruise ship, then take cable cars up to the casino, giving you a bit more time to react to new arrivals. The third

YOU ALSO NEED ARMED THUGS, MEDIA SPIN DOCTORS, AND DEADLY TRAPS.

solid objects to gold – like entire buildings. Max’s minions can then go steal the target for some extra income.

As the Doomsday Device progresses, so do a genius’ abilities. One of Edwards’ favourite examples is Maximilian. At first, Max uses a regular pistol to execute disloyal henchmen or enemies. Later he perfects his Midas Pistol, which turns unfortunates into solid gold statues.

Each Genius’ campaign will take 12-16 hours to complete, but that’s without doing any side stories. “We’ve made sure that there’s a heap of optional content,” says Edwards. Optional missions are how you recruit Henchmen, the Oddjobs to your Goldfinger. They start on the world map as rival crime lords, and only by besting them can you win them to your cause. One returning henchman is Jubei, the master swordsman, now well into old age and hobbling about with a staff.

With all this new stuff, Edwards emphasises that EG2 is flexible – you can now pause and fast-forward play. “[ EG2] moves at the pace you’re comfortable with. If you do want to spend your time just crafting your perfect lair, you can do that”

There’ll be a lot to craft. All 15 room types from EG1 make a return, but with expanded functions. “So, whilst we have the Infirmary back,” says Edwards, “it is also a room you can use to push your minion stats higher than they ever would have been.” Continuity was key to Rebellion’s process, and they made sure that fans would feel right at home by watching EG1 Let’s Plays and studying bases on player-made planning tools.

Tregay explains their production philosophy, “Taking what the original did well forward and then augmenting and building on that as a foundation,” he says. A key feature Edwards preserved from EG1 was combining rooms. “So in a single area you might have a Barracks with a Mess Hall in the middle and some weapon racks on the side walls,” says Tregay, “to really build the lair however you desire, and you’ll find that those options open up as you become more familiar.”

TRAP FIGHT

EvilGenius2 looks smooth and responsive in motion, and it really feels like you’re

REBELLION WANTS YOU TO RECONSIDER BASE LAYOUT THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN.