Evil Genius 2: World Domination – Season Pass

Evil Genius 2: World Domination – Season Pass is a compilation of downloadable content expansions for the base game, set in a spy-fi Bond villain-themed world where players assume the role of an evil genius building an elaborate secret lair, recruiting minions, and thwarting the Forces of Justice while plotting global domination. The Season Pass adds new campaigns, minions, items, and henchmen to enhance the core gameplay experience of real-time strategy and simulation.

Evil Genius 2: World Domination – Season Pass: Review

Introduction

The gleeful tyranny of being a criminal mastermind returns in full, flamboyant force with Evil Genius 2: World Domination – Season Pass. This compilation stands as the definitive edition of Rebellion Developments’ 2021 lair-builder sequel, bundling the base game with all its post-launch expansions into a seamless package of villainous excess. As the spiritual successor to the 2004 cult classic, it refines the spy-fi Bond-villain fantasy of global domination with modern mechanics, vibrant art, and a satirical heart. The Season Pass elevates this experience further, adding new geniuses, henchmen, and campaigns that deepen the game’s strategic layers. This review examines whether the Season Pass transforms an already ambitious title into an essential piece of villain simulation history or merely adds cosmetic flair to a flawed foundation.

Development History & Context

Rebellion Developments, the studio behind the Sniper Elite series and the original Evil Genius, approached this sequel with a clear mandate: modernize the 2004 blueprint while preserving its anarchic spirit. The project, announced in 2019, leveraged the proprietary Asura engine to deliver a more dynamic world than the static environments of the first game. Development faced significant hurdles, including a COVID-19-related delay pushing the release from late 2020 to March 30, 2021—a period marked by intense competition in the strategy-simulation space from titles like Crusader Kings III and Age of Empires IV. Rebellion aimed to address player feedback on the original’s cumbersome UI and repetitive loops by streamlining systems like minion management and introducing a more integrated world map. The Season Pass, priced at $24.99, was conceived as a value-driven expansion model, offering six DLC packs that collectively added a new campaign, additional characters, and gameplay-altering mechanics. This approach reflected modern monetization trends while Rebellion’s promise of “no microtransactions” (PCGamingWiki) positioned the Season Pass as a complete, curated experience.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The narrative of Evil Genius 2 is a love letter to 1960s spy-fi tropes, executed with a self-aware, comedic flair. Set a decade after the first game, it follows the reemergence of Red Ivan—once a henchman, now a full-fledged Evil Genius—after his dictatorship in Ivania is toppled by the reformed Forces of Justice (FoJ). Swearing vengeance, Ivan joins newcomers Maximilian (the gold-obsessed OG genius), Emma (a tech-savvy hacker), and Zalika (a voodoo mystic) in a bid to reclaim power. The plot unfolds through a single, continuous campaign per genius, where players orchestrate “Schemes” (e.g., selling the British Royal Family or kidnapping a governor) to fund their Doomsday Device. Dialogue is a highlight, with Brian Blessed’s booming performance as Red Ivan stealing scenes, though minion interactions are criticized for flat delivery (PC Gamer). Thematically, the game satirizes the banality of evil bureaucracy—players juggle gold shortages, minion loyalty, and agent incursions while their genius berates incompetent subordinates. This contrast between grandiose ambition and mundane frustrations (“You’ve failed me for the last time!” becomes a refrain) underscores the core theme: being a villain is less about monologues and more about spreadsheets.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Evil Genius 2 refines the base-building and management loop of the original with ambitious, if occasionally flawed, systems.

Core Loops & Base Building

Players construct a multi-layered lair on a volcanic island, using the Lair Build-o-Matic to mine rooms through color-coded zones (e.g., red for security, blue for science). Rooms are functionally distinct: Barracks house minions, while the casino “Cover Operation” distracts agents. Traps are proximity-based (no more pressure plates) and combo-able for creative kills—a laser grid triggering a shark pit exemplifies the game’s dark humor. Gold management is immediate, requiring vault expansions to increase capacity. Each genius has a unique Inner Sanctum (e.g., Ivan’s military command center) and superweapon (H.A.V.O.C.’s nuke for Ivan, Maximilian’s gold-plating ray), adding strategic asymmetry.

Minions & Henchmen

Minions are now categorized into Muscle, Science, and Deception subtypes, with training allowing cross-specialization. New additions like Biologists and Counter-Agents expand tactical options, while Hitman minions outperform Guards in combat. Henchmen—up to five per lair—serve as specialists; IRIS, the lair’s AI, replaces voice-overs and can deploy as a combatant. Downed henchmen retreat to the Conference Table to recover, adding consequence to their use.

World Domination & Combat

The World Stage replaces the original’s linear Acts of Infamy with “Criminal Networks” generating heat. High heat triggers FoJ lockdowns, halting schemes until cooldowns. Super Agents like Agent X now operate in teams, requiring coordinated side-missions for defeat. Combat is a mix of trap combos and minion-vs-agent brawls, though pathfinding issues and AI quirks (e.g., minions blocking doors) frustrate (IGN). The UI, particularly the heat-management map, is criticized for clutter, though fast-forward alleviates waiting times.

Innovations like minion loyalty decay and desertion systems add depth, but excessive mission length (4–5 sub-objectives per scheme) and resource scarcity create a mid-game slog. Season Pass DLCs address this: the Oceans Campaign adds a water-based lair, while Mechanical Minions introduce autonomous drones, easing micromanagement.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Evil Genius 2 excels in its art direction, channeling Austin Powers-esque excess with a vibrant cel-shaded aesthetic. The Bond-villain aesthetic is meticulous: lava flows, retro-futuristic gadgets, and exaggerated character designs (e.g., Zalika’s voodoo dolls) evoke 1960s spy thrillers. The casino cover operation is a triumph, with tourists and agents gambling against a backdrop of shark tanks and laser grids, visually tying gameplay to satire. Sound design reinforces the tone: Brian Blessed’s Ivan roars with theatrical menace, while slinky jazz underscores schemes. Minion dialogue, however, is inconsistently voiced, breaking immersion (PC Gamer). The Season Pass expansions enhance this—Rise of the Valkyrie Pack adds Norse-themed henchmen and decor, while Abomination Pack introduces grotesque mutants, expanding the game’s visual vocabulary.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, Evil Genius 2 earned a Metacritic score of 75 (“Generally Favorable”), with critics praising its style and systems but criticizing pacing. PC Gamer lauded its “superbly stylish” design but noted a “fallow patch” in mid-game, while IGN’s 6.7/10 highlighted “fiddly” world objectives. User reviews were mixed (5.6/10 on Metacritic), praising replayability across geniuses but decrying “endless waiting” and “artificial lengthening” (Metacritic user reviews). The Season Pass received warmer reception; its new content was seen as addressing base-game flaws, particularly the Oceans Campaign’s fresh challenges.

Legacy-wise, Evil Genius 2 revitalized the villain-simulation genre, influencing titles like Lair of the Clockwork God (2023). Its legacy is one of ambition over polish—a landmark for its humor and creativity, held back by systemic quirks. Rebellion’s support (e.g., free Portal and Pyro DLCs) fostered a dedicated community, preserving its niche appeal.

Conclusion

Evil Genius 2: World Domination – Season Pass is a definitive package for fans of strategic anarchy. It transforms a flawed but brilliant base game into a complete experience, adding value through new campaigns, minions, and henchmen that enrich gameplay. While pacing issues and UI blemishes persist, the core joy of constructing a death-trap lair and outwitting superspies remains unmatched. The Season Pass isn’t merely an expansion; it’s a refinement, Rebellion’s attempt to perfect the villain fantasy. For those who dream of global domination with a side of bureaucratic headaches, this is a must-play—an imperfect, exuberant celebration of evil that stands tall among simulation classics. Verdict: A worthy, if uneven, triumph for the mastermind in all of us.