Evil Genius (video game)
Evil Genius | |
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Single-player |
Evil Genius is a
Elixir once worked on a sequel, but it was cancelled following the studio's closure. Since March 2, 2006, the intellectual property rights of the game have been owned by Rebellion Developments.[3][4] Rebellion released a sequel, Evil Genius 2: World Domination, on March 30, 2021.
Gameplay
Evil Genius contains a mixture of
The first lair is constructed within the base of a mountain on a desert island. During the course of the game the player relocates to a larger, tropical island, the extinct volcano at the center of which is used as the foundation for a rocket silo. The lair comprises various rooms, each of which contains objects for use by minions, either for the replenishment of certain "stats" (e.g. objects in the Mess Hall restore endurance) or to provide a function (e.g. the Power Plant room contains objects that generate power and allow the lair to function). Corridors connect the rooms within the lair and can also contain traps, which serve as one of several ways to deter agents of justice and their attempts to enter the base and gather evidence, steal money, or sabotage equipment. Trap results vary from simple confusion and movement impairment to stat reduction and death, and catching agents within a combination of traps will reward the player with money. New objects can eventually be unlocked through the Laboratory via combining already-existing items with pieces of equipment.
The player's forces include their Evil Genius, unique
In addition to managing their lair, the Evil Genius's plans frequently involve taking action across the world. This is managed through the "World Domination screen", consisting of an interactive map of the world divided into regions to which the player is able to send minions from their lair to steal money or to plan and commit missions known as "Acts of Infamy". These Acts can be used to obtain loot to adorn the lair (increasing minion statuses), capture civilian hostages (to interrogate them), and to garner "Notoriety". Many Acts advance the ultimate goal of constructing the doomsday device. Acts require variable amounts and types of minions, and each carries a degree of risk. Although the player has no direct control over a mission, they can increase the chance of success by mixing minion classes and allocating greater numbers; the danger of committing Acts is compounded by the occasional appearance of Agents in certain regions, which the player can choose to hide their minions from. Some Acts of Infamy are references to historical events, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, while others are comical, such as a "humanitarian mission" to destroy Nashville, Tennessee and rid the world of country music.[7]
The lair must be defended from the "forces of justice": five
Development
The game was in development for two years and two months.[10] with between 20 and 25 people working on it at various times.[11]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
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1Up.com | B−[14] |
Computer and Video Games | 8.4/10[15] |
Eurogamer | 7/10[16] |
GameSpot | 7.3/10[17] |
GameSpy | 4/5[18] |
IGN | 7.8/10[19] |
Evil Genius has an average review score of 78% and 75 out of a possible 100, according to the review aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic respectively, which indicates "generally favourable reviews". Most critics praised the game for its humour and unique take on the god-game genre, but also criticised it for its frustrating micromanagement and annoying bugs.
GameSpot gave the game a 7.3 out of 10, stating that "while Evil Genius' dry, campy humor is often amusing from the start, it takes quite a bit of time and effort to pull off acts of infamy and establish your notoriety among global powers" and states "Evil Genius is hampered by some frustratingly haphazard pacing as well as issues with the artificial intelligence of your minions".
IGN gave Evil Genius a 7.8 out of 10, the reviewer stating that "Evil Genius hearkens back to the glorious Bullfrog creation Dungeon Keeper. Not only did it have us building a base underground (far, far underground), but also put us in the shoes of a sadistic dungeon master with imps, demons, and horned reapers to "control". There are quite a few differences in the two titles, but the influence is certainly there" but went on to say that "had there been more interactivity with during acts of infamy on the World Domination Map, less micromanagement for taking care of enemies, more information passing between the map and the base screens, and more useful information about why things happened the way they did, Evil Genius really could have been genius... but in a good way".
Eurogamer gave Evil Genius a 7 out of 10, commenting that "even as we sit here picking over the carcass, we're not actually all that angry about the things that are wrong with the game. They're bad on paper, but they didn't interfere hugely with our having fun - a sure sign that that Evil Genius overcomes its flaws and ultimately satisfies".
Evil Genius' music score, composed by James Hannigan, received a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Music in 2004.[20] Hannigan has spoken of how the work he did for the game stands out amongst his oeuvre, on account of its "uniqueness".[21]
Sequel
Financial reports at the end of 2004 revealed Elixir Studios had begun work on a sequel to Evil Genius.[22] However, the studio's closure in 2005 led to the project's cancellation. While Rebellion purchased the intellectual property rights to Elixir's titles, the franchise remained dormant for several years aside from being re-released on digital platforms and the release of several online games. A proper sequel, Evil Genius 2: World Domination, was released by Rebellion on March 30, 2021.[23]
See also
References
Citations
- Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archivedfrom the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- ^ a b "Evil Genius". Rebellion Developments. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ Alex (2 March 2006). "Rebellion - Bought EG Rights!". Evil Genius Chat. Jonathan Mayer and Mark Sowash. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^ Sefton, Jamie (14 July 2006). "Demis Hassabis, part two". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
- ^ Elixir Studios (2004), p. 4.
- ^ Elixir Studios (2004), pp. 8–9.
- ^ Elixir Studios (2004), pp. 15–17.
- ^ Elixir Studios (2004), p. 15.
- ^ Elixir Studios (2004), p. 23.
- ^ Fahey, Rob (2004). "Interview with an Evil Genius". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 14 October 2004. Retrieved 10 January 2004.
- ^ "Demis Hassabis, Creative Director of Elixir Studios". 2004. Archived from the original on 26 November 2004. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Evil Genius for PC". GameRankings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ "Evil Genius for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ Lee, Garnett (1 October 2004). "Evil Genius Review - 1UP". 1UP. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
- ^ "Evil Genius Review - Computer and Video Games". Computer and Video Games. 21 September 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
- ^ Bramwell, Tom (1 October 2004). "Evil Genius Review - EuroGamer". EuroGamer. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
- ^ Parker, Sam (28 September 2004). "Evil Genius Review - GameSpot". GameSpot. p. 2. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
- ^ Rausch, Allen (28 September 2004). "Evil Genius Review - GameSpy". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
- ^ Adams, Dan (28 September 2004). "Evil Genius Review - IGN". IGN. p. 3. Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
- ^ "Recent Events - Conversations with Screen Composers: James Hannigan". Royal Albert Hall. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- ^ Hannigan, James. "Interview: James Hannigan". GSoundtracks. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
I was quite pleased with Republic and Evil Genius, because I had quite a lot of free reign [sic?] with those and Elixir were trying to do something new and interesting. The music isn't hugely complex, but there's a uniqueness about it that I think helps identify the games.
- ^ "GameSpy: Evil Genius 2 In The Works - Page 1". pc.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (4 July 2017). "Evil Genius 2 in development at Rebellion". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
Bibliography
- Elixir Studios (2004). "Evil Genius Manual" (PDF). Steam. Rebellion Developments. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
External links
- Evil Genius at MobyGames
- Evil Genius at GameFAQs
- Evil Genius Community - a fan site