It’s not rare for conceptually interesting, yet ultimately flawed games to be released, overlooked, and then eventually forgotten. What’s rare is for one of these games to get a second chance through the magic of sequels, especially when the title is something as niche as 2004’s James Bond villain management sim, Evil Genius. Now, developers Rebellion have picked up the laser-firing, rigged-to-explode torch, and are beginning development on Evil Genius 2.
For those who never dipped into the original title, it’s a villainous, espionage-themed management sim in the style of Dungeon Keeper. Players build up their remote, island base while attempting to thwart agents of justice and achieve world domination. Although it had a great soundtrack, style, and humor, it was (rightly) criticized for excessive micromanagement and a handful of other problems. A proper sequel was rumored back in 2004, but was put on the back-burner thanks to the closing of original developer Elixir Studios.
Rebellion, know mostly for the Alien versus Predator and Sniper Elite games, have described development as being in a “very, very early stage,” but confirmed Evil Genius 2 for an eventual PC release. It’s anyone’s guess as to when the game will drop, but expect to see more news eventually. It’ll be exciting to see if Rebellion can retool Evil Genius for a second round and launch it beyond cult status.
Check out a clip of Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley announcing the sequel below:
We’re making @EvilGenius 2 pic.twitter.com/cUe3wPcwtR
— Rebellion® (@Rebellion) July 4, 2017
