Evil Genius playable demo

[Guynemer]

I've been hesitantly looking forward to this game since I first heard of it nearly a year ago.

Gamespot and IGN now have a playable demo.

I'm downloading now, and I'll try to post some thoughts later on.

[Kassiopeia]

Oh, this one. I had already forgotten the existence of the project, even though the idea is most intriguing. I look forward to hearing about the actual execution of it (alas, I must go to bed now).

[General Ludd]

I've been looking forward to this game with mild interest, hope it's good.

[Guynemer]

The demo is promising.

Your basic tutorial, walk you through some remedial missions/functions.

The music/atmosphere/humor is top-notch; more in line with NOLF than the complete over-the-top lunacy of Austin Powers.

Graphics aren't overly impressive, but servicable.


Gameplay in the demo is a basic introduction to building onto your base, getting items for training and housing minions, defending your base from do-gooder cannon fodder, and capturing and interrogating a superagent.

Not spectacular, but certainly promising. As far as demos go, I'd give it three (out of four) stars.

[General Ludd]

I played the demo briefly, not bad - although it's hard to get a real impression from a demo. I'll wait untill the "full demo" is released.


I'd call it a second generation dungeon keeper. It takes the ideas from that game and executes it much better, I think.

[Kassiopeia]

When I first heard of the game, I was thinking of an X-Com Enemy Unknown where lair-building is much more intricate and where instead of defending Earth from aliens you send your minions to different parts of the world to do evil stuff.

The demo only showed the lair-building part, which in itself isn't IMHO enough to make a game, but gosh darnit, it appears according to all the fancy buttons in the UI that indeed, you will be able to send minions off to missions. Unfortunately I doubt it'll be a X-Com like squad tactics level play, I suspect that it's more a "set slider to send X minions of type Y to do mission and hope everything goes well". I also would have appreciated a chance to craft a mastermind in your own image, but I suppose the archetypal (think Ernst Blodfeld) one will suit also well. Also, Jet Chan

"Dungeon Keeper" was also the first thing to pop into my mind when it showed you how to make rooms. It's exactly like DK in that regard.

What I'd really like see is stupid minions not opening the lair on their way out to grab supplies and letting the good guys in in the process. Also, guards should be a LOT more responsive and dash off to the entrance the very moment I hit "red alert". You'd also need an incentive to not keep on red alert at all times (aside capturing, which tagging will do anyway) - perhaps make the minions less responsive to it the more times they hear the siren bellow.

But altogether, it's fun. I cracked up quite a few times over the sheer absurdity (in a good sense) of some scenes.

[Main_Brain]

Finally got arround to D/l the Demo.

I wonder why there is no decent pause option where you can still give orders? I kinda wished for one as Hordes of Evil Good-doers invaded my Lair
Is the Kind of Aggression those Good Boys showed normal?
Kinda nerving. The Bodybags piled up whole Entrance..

Kind of disappointing the Nr. 2 didnt mention the Fire Exthinguishers.


But said that its an quite good looking game. So many awesome Scenes. I could just sit here and watch my minions Work.

Like in Settlers, or Sims in a good way if there weren't the aggressive Enemies.
Graphics are decent, Animations original.
Game Concept is just awesome :=)

The Music is soo stylish too :=)

[Kassiopeia]

Originally posted by Main_Brain
Is the Kind of Aggression those Good Boys showed normal?
Kinda nerving. The Bodybags piled up whole Entrance..

I studied an unofficial forum and discovered, much to my pleasant surprise, that the amount of aggression was severely ramped up in the demo. In the actual game there will be a concept called "heat", notoriety in a sense. The more evil you are and more active, the more heat the good guys put on you.

[Main_Brain]

Just saw it at gamefaq's it is indeed set to 80% which kinda explains it. ;=)
The Body bags already show their Heat level.