I’ve all the time had a tender spot for Bond villain simulator Evil Genius, a religious successor to the Dungeon Keeper sequence that amped-up the cackling attraction and packed-in extra spy cliches than you possibly can shake a vodka martini at.
The authentic recreation launched in 2004 earlier than a Facebook spin-off, then the cell title Evil Genius: Online, earlier than a shock sequel, Evil Genius 2: World Domination, appeared in 2021: Our assessment reckoned that when it is “on kind, it is among the best administration video games on the market.”
PC Gamer’s Josh Wolens lately had the prospect to sit down down with Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley to speak about and go hands-on with the studio’s latest title, Atomfall. But just like the diabolical villain he’s, Wolens managed to sneak-in a vital query: Can you announce Evil Genius 3 please?
“I will not be saying it,” laughs Kingsley, “however yeah, Evil Genius is a kind of manufacturers, a kind of issues that I’ve a tender spot for. What’s completely hilarious is that Demis Hassabis, it was his authentic recreation, and he is a Nobel Prize winner now in AI.
“Demis in the event you’re ever watching this: Hello, thanks, and good luck with all of the stuff you’re doing. It’s simply fairly humorous that he is come out from video games into AI and he is an extremely highly effective and educated skilled in that space.”
To briefly make clear, Evil Genius was the second (and last) recreation developed by Elixir Studios, which was based by Hassabis after his departure from Lionhead. The studio closed in 2005, and Rebellion acquired its mental property (together with a cancelled model of Evil Genius 2) in 2006.
“The concept of simulation video games with emergent properties may be very a lot a part of what we do,” says Kingsley. “We’ve acquired quite a bit, a giant again catalogue, just like the Lord of the Realms and Lord of Magic IP. For me, with my Modern History TV YouTube channel all about medieval issues and horses, I’m notably eager at some point on doing one thing medieval-y, even when it is medieval fantasy. I’d love to do this. So that is on the shortlist of issues to discover, genres to discover.”
Jason Kingsley needs to do a medieval recreation? The stunning factor is it hasn’t already occurred. His YouTube channel is superb, by the best way, in the event you’re into the interval and likewise need to see a person smashing lances into model skulls.
“But I really like my sci-fi,” Kingsley continues. “I really like my hardcore sci-fi as effectively, so Evil Genius is certainly there. But what else may we do with it apart from a base-building recreation, I assume is the query. And what different genres may one think about from that?
“There’s nothing really in progress in the meanwhile apart from concepts. That seems like there’s nothing taking place, however that is not true, as a result of concepts are percolating on a regular basis. Whilst we’re releasing Atomfall now, we’re additionally engaged on numerous video games that can come out over the subsequent few years, and we’re additionally arising with concepts for what to begin within the subsequent couple of years for video games that can come out in additional years time, ? So it is this rolling, rolling sort of enterprise of protecting new video games coming alongside.”
So you kind-of perhaps heard it right here first: Kingsley is not saying Evil Genius 3, however there are positively some concepts “percolating” over at Rebellion about what could possibly be carried out with the sequence. The most stunning facet of Kingsley’s reply to me is concerning the style: I discover it arduous to think about an Evil Genius that isn’t a base-building recreation to some extent, although I suppose the world domination theme lends itself extra broadly to the technique and ways style.
Who is aware of: Maybe they will give you an uneven shooter (please do not). Evil Genius followers clearly should not count on something anytime quickly, however going by the person in cost, it isn’t unreasonable to count on one thing down the road.
