Austin Powers? A simple amateur. Derek Flint? Useless. James Bond? A little boy with children’s toys. What do you see in every espionage movie? A meddling do-gooder who continuously gets in the way of some intelligent mastermind’s plans for world domination. Why is it that every criminal genius is seen as a bumbling idiot? Why is it that every single henchman has to wear such lame costumes? And why is it that spies escape every trap they’re put in? It’s about time that the bad guy comes out on top for a change. Gather your favorite pet, your best evil laugh, and open up your underground lair, because it’s time to become an Evil Genius from Elixir Studios and Vivendi Universal. The basic plot of Evil Genius is relatively simple: As the newest mastermind of an international criminal organization, your goal is to become the most nefarious leader in the world. There’s a slight problem, however; because you’re brand new to the global scene, no one knows exactly who you are, where you are, or why they should fear you. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since this lets you consolidate power for your empire while planning your early moves carefully. And when you strike, you will ensure that the world bows to your whim! BWA-HA-HA-HA! Ahem, sorry…Obviously, the first step in your plot for world domination is establishing your underground lair. See, evil geniuses never lift a finger; that’s what their minions do. You’ll acquire workers who’ll build everything from barracks and control rooms to more obscure areas like freezers and inner sanctums. These are the typical, nondescript jumpsuit-clad people who always seem like they have things to do in an evil organization, such as manning computers or walking hallways. However, these basic workers will also form the backbone of your forces, and can be trained in specific tasks, like laboratory technicians or military guards, which are necessary as you expand your operations in different regions in the world. One of the creative parts about Evil Genius is the fact that you’ll have to infiltrate different regions of the world with your personnel to further your malevolent means. Initially you’ll have three options available to you: you can place your agents and tell them to hide out in the country, you can have them steal money to supplement your budget, or you can have them plot and carry out criminal acts. Successfully disrupting activity around the planet will increase your notoriety, making you a much more formidable mastermind. However, you’ll have to be careful with your destruction, because poor planning will start to attract the attention of the five global peacekeeping outfits. These groups will dispatch agents to observe your operations, steal your funds and even eliminate your workforce. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Evil Genius evokes a humorous kitschy ‘60s spy movie feel. Whether it’s the dancing scuba divers on the menu screen or the oddball actions performed by the guards, this spoof of spy movies is just serious enough to give you a sense of criminal power while making you laugh at the same time. (Keep an eye out for dancing guards or slinking henchmen!) What’s more, there are a number of one-liners that will make any spy movie fan laugh out loud. Evil Genius plans to control shelves next month, and from what we’ve seen, will appeal to strategy and non-strategy fans alike. Check back soon for a full review! In the meantime, I have some spies to torture, countries to fleece and an organization to run… Questions or comments about the upcoming release of Evil Genius for the PC? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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