Before you set off on your quest towards world domination, Evil Genius 2 requires you to select one of four Geniuses as your avatar. It’s through their lens that you’ll tackle conquering the world and their Abilities shape your playstyle.
If you plan on fully building and firing their Doomsday Devices, you’ll want to be aware of the bonuses provided by the Abilities of each Genius. Some of them are vastly different while others share effects but add small bonuses between different protagonists. They’re also potential reasons to go on multiple playthroughs of Evil Genius 2. If you want to neatly organize them ahead of time, read on below to see what makes each one different.
Each Genius in Evil Genius 2 has access to three abilities that either allow them to boost the capabilities of their minions and henchmen, deal with enemies, or impact their operations on the world stage. They can’t be modified in any way, though, since you are playing some of the most nefarious people around, who’ve had plenty of time to perfect their craft.
Evil Genius 2 Maximilian Abilities
- Work Harder! - Orders nearby minions to prioritize jobs in Maximilian's vicinity. Great way to have your underlings focus on urgent tasks, but will require moving the Genius over to the desired location manually.
- Train Faster! - Instantly complete any minion training near Maximilian. Handy when you really need new Muscle, Science, or Deception minions.
- Large Work Force - Max's love for gold is reflected in his natural ability to simply earn it more reliably than others. He also starts with extra minions, since you can never have enough underlings doing your bidding.
Evil Genius 2 Red Ivan Abilities
- Do it Now! - Orders nearby minions to prioritize jobs in Red Ivan's vicinity. Same as Maximilian's, but also grants nearby minions increased combat capabilities for a slightly better chance at taking down any Forces of Justice agents that might be snooping around.
- Old School - True to his straightforward nature, Ivan pulls out a four-barreled Rocket Launcher and fires it, resulting in a devastating explosion. Best not be near where those rockets hit.
- Might Makes Right - Red Ivan loves a fight and his Muscle minions know that. Whether out of fear or respect, he can recruit them for a lower price. His regular workers also punch harder.
Evil Genius 2 Zalika Abilities
- My Plans Take Priority! - Orders nearby minions to prioritize jobs in Zalika's vicinity and also grants Science minions a bigger boost.
- Repair - Instantly repairs and extinguishes fires in Zalika's vicinity through the power of Smarts and nanobots.
- True Genius - Zalika's vast knowledge brushes off on her Science minions, making them research devious devices quicker than everyone else.
Evil Genius 2 Emma Abilities
- Pay Attention! - Orders nearby minions to prioritize jobs in Emma's vicinity. Also grants nearby minions increased spotting power, so enemy agents won't slip by them as easily.
- Plotter - Emma knows how valuable her most capable underlings are, so she's able to reset the cooldowns of Henchmen and bolster their abilities.
- True Genius - Emma's past as an ex-spymaster helps her field more efficient Deception minions. On top of that, she also has an easier time reducing Heat for her operations on the world stage.
Broadly speaking, Maximilian is the best pick if you’re looking for a generalist approach and fancy getting gold quicker. The other three Geniuses tap into more specialized playstyles but, ultimately it’s down to taste and which Doomsday Device sounds coolest to you.
Evil Genius 2 is available now on PC. For our thoughts on the game, give our review a read.
Keep updated on the latest PC Gaming news by following GameWatcher on Twitter, checking out our videos on YouTube, giving us a like on Facebook, and joining us on Discord.
