Rebellion Announce Evil Genius Online

Rebellion have today announced that they’ll be making a brand new entry in the Evil Genius franchise. I say franchise, although I’m not sure that”s really an accurate description for one very, very strong strategy/world domination sim that is vastly underrated and constantly cheap.

Still, for fans of Evil Genius, Evil Genius Online will be a must-play. Hardcore gamers may be put off by the fact it’s a Facebook title, but I say it’s best to wait and see how things turn out before dismissing it entirely. The original game was a classic, and it’d be nice to think they could do something similar, even in a browser game, without totally screwing it up.

It has been done before, once or twice.

From the announcement post on Facebook:

Featuring cutting-edge browser technology players can build sprawling lairs, spy on rivals’ bases and bribe players for powerful items in their bid for world domination!

You can already apply for the closed beta. Simply follow that link, fill in the form and wait to be invited. If that’s not your style, Evil Genius Online is due for release later this year. Expect more information – including just how social this social game will be – over the coming weeks and months.

The original Evil Genius was released in 2004 and placed you as the leader of a James Bond-esque evil corporation. You had to battle the legions of good, while creating a secret base where you could torture agents, house inept guards and plan your evil plots. It seems as though Evil Genius Online will include many of the same features, although there may be limitations on how much you’ll be able to do in a single sitting, like many other games of this kind.