In May, 2009, the online gambling public became practically richer by one gameplay that turned out to surpass all developer and player expectations. We are talking about the original Dead or Alive slot release by NetEnt, a game that still ranks around the top 10 most popular titles in many international casino sites.
In a way honouring the high-achieving slot, and continuing the tradition of giving slot players the best this world can offer, the Swedish game software giant has made another spring release, in April 2019. Dead or Alive 2 has managed to live up to the name and the game, as you will learn soon enough.
Resurrected Design & Layout
The Dead or Alive 2 slot was a risky endeavour, especially considering other failed attempts of famous slot title sequels. Hence, it is no wonder that the developers at NetEnt practically took 10 whole years before making the release.
Still, there is no denying that they managed to honour the name of the game, and still take the action one step higher. From the loading screen and main game overview, players will be introduced to the typical Wild West scenery, filled with dusty houses and a lone road, only much smoother looking and up-to-date. The same 5-reel 3-row grid featuring 9 paylines has been retained and confined between two wooden beams that Westerners used to hang outlaws.
And speaking of outlaws, players are sure going to feel like one considering the slot designers managed to keep all the booze and guns on the slot’s reels. The high-value symbols are represented by the sheriff’s star, gun, cowboy boots and hat, as well as the whiskey bottle. On the other hand, slightly fixed up card suits 10-A are used for the lower-value symbols.
The Scatter and Wild are also present, with the former being a pair of guns criss-crossed as in battle mode; you could say they are ominously indicating the thrilling action that should go down if you manage to land enough symbols to trigger the bonus. As for the latter, players should be happy to hear that the Wild can come with the faces of all their favourite outlaws – Billy the Kid, Belle Star, Jesse James, Della Rose and the Apache Kid.
Gameplay Features
Developers have done the most they can to preserve the olden spirit of the original DOA title, and retained the RTP percentage at exactly the same number – 96.80%. Still, with a good range of coin value starting at 0.01 up to 0.50, players can still have some fun with the bet sizes they make, and even more with the rewards they can trigger.
A significant feature about this title was the original’s ability to reward players with up to 12,000x their bet size, and the sequel definitely lives up to it. Dead or Alive 2 players can win a maximum of over 100,000x their bet size, or as most precisely estimated – 111,111.11 times.
Dead or Alive 2 Free Spin Bonus Rounds
Another feature that lived to see its upgrade in the sequel is the bonus round. This title has three different ones that distinguish based on volatility, and the player can choose which to play as soon as they actually trigger the bonus. In order to do so, they have to land 3 or more Scatters on the reels, with the maximum of 5 bearing a win potential of 2500x the stake. Players are awarded 12 initial free spins regardless of the bonus rounds they choose to play.
Train Heist Free Spins feature is the option with the lowest variance, and appears with a progressive multiplier. More specifically, during the free spins feature, whenever a Wild lands on the reels, players get an extra free spin. Plus, the Multiplier increases by 1x, up to 16x which can award an extra 5 free spins aside from the regular 1 spin for the respective Wild.
Old Saloon Free Spins feature comes with Sticky Wilds – once a Wild lands on the reels during the 12 free spins, it stays there. What is more, each win is subject to 2x multiplier, while landing the total of 5 Wilds across the whole reel grid gives you the extra free 5 spins.
Ultimately, the High Noon Saloon Free Spins feature, which is the most volatile, packs a range of rewards that ultimately culminate in the highest potential win. Here, landing 2 Wilds on the same reel transforms them into Sticky Double Multiplier Wilds, while landing three into Triple Multiplying Wilds. Each Sticky Wild landing on the reels will award extra 5 free spins, and with the multiplier going up as well as the number of free spins, there is no saying how high player’s can go, but it is definitely more than 100,000x their stake.
Conclusion
All things considered, most players are likely to be at the least familiar with the original Dead or Alive, giving them some insight as to what to expect. With an overall enhanced graphic, animation, gameplay and rewards experience, Dead or Alive 2 is definitely a slot to tryfor a big win! If you like NetEnt produced games, other releases include the Vikings slot and Arcane Reel Chaos.
You can play the Dead or Alive 2 slot at 888 Casino, Rizk, Guts, Casumo and BGO
