Dead or Alive 2

Dead or Alive 2 Review

Dead or Alive 2 Reviewed October 29 2020 by Casinogamesonnet.com

Released in 2009, Dead or Alive is one of NetEnt’s biggest hits ever. Fans waited a long time for a sequel to this Wild West-themed thriller.

The wait finally ended in 2019, when NetEnt launched Dead or Alive 2. Does this follow-up live up to the original hit? We’ll answer this question below by discussing Dead or Alive 2’s atmosphere, graphics, win potential, and features.

Pros and Cons of Dead or Alive 2

Gameplay and Atmosphere

This game features the same 5-reel, 9-payline setup as its predecessor. Wins form when you land 3+ matching symbols in a line.

All winning combinations must run from left to right, beginning with the first reel. If you’ve played the original Dead or Alive—or most other 5-reelers for that matter—then you’ll have no trouble with this one.

Dead or Alive 2 maintains the same gritty western feel that has made the first game so popular. It takes place on the dusty road of a Wild West town.

You’ll see a number of old wooden buildings lining both sides of the street. The left side of the screen features a large butte with clouds forming above it. The reels are encased by a large wooden structure.

Not surprisingly, you’ll hear gunshots, hoofbeats, and twangy western sounds that are typical in these games. Assuming you like Wild West shootouts, then you’ll feel at home with Dead or Alive 2.

Max Win, Payouts and Symbols

Some of the symbols return from the original slot—only with upgraded graphics. Low pays include royals ranging from A through 10. High-paying symbols include boots, a cowboy hat, revolver, whiskey bottle, and sheriff badge. The latter pays the most among this bunch at 1,000x your stake for five symbols.

You can win up to a massive 111,111x your stake when including features in the mix. If you risk the maximum €18 per spin, for example, you could win almost €2 million.

Five outlaws each represent a wild symbol. They all appear on a different reel, meaning you can get a different wild on every reel.

RTP, Volatility and Betting Options

The betting range runs from €0.09 to €18. The Dead or Alive 2 RTP is 96.8%, which is good for an online slot.

This game’s volatility is extremely high. Its features and giant max payout really drive up the volatility.

Game Features

Dead or Alive 2 boasts three different bonus rounds and large scatter payouts. The latter offer payouts worth as much as 2,500x your stake for five scatter symbols.

You trigger 12 free spins by landing 3+ scatters (cattle skull w/ guns) anywhere on the reels. You’ll be given the choice between the following three bonuses, which all differ based on their volatility level and modifiers.

Train Heist (Low Volatility)

These free spins feature a win multiplier. You receive both +1 free spin and a 1x multiplier boost whenever a wild symbol lands. If your multiplier hits 16x, then you’ll collect +5 free games.

Old Saloon (Medium Volatility)

This bonus multiplies all wins 2x. Any outlaw wild symbol that lands on the reels becomes sticky for the duration of the free games. Assuming you get wilds on all five reels, then you’ll receive +5 free spins.

High Noon (Very High Volatility)

High Noon is where the aforementioned 111,111x payout can happen. It features sticky wilds that also include 2x and 3x multipliers. These wilds multiply by each other (e.g. 2 x 3 = 6x), so massive wins are possible with lots of wild symbols on the reels. Like with Old Saloon, you get +5 free spins when landing a wild on each reel.

Bonus Buy

NetEnt has released an updated version of Dead or Alive 2 that includes Buy Bonus. Available in most jurisdictions outside the UK, this feature lets you purchase the bonus for 66x your stake. 3+ scatters will automatically land on the next spin after you use Buy Feature. If yo're lucky you can also have 5 scatters (2,500x) when you buy the bonus.

Final Thoughts on Dead or Alive 2 Slot

Dead or Alive is undecidedly one of the greatest slots of all time. Somehow, though, NetEnt has produced a sequel that’s even better.

They approached Dead or Alive 2 from the right angle by not changing too much. Instead, they just upgraded and modernized the second installment—plus pushed the win potential to another stratosphere.

The massive top payout gives you a shot at winning seven figures with a maximum bet. You just need to choose the extremely volatile High Noon free spins to chase the 111,111x max prize.

If you’re not comfortable with high volatility, though, you can always opt for the Old Saloon or Train Heist free spins. These bonuses provide more-consistent winnings.

Back to the upgrades, NetEnt made sure to enhance the graphics in Dead or Alive 2 without making the symbols and atmosphere look too different. Therefore, you still feel like you’re playing the same series even with the games being 10 years apart.

In summary, Dead or Alive 2 is every bit as good as the original slot. Time will only tell, but it has the potential to be even better in many respects.

Release Date

Dead or Alive 2 was released on October 29 2020.