Release the Kraken 2 Slot Review
So, you’ve met someone on Tinder and miraculously, she even looks like her profile pics (not that that’s ever happened to me). Your first real date is going swimmingly and there’s some Breaking Bad-level chemistry going on.
You walk her to her car – not because you’re a gentleman – and as she turns around, you’re shoving your tongue down her gullet and groping her ass like a greengrocer assessing a batch of melons. You, my friend, are a Kraken.
That’s right, Mr. Handsy. You’re cut from the same cloth as that legendary Norwegian sea monster. And no, that’s not a good thing.
The only giant squid that might be awesome, is the one in Release the Kraken 2 slot from Pragmatic Play. It’s time to find out.
Gameplay
We’re in the depths of the ocean in an aquatic wonderworld of Pragmatic’s creation. It’s teeming with life in the form of pufferfish, sharks, eels, and anglerfish.
The Kraken is our Wild symbol, replacing all other symbols except for the Bonus. Land 5 Wilds on a winning payline and you’ll be rewarded with 20x your stake.
To the left of the 5-reel grid are the Buy and Ante BetAn Ante Bet is an option that costs a percentage of your bet but increases your chances of landing triggering symbols that initiate a feature. features, which I’ll describe in more detail a bit later.
The game comes bundled with a 96.50% RTPRTP stands for “Return to Player.” The RTP describes the total bet amount that a game returns to players over millions of spins, and that figure is represented by a percentage. Table games, such as Roulette, typically have higher RTPs than many slots.
RTP needs to be considered in conjunction with a game’s volatility rate. and a high volatility rate. The max win is even better than we could’ve hoped for, tipping the scales at a monstrous €380,000! The only currencies you won’t be able to play in are Bitcoin Cash, Tether, and Japanese yen.
The payline situation is an interesting one, as there are 20 fixed paylines in the base game, but this number doubles during the Free Spins round.
Features
RANDOM FEATURES:
During the base game, one of the following features could randomly trigger: Wild Re-spin, Shifting Stacked WildsUnlike fully expanded Wilds, which is a single Wild that takes over an entire reel, Stacked Wilds will appear as individual symbols stacked one on top of another. They can take over a reel but don’t always have to., or the Guaranteed Win.
Wild Re-spin:
Hit 4 or more Wilds simultaneously and you’ll segway into the Free Spins round after your payout. Wild symbols will now be locked on random positions on the grid, while the other positions spin. Land additional Wilds and you’ll score even more spins!
Shifting Stacked WildsUnlike fully expanded Wilds, which is a single Wild that takes over an entire reel, Stacked Wilds will appear as individual symbols stacked one on top of another. They can take over a reel but don’t always have to.:
These bad boys appear on reels 2 to 4 and take over an entire reel (duh). Every position that a Shifting Stacked Wild is nudged across will increase its multiplier by a factor of 1.
Guaranteed Wins:
If you’re in the doldrums after scoring no wins, place your faith in the Kraken. A random sea monster might just appear on the grid and rearrange the symbols so you score a win worth 20x to 60x your total bet!
And 3 Bonus symbols can also appear randomly, fast-tracking you to the Free Spins round.
FREE SPINS:
The Bonus symbol (which is a golden Kraken) is what you’ll need to initiate the Free Spins feature. Well, you’ll need at least 3 of them, to be more accurate.
The number of Bonus symbols you land will determine how many spins and multipliers you scoop up: 3 Bonus symbols = 4 to 15 spins and up to a 6x multiplier; 4 Bonus symbols = 5 to 20 spins and a multiplier value of up to 10x; 5 Bonus symbols = 6 to 20 spins and a multiplier of up to 10x.
Before the feature kicks off in earnest, there’s an interesting twist. You’ll have the option to play a mini-round, which works like this.
You’ll see 2 sets of treasure chests flanking a scroll. On the scroll are 2 options: accept what’s to come or hit REJECT and pick your own combo. There’s also a table in the middle that lists all the spin/multiplier combinations.
So why would you pick REJECT over ACCEPT? Well, the number of Bonus symbols determines your spins/multiplier combo, and accepting your fate means the algorithm will decide how many of these you get.
By playing the mini-game, you can possibly improve your lot by removing the poorer options. But it’s a risk, of course.
Any wins that happen during Free Spins will be increased by your allotted multiplier value, and newly-landed Wilds will stay on the grid until the feature is over. They’ll also move about randomly with each spin.
Oh, and landing a golden Kraken boosts the current multiplier by a factor of +1.
ANTE BET:
You can bolster your chances of getting into the Free Spins round for an increase of 25% of your bet.
BUY FEATURE:
Alternatively, you can buy your way into the Free Spins round – there are 2 options to choose from. The Standard one costs 100x your bet and you’ll land 3 to 5 Bonus symbols as a result. The VIP option costs 250x your bet and guarantees 5 Bonus symbols.
Performance
I played round after round of Release the Kraken 2 slot, and it didn’t fail me even once. The game is also optimized for all devices, so there was no difference when I transitioned from my laptop to my mobile phone (or from Safari to Chrome, for that matter).
Maximum Win
If you needed a reason to play Release the Kraken 2 slot, I can give you 380,000 of em! That number is the max win that’s at stake here (in euros). The multiplier is a little on the weak side, at 5,000x, and it means you’ll need to sustain your betting at €76 for a crack at the treasure.
Alternatively, you can bet from as little as €0.20 upwqards.
Conclusion
It’s almost impossible not to have a whale of a time while playing Release the Kraken 2 slot. It’s upbeat and beautifully rendered, and statistically, it’s solid. And let’s not forget that astonishing max win: wawaweewa!
The random features also add a bit of excitement to the mix, which helps break up the tedium that’s unavoidable over a few hundred spins.
I’m still on the fence with the mini-game, where you have a hand in the spins/multipliers you get during Free Spins. I feel like it’s trying to make you believe that you have some element of control over what you get, but in the end, it’s always down to the algorithm, isn’t it?
Irrespective, I like that Pragmatic has tried to do something different and I’m more than happy to recommend this game. Check it out, yo!
Slot Details
Software: Pragmatic Play
Game Type: Video Slots
PaylinesPaylines are preset lines that run across the reels, and when you land matching symbols on them, that will result in a payout. The more paylines, the more ways you can win, but also the higher your bet per spin.: 20 to 40
Reels: 5
RTPRTP stands for “Return to Player.” The RTP describes the total bet amount that a game returns to players over millions of spins, and that figure is represented by a percentage. Table games, such as Roulette, typically have higher RTPs than many slots.
RTP needs to be considered in conjunction with a game’s volatility rate.: 96.50%
Bonus Round: No
Progressive: No
Free Rounds: Free Spins
Max Win: €380,000
Published by:
BitStarz, award-winning Bitcoin Casino
