WANTED: Dead or Alive. In a throwback to the days of cowboys, indians and outlaws, Dead or Alive slot from NetEnt is a beautifully-drawn 5 reel slot, with a range of symbols themed around the wild west. It’s a reasonably basic game, but it has all the hallmarks of NetEnt, and all the features that have made them one of the most highly regarded games developers in the online gambling industry.
This is quite a high variance online slot, which can be a bit risky if you don’t watch your bankroll. The sticky wilds are your best bet, and these will help you cash in on the biggest wins this slot has to offer. While the possible wins are potentially huge, the entertainment value is all there as well, with characters like Jesse James and Billy the Kidd making the odd appearance.
It’s a game that will appeal to fans of spaghetti westerns, but there’s plenty of mass appeal for those just looking to try something new. While there are only 9 paylines across the 5 reels, there are not as many different symbol combinations available as in some other slots. However, this does make for a game that feels more condensed, which is probably in large part responsible for the cult status the game has earned over the years.
Of course, it wouldn’t be quite as popular as it is without the huge winnings potential, and Dead or Alive continues to win fans for this alone. Wins of up to 2500x are available on the main game, and spins can run into as bets of up to 18.00, meaning potential wins of 45,000.00 could be on the cards.
All the symbols are themed around an old Western saloon, with shot glasses, cowboy hats and other paraphernalia on the saloon doors backdrop of the main game. But what symbols should you be looking out for on the reels, and what impact can they have on your game?
Just like in all our reviews, lets find out about the special symbols. The reels are adorned with various different outlaw-themed icons, like the sheriffs badge, the ten gallon hat and the shots of liquor. But in between these value symbols are a few icons in particular you should make a note of, which can help accentuate your winnings and leave you feel as rich as an outlaw’s that’s escaped the sheriff’s clutches.
The Wanted Poster Wild: This is the game’s wild symbol, and it behaves in much the same way as you’d expect from a wild. It won’t switch for any of the feature symbols, but it can stand in for any value symbol you are missing in order to complete a payline.
The Crossed Pistols Scatter: The crossed pistols are the scatter icon in Dead or Alive. Three or more of these on the reels triggers the bonus feature, which comes in the form of free spins. By default, you’ll win 12 free spins with a 2x multiplier, in force for the duration of the round. But if you happen to land any additional Wanted Poster symbols during the free spins round, the hold in place – effectively acting as sticky wilds for your next spins. The idea is that the more of the Wanted Posters you turn up in your free round, the easier it will be to rack up decent possible winnings from your spinning.
If you manage to wind up with 5 wanted posters, one across each of the reels, you can even pick up an extra 5 free spins for your troubles…and the whole thing starts again. It should be obvious by now that the biggest potential wins to be enjoyed from Dead or Alive tend to come from these bonus rounds, and the effect of free spins and the multipliers kicking into action.
Don’t let the lack of paylines fool you – this game has the potential for some very generous possible winnings, and compares favourably to other, similar-styled slots. There’s enough action packed onto these condensed reels to make this game worthy of repeat play, you won’t have to think twice about coming back for more. If you’re a fan of cowboys and outlaws, or you’re just looking to try your hand at a new slots challenge, this is one game you definitely don’t want to miss. Check it out today, and play Dead or Alive here at PartyCasino.