Release The Kraken 2

Underwater online slots games have proved popular amongst punters for many years. Release The Kraken 2 follows this theme but incorporates a variety of unique components to make it stand out against the sea of other alternatives. Of course, this is a sequel to the original Release The Kraken, which quickly rose to the top of online slots in casinos around the world. In addition to the wealth of features, all of which are covered in this review, the graphics are superb, with high-quality symbols and an animated background. 

This slot was created by one of the leaders in the industry, who also made the original. Of course, this is Pragmatic Play, who has a signature style that Release The Kraken 2 incorporates. Pragmatic has an immense portfolio of top-tier releases, which includes the likes of Bomb Bonanza, Greedy Wolf, and Raging Bull, to name just a few. 

First up, we have the normal J, Q, K, and A symbols, which are the least desirable icons in Release The Kraken 2. Premium symbols include a green fish, a blue fish, a turtle, and a shark, which can award up to 5x, 7.5x, 10x, and 12.5x the stake size, respectively. The last premium symbol is the logo for the game, which can award players with a maximum of 25x if five create a matching combination.

There are many different special symbols in this slot, too, with two variations of wilds. First is the bubble symbol, which acts as the main wild in the game. A Kraken wild can also appear, which can appear in both regular and golden variations. Finally, there are three scatter symbols, all of which can trigger the primary bonus mode, which is covered below. 

Let's start by taking a look at perhaps the most straightforward feature in Release The Kraken 2, which can guarantee a matching combination. During the end of a spin, at random, the Kraken may appear to mix up the symbols in order to form a combination worth up to 50x the stake size. This rearrangement can also cause three scatter symbols to appear in view.

There is also a respin mechanic included in this slot, which is triggered if four or more wilds appear. One respin is awarded, with the aforementioned wild icons moving into different positions. Should another wild appear, one more respin will be awarded, with all matching combinations being awarded to the player throughout. This continues until no new wilds appear on the reels.

Shifting wilds is another bonus feature that sees a fully stacked set of wild icons appear on any of the three middle reels. At the end of the spin, this stack will move down one position, with a potential win multiplier being increased by 1x. This continues until the stacked wild is no longer in view.

Finally, there is a free spins bonus, which is triggered if 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols appear across any of the reels. In the same order, players can be awarded with 4-15 free spins with a maximum multiplier of 6x, 5-20 free spins with a maximum multiplier of 10x, or 6-20 spins with the same top multiplier of 10x.

Before this mode starts, players are taken to a screen that contains a variety of chests. They can pick a chest, before either accepting or declining the number of spins and multiplier combinations. Should they decline, some of the chests will be removed, with the option to pick again. This continues until only one chest remains, at which point players will have the option to select the starting chest or the one left in play. Of course, any of the other offers can be accepted along the way.

All matching combinations will have the win multiplier applied to them during this mode, with the grid also adding 20 more paylines, creating a total of 40. Two different wilds can appear during this mode, a standard and a gold variation. Both will remain on the reels until the end of the round, moving into random positions during each spin. However, a gold wild will add 1x to the potential win multiplier. In typical Pragmatic Play fashion, this bonus can also be bought for 100x the bet size, or 250x for a 'VIP' bonus, which guarantees five scatter icons.

Many punters would agree that this slot is a fitting sequel to the original, which quickly became a popular choice at online casinos. Release The Kraken 2 has a wide range of bonus features, with the mini-game before the free spins mode being changed in an attempt to offer even more entertainment!