Dead or Alive 2 Slot Review 2024

Dead or Alive 2 Slot Overview

Dead or Alive 2 slot is produced by NetEnt, a leading casino-game developer with more than 200 titles. It was released in 2019, ten years after the original 2009 Dead or Alive.

With 5 reels and just 9 paylines, Dead or Alive II provides a straightforward playing experience, but its bonus games are where things really come alive. The game has high volatility, but with a jackpot of 111,111.1x, the potential for a big win adds to its appeal.

Dead or Alive 2 Slot Demo

Dead or Alive 2 will soon be available to play for free on WSN. In the meantime, check out the best NetEnt casinos to try out the demo version.

Where to Play Dead or Alive 2 Casino Game?

Check out the list above for my top online casinos to play this exciting Western-themed game. All of the casinos I’ve mentioned are licensed to operate in the US, but be sure to check the specific state regulations.

My favorite place to play Dead or Alive 2 is at BetMGM’s online casino. With more than 5,000 slot games, it’s a great place to find more games from Dead or Alive 2’s casino software developer, NetEnt. After playing Dead or Alive and its sequel, you can also play popular NetEnt games like Narcos, Starburst, or Gonzo’s Quest.

What would make this game even better is some kind of free spin casino promo, or anything really, but alas, none of the casinos I checked had any promo related to Dead or Alive II. Right now, you can find various Black Friday-themed casino promos, and Dead or Alive 2 doesn’t really fit the description, does it? Still, it’s a great slot game, whether there are casino promotions for it or not.

It’s worth noting that Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive 2 are not always available at the same casinos. I found the first Dead or Alive game at FanDuel, but the sequel wasn’t available to play at this casino. While I’m sure there are a number of possible reasons for this, it would be nice not to have to change casinos if you want to play both games.

If you live in a state where online casinos haven’t been legalized, you may still be able to play Dead or Alive 2 at a sweepstakes, or social, casino. Social casinos allow you to play casino games without betting real money. I was able to find Dead or Alive 2 at BetRivers.net, the social casino side of BetRivers.com.

Dead or Alive 2 Slot RTP, Payout, and Volatility

Dead or Alive 2 has an RTP of 96.82% with a high volatility and a maximum payout of more than 100,000x your stake. Be prepared for plenty of spins with no wins and having to be patient to trigger those bonus games.

If those figures don’t mean anything to you, let me unpack them. 

RTP stands for Return to Player and refers to what percentage of bets a slot pays out in wins on average over time. The average RTP for online slots is 96%, so Dead or Alive II’s RTP is higher than the norm at 96.82%. This means that for every $100 wagered, players can expect to see an average return of $96.82.

One interesting thing to note is that Dead or Alive 2 offers exactly the same high RTP as its precursor, Dead or Alive. Both games have an RTP of exactly 96.82%. It’s nice that fans of the original game will be able to expect the same high RTP while playing the sequel.

If you think that high RTP means you’re going to be hitting lots of wins playing Dead or Alive 2, think again. That’s where volatility comes in. 

A volatility rating measures the size and frequency of payouts. A low-volatility slot pays out smaller wins more frequently; high-volatility slots pay larger wins but they tend to happen less often.

Dead or Alive 2 has a high volatility rating. I can personally verify this with the fact that I only won the Free Spins bonus once after hours of playing the game.

What does this mean for players? It means you are likely to spend a lot of time and money on spins before you trigger the bonus game. However, when you do hit it, you are very likely to wind up with a very juicy payout. 

Most regular wins tend to be fairly low and the game has a top wager of just $9. However, the maximum jackpot that comes into play with the bonus games is capped at 111,111.1, which means that landing it could win you an impressive $999,999.9.

Dead or Alive 2 Bonus Features

In my opinion, Dead or Alive 2 is all about the bonus games. The regular game looks impressive, but the gameplay is fairly repetitive and the really big wins are only possible when you manage to trigger the bonus. 

The game has taken an interesting approach to its bonus features by allowing players to choose between three game options. They make use of traditional slot features like Wild and Scatter Symbols, but the three choices add a personalized playing experience.

The bonus feature is triggered by landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols in the main game. The scatter symbol looks like a pair of crossed pistols with a longhorn skull. You’ll receive 12 free spins and three bonus game choices. 

Train Heist (Multiplier Option)

During this game, every Wild Symbol landed awards one additional free spin and increases the multiplier by 1x. Wild Symbols display a picture of a Wild West character like Annie Oakley or Billy the Kid. The progressive multiplier can increase all the way up to 16x; if you reach this maximum, you’ll be awarded five more free spins.

Old Saloon (Sticky Wilds Option)

In this game, your 12 free spins come with a 2x multiplier. If you land on a wild symbol, it will turn into a sticky wild and remain in place for the rest of your free spins. Land five wild symbols on the board in every reel and you’ll receive five additional free spins.

High Noon Saloon (Combo Option)

The third option combines both multipliers and sticky wilds to maximize your wins. This time, wilds turn sticky as well as multiplying 2 or 3 wilds that land on the same reel will turn into 2x or 3x multipliers, respectively. Five extra free spins are awarded if you land wilds on all 5 reels.

When I triggered the bonus, I decided to go for it and chose the High Noon Saloon option. I walked away with 98 coins. Not bad considering I was betting a relatively low 0.10 coin during play test.

Dead or Alive 2 User Experience

Dead or Alive 2 offers its users a playing experience that’s both simple and visually appealing. Players of every level of experience will find something to enjoy with this game, but the volatility means that you need to be prepared for the possibility of absorbing a lot of losses.

The layout is made up of 3 rows, 5 lines, and 9 paylines. These paylines are clearly displayed with colored numbers on the sides of the slot reel. Important information is organized along the bottom of the screen. This is where you can set your betting amount, see wins and balances, and press the circular “Spin” button.

The paytable is found behind the “i” (for information) button at the left of the screen. The regular icons include 10, J, Q, K, and A, as well as various Western-themed symbols such as a sheriff’s badge, cowboy boots, and a pistol. 

The game is set against the backdrop of a Wild West town. It’s abandoned and dusty with rickety wooden buildings. The audio is also fitting for the Western theme, a twangy melody that makes you feel like a tumbleweed is blowing by.

The game totally changes whenever you enter one of the bonus games, with new backgrounds for each one and a change in tempo of the music, which I like. It really reinforces the idea that the bonus round is special and gave me the same sensation of reaching a “boss” level in a video game. 

I can see an improvement in this game from the first Dead or Alive, as the graphics in Dead or Alive 2 look more sophisticated. While both games are fun, the original game feels more cartoonish, with the sequel looking and sounding much more refined.

I especially liked how sharp Dead or Alive 2 looked when I played on my phone. The symbols animate when you win, and they were crystal clear on the smaller game screen.

Anyone who has played the original Dead or Alive game will certainly enjoy playing Dead or Alive 2. With the same high RTP, more bonus play options, and sophisticated graphics, I’m personally picking the sequel over the original.

Dead or Alive 2 Final Thoughts

Dead or Alive 2 builds on its precursor by adding more bonus options and detailed graphics while continuing the classic Western theme.

Set on 5 reels, 3 rows, and 9 paylines, the game offers high volatility, an RTP of 96.82%, and a 100,000x jackpot. While I’m happy to see that the RTP and jackpot are high, I would have liked to see more paylines or a slight decrease in volatility to increase the potential for smaller wins.

I had fun choosing between the three free spins bonus options, where I could take a chance on multipliers, wilds, or a combination of both. I appreciate games that give the player an element of control, even if strategy isn’t really a thing in slot games with a fixed house edge.

While the low betting limits make sense for all kinds of players, the super high volatility means this game is definitely suited to more experienced players with deeper bankrolls who are prepared for plenty of spins with no wins. 

While gambling responsibly is always important, it’s even more so with high volatility games like this. Don’t let your judgment get clouded by that 111,111.1x jackpot. You are still at a mathematical disadvantage of winning and high volatility means very infrequent payouts. 

That said, if you’re a real adrenaline-loving jackpot chaser (and you can afford it), I can’t think of a better game to play than Dead or Alive 2.