Overview
Dive into the vibrant underwater world of Pragmatic Play's Release the Kraken 2! This high-volatility sequel (5/5 volatility rating) takes you on a thrilling 5-reel, 4-row adventure with 20 paylines expanding to 40 during free spins. Prepare for an explosion of color and playful animations as you encounter a cast of charming deep-sea characters on your quest for the 5,000x max win. Unique features like Wild Respins, Shifting Stack Wilds, and Guaranteed Wins keep the excitement bubbling throughout the base game. The innovative 'Deal or No Deal' free spins bonus round adds a layer of strategic decision-making, offering varying free spins and multipliers. With multiple RTP values depending on bet selection (96.03% at max bet, increasing with Ante Bet), Release the Kraken 2 caters to both casual and high-roller players seeking an engaging and potentially lucrative underwater experience. Get ready for a more cheerful, friendlier Kraken than before!
Gameplay & Features
Release the Kraken 2's extra bits can also be divided up into base game random features such as Wild Repsins, Shifting Stacked Wilds, Guaranteed Wins, plus a free spins bonus round with win multipliers and sticky roaming wilds.
• Wild Respin
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If4 or more wildshit in the base game after the payout has been made,respin modeis activated. Thewilds stay on the grid, moving to arandom position, while the rest of the symbols are respun. The game pays for any winning lines after each respin, and if more wilds hit, one more respin is awarded. When no more wilds hit after a respin, the feature ends.
• Shifting Stack Wilds
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The Shifting Stack Wild symbols can appear onreels 2, 3, or 4in the base gameat random. When the spin stops, Shifting Wild Stacks aremoved, so theycover all positionson their reel. For each position a Shifting Stack Wild isnudged, itsmultiplier is increased by +1. After the nudging, wins are paid, where multipliers areadded togetherbefore being applied.
• Guaranteed Win
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Randomly, on anon-winning base game spin, the Kraken may come into view andrearrange the symbolsto create a win worth20-50x the bet. In addition,randomlyon a spin,3 scatter symbolscan appear as the result of an explosion to award free spins.
• Free Spins
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Landing3 or more scatter symbolstriggers the free spins feature. Before free spins start, amini bonus gameoccurs todetermine the number of free spins and the win multiplierDeal or No Deal style. 3 scatter symbol trigger– 4 to 15 free spins with up to an x6 multiplier. 4 scatter symbol trigger– 5 to 20 free spins with up to an x10 multiplier. 5 scatter symbol trigger– 6 to 20 free spins with up to an x10 multiplier. For the mini-game,16 boxesare presented, each one containing a mix of free spins and a win multiplier from the limits laid out above. One box isselected, which players can eitheraccept or reject. Accepting the box awards its free spins and win multiplier, and the feature begins. Rejecting the box means several boxes are removed from the list, and the player is presented with a free spins/multiplier offer. Accepting the offer starts the feature; rejecting it removes more boxes, repeating the sequence. Going all the way to the end means one final box and the starting box are left - players must choose one to open. During free spins, thewin multiplierapplies to all wins, and thegrid increases the number of paylines to 40. Also, whenwild symbolshit, theyremain on the reelsuntil the round ends,moving to a randomcell after each spin. If agolden wild symbolhits, it alsoincreases the win multiplier by +1. Free spinscannot be retriggered.
• Buy Free Spins
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If available, players are able to buy two types of bonuses. Standard Free Spins costs100x the betto land 3-5 scatter symbols (RTP 96. 03%); the second one, VIP Free Spins, costs250x the betto guarantee a 5 scatter symbol trigger (RTP 96. 05%)
Final Thoughts
On the whole, Release the Kraken 2 was a fun fish-filled game to play. It has an infectiously positive attitude that's hard not to get on board with, this time playing down the sinister side of the Kraken character. The Kraken certainly looks a lot friendlier than before. Perhaps the influx of so many fishing-themed slots since Release the Kraken was released is an indicator that players prefer a lighter side of the underwater world than a menacing one?
The gameplay mechanics are surely more important than the tone anyway, and here it'll be interesting to see how fans of the first react. Gone are a lot of the pick 'n click elements, the choosing one of three random features bit, and the Sunken Treasure Bonus. Gone too are the giant symbols, Kraken Locking Wilds, and Infectious Kraken Wilds. In their place, the features that come with Release the Kraken 2 have merit. Wilds Respins work well as a sideshow, as does the Shifting Wild Stacks, and who can say no to a guaranteed win?
The Deal or No Deal part of free spins is a little strange, though. It adds an extra dab of excitement over simply being given a random number of free spins and a win multiplier the moment the feature triggers. Again, this particular method isn't a detractor in any way; it's just a bit unexpectedly odd. What might put more of a dampener on fans' spirits is the decision to half the max win by setting the win cap at5,000x the bet. The reduction is not a deal breaker as such, but it's unusual to see a sequel go smaller rather than larger, although at the time of the release of the original, Pragmatic had a tendency to exaggerate their max win claims.
In the end, there were no real complaints about the Release the Kraken 2 experience. It looks neat, has a fun feel, and possesses a good number of features it can deliver onto the reels. It's tough to say whether Release the Kraken 2 is an outright improvement over the game which preceded it or not, so let's be diplomatic and just call it different.
