Dead or Alive Slot Review 2024 – Exceptional Visuals and Bonus Features
NetEnt is one of the leading developers in the iGaming industry for a reason – just look at the Dead or Alive slot! Considered to be one of the most impressive slots to this day, a lot of new players become stunned when they try the game, and learn that it was released in 2009. In this Dead or Alive slot review, we will happily explain the strong and not so strong points of this NetEnt title, so you can decide if DOA is indeed the phenomenon it appeared to be upon its release.
The Dead or Alive Slot Is the Wild West, Partner!
Indeed – the saloon feel, whisky shots, cowboy boots and hats; the entire game is as wild as the Wild West it portrays, but that’s definitely not all. There is a deeper meaning behind it all, as actual historical outlaws from that time period are present here in all their “wanted poster” glory. Whether you like Billy the Kid or Jesse James more, you might just get to meet their symbols in this slot, and more.
When the slot was initially developed, it was done on the platform Flash; however, when HTML5 came our a few years after the release of the slot, NetEnt completely reworked it to not only allow it to run on all types of mobile devices but fully flourished the slot’s original artwork in glorious HD.
The Dead or Alive Online Slot Gives a Lot to Its Players
Starting off things with a classic reel layout of 5×3, the Dead or Alive slot game puts in play 12 symbols in total. Five of those will be of the high-paying variety, five will pay a smaller amount of money, and two of the symbols will be special. The special symbols themselves (the pistol scatters and the wanted poster wilds) will be the main ones that will form winning combinations that will also enable the two special features of the game itself – the free spins and the sticky wilds.
The principle is simple – if a player lands three or more pistol scatter symbols (regardless of their position), they will instantly enable 12 free spins (FS). Any winnings sustained while in free spins mode will be multiplied by two and can be retriggered only once. Those free spins that have been retriggered will also keep any sticky wilds that have resulted during the free spins session!
The wild symbol will substitute all others, with the exception of the scatter symbols; however, when a player engages the FS mode, the wanted poster symbols will turn into “sticky wilds” and remain until the end of the free spins. Once turned “sticky”, the wild symbols will reveal one of the of the outlaw characters – Billy, Belle, Jesse, Della and Apache. When a sticky wild symbol appears, it will grant five additional free spins. If you want to experience the features without having to risk your real money, you can play the Dead or Alive slot for free!
Note That Winnings Are Formed Very Specifically
Before we calculate the output of winnings for the player, we need to mention the best symbol combination in the game, along with how it is calculated based on the type of betting medium used for the wagers themselves. First and foremost, a winning line of five wild symbols during free spins mode will provide a prize of 15,000 points (7,500 for the five symbols, which are subjected to an x2 free spins winning multiplier). If the game has been set by the online casino to use coins, that final result will be multiplied by the current bet level of the player; for example, 15,000 coins multiplied by a bet level 4, will produce a maximum prize of 60,000 coins.
In other cases, if the Dead or Alive online slot is set to work directly with fiat currency, then the final result will be multiplied by the coin value. Using the British Pound Sterling for reference, we would take the maximum coin value that can be set by the player (which is ÂŁ0.50) and multiply it by the winning points (15,000). This will result in a maximum prize of ÂŁ7,500 for the player.
Although the value may slightly differ across other fiat currencies, this particular value does seem to be the maximum standard. Whether the version of the Dead or Alive slot you play is going to be set with coins or currency, the end result will still be more than impressive if you manage to land the best symbol combo on the paytable. If you would like to try how it all works without you having to risk real money, you can play the Dead or Alive slot for free.
Check These Facts before You Play the Dead or Alive Slot
Although the only thing you need to do is set your initial bet and press the spin button, there are a few things you need to understand. First, the minimum and maximum bet values are going to be from 0.01 coins to 0.50 coins. Although the game has nine fixed paylines, the slot also allows players to set their bet level which can increase the bet per spin (BPS) significantly. For example, if a player decides to go the low road, the BPS will come at 0.09 coins. If high rollers want to try their luck, they can max out their bet level and wager amount, and bring their BPS to 18 coins!
Contrary to the popular fads of low-volatility slots of that time, the Dead or Alive came out strong with a high volatility factor. This means that the game will produce lesser wins; however, those wins will be significantly bigger. The Dead or Alive slot RTP rate is 96.82%, and if we are to judge by industry standards, this is considered to be a good percentage. All lines will pay from left to right, and only wins from the highest pay line will be given to the player. Naturally, any wins gained by the player may have a chance to be multiplied, during free spins mode.
Dead or Alive Looks and Sounds Impeccable
NetEnt has gone far and beyond, by developing a game that is meant to immerse every player with both its visual and audio quality, namely the latter. The background noises include a barking dog, a Western whistle tune, and creaking saloon doors from the winds of the upcoming storm – but even that’s not all. The animations of the reels and background elements are exceptionally smooth, which is something that anyone has rarely seen from a slot game that is more than a decade old! For a game the looks and sounds like that, beginner players would have no trouble in mistaking that the Dead or Alive slot was recently made.
The Dead or Alive Slot Game Is Exceptionally Versatile
NetEnt has achieved uniform success, by creating the Dead or Alive slot to have the same gameplay on all gaming platforms, without adding or removing any additional gameplay features. The only actual difference comes from the way the game looks on mobile devices that run on Android or iOS – the interfaces spin controls are located to one side of the device screen for easier use with thumbs.
It wasn’t until ten years later when NetEnt decided to revive the popularity of the brand, and create the second instalment in the Dead or Alive saga – Dead or Alive 2. It features even better graphics, and this time around, it introduces a number of interesting mini-games, which grant additional prizes. The second part of the series has been anticipated for ten years, which would explain why it became widely popular just like its predecessor, once it was released.
Detailed Interface Controls and Subtle Features
Usually, enabling and controlling some of the base mechanics of the slot are done in the least sophisticated way possible; however, this can somewhat hinder the gameplay experience of more seasoned slot players. For example, functions like the auto-spin are often limited to 100 spins, and don’t have many settings; however, the Dead or Alive slot offers an auto spin function that not only allows the player to set their number of spins up to 1,000 but also control the conditions on which the function will disable itself.
The “max bet” button allows for greater convenience when changing your wager strategy, while the “quick spin” and “press space bar to spin” options increase the overall tempo of the game. Even since the beginning of the 2000s, the “slam-stop” function has proven to be vital for slot players that revel in spinning the reels as many times as they can, over the shortest period possible. The Dead or Alive online slot does have a slam-stop feature, which allows the player to cycle through an approximate rate of 1.5 spins per second.
An Impressive-Looking Slot Machine
While many other online casino software developers were just learning to walk by trying to put out online slots that looked like videogames from the beginning of the 90s, NetEnt surprised everyone with an exceptionally looking game that seemed to be perfect. If we are to give our honest opinion, the Dead or Alive slot mostly impresses with its visuals, rather than the innovations of its features. Wilds, scatters, sticky wilds and free spins are considered to be standard features today, and it is exactly this simplicity combined with the impressive visuals that made the Dead or Alive online slot so successful. Go ahead and try it out!
FAQ
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What Are the Currencies That the Slot Supports?
The Dead or Alive slot supports numerous currencies, but the most common ones used by the best online casinos, are the Euro and the British Pound Sterling. Depending on the online casino that offers the game, the bet denomination can be 1:1 currency-to-coin (CTC). In the occasion when a type of currency has a value that greatly differentiates from other better-established denominations, it is possible that the CTC rate may differ greatly.
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Are There Any Cons to the Dead or Alive Slot Game?
The short answer is, no! If we are to judge the game by functionality, we would say that it was built to specifications and functioning properly. On the other hand, the game’s maximum betting limit isn’t as high as that of other slots released at that time, which does present a particular dilemma, given the fact that the game is often advertised to appeal to high rollers. Furthermore, depending on the monetary value assigned to coins, in some cases, the maximum reward might be bigger than the one of a slot which is set up to function with fiat currency.
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Are There Any Successful Dead or Alive Slot Strategies That Would Help Me Win More?
If its to win more often, highly unlikely, however, there might be something you could do, to positively affect your money balance by the end of your play session. While many other experts suggest that players should always bet on max, we often advise players to exact moderation, in order to increase the number of spins. Occasionally, it is a good thing to place one or two higher wagers per spin, so that players can maximise their chances of receiving a substantial win.