Dead or Alive 2 is NetEnt’s sequel to the 2009 original, released in 2019 and built on the same Wild West theme of wanted posters, saloons and outlaws. It kept the reputation of the first game — long stretches of nothing broken by a free spin round that decides everything — and added a choice of three different free spin modes, which is the main reason players treat it as a separate game rather than a reskin.
- Free spins
- Three bonus modes
- Sticky wilds
- Win multipliers
- Scatter trigger
- Studio
- NetEnt
- Released
- 2019
- Layout
- 5 reels, 3 rows
- Ways to win
- 9 fixed lines
- Volatility
- Very high
How It Plays
Five reels, three rows and nine fixed paylines. Wins are paid for three, four or five matching symbols on a line, counted from the leftmost reel to the right, and only the highest combination on a line is paid. Nine lines is a small number by modern standards, and it is part of why the base game is as quiet as it is.
The stake is set by two controls in the usual NetEnt way: a bet level from 1 to 10 and a coin value from 0.01 to 0.10. That gives a spin cost from 0.09 to 9.00. The low ceiling is a genuine limitation — a player who wants a large stake per spin will not find it here.
Symbols
The high symbols are wanted posters of four outlaws, each drawn in the same worn paper style with a name and a bounty printed on it. Below them sit the low symbols, western-dressed playing card values that make up the bulk of the reels and pay very little on their own.
A wild substitutes for every regular symbol and is what turns a dead line into a paid one, particularly in the bonus where wilds hold their position. The dynamite scatter does not pay a line combination; its only job is to open the free spins. Because the top symbols land rarely and the low ones pay so little, almost all of the game’s outcome sits in the bonus round rather than in ordinary spins.
Bonus Feature
Three or more dynamite scatters anywhere on the reels trigger the free spins. Instead of one round, the game then asks which of three versions to play: Train Heist, Old Saloon or High Noon Saloon. All three start from twelve free spins, and the choice is made once per trigger.
The modes differ in how the multiplier is built. Train Heist collects sticky wilds as the round runs and raises the multiplier as more of them are held on the reels, with extra spins awarded for spreading wilds across the layout. High Noon Saloon puts no ceiling on its multiplier: it rises with every winning spin, so a run of consecutive wins compounds, and a dry stretch simply burns the twelve spins. Old Saloon is the most conservative of the three and is the one players pick when they want the round to return something rather than swing for the top.
This is where the game earns its reputation. The base game exists mainly to fund the trigger, the round itself is short, and most rounds end small. The information panel states the maximum win as 111,111 times the bet, which is a ceiling reached in the free spins and not something to plan a session around.
Controls
The control panel runs along the bottom of the screen. Bet shows what the current spin costs, Coins shows the balance in coins, and the spin button sits on the right.
Level sets the bet level from 1 to 10 and Coin Value sets the coin from 0.01 to 0.10; the two multiply across the nine lines to give the spin cost. Max Bet raises the level to its top without changing the coin value. Autoplay runs a chosen number of automatic spins and can be told to stop on any win, on a single win above an amount you set, or once the balance moves by a set figure — worth configuring in a game that can run long without a bonus.
Every game also carries an information panel with its rules and its return-to-player figure for the build running here. That panel is the accurate source; a number copied from elsewhere may describe a different build — see how to read RTP.
Pros and Cons
Dead or Alive 2 is a very high volatility slot and does not disguise it. The base game pays rarely and small, and everything of interest happens inside the free spins. That suits a player who is comfortable spending a long stretch with nothing on the screen for the sake of one round that might matter, and who sets a stake small enough to survive that stretch.
It is a poor choice for anyone who wants steady returns, a longer session on a fixed budget, or a large stake per spin, since the bet caps at 9.00. It is also worth being plain about one thing: a long run without a bonus does not make the next spin any more likely to produce one. Every spin is independent, and the game has no memory of the ones before it.
- Three free spin modes give the round a real choice
- Sticky wilds and rising multipliers make the bonus genuinely different from the base game
- Simple nine-line structure with nothing hidden in side bets
- Very high ceiling for players who accept the volatility that comes with it
- Long stretches with no meaningful wins in the base game
- Maximum stake of 9.00 per spin is low
- Most free spin rounds end small despite the headline figures
- Nine paylines and weak low symbols make ordinary spins dull
18+ or the legal age where you live. This game carries a house edge like every other. Play only with money you can afford to lose.
More From NetEnt
Other titles by the same studio in our lobby.
Questions
- How are the free spins triggered?
- Three or more dynamite scatters anywhere on the reels. The round then starts with a choice between the three free spin modes, and all three begin with twelve spins.
- Which free spin mode should I pick?
- It depends on what you want from the round rather than on which is better. High Noon Saloon has the highest ceiling and the highest chance of returning nothing, Old Saloon is the steadier option, and Train Heist sits between them.
- How volatile is it really?
- Very. The base game is built to pay little so that the bonus can pay a lot, which means the balance can fall for a long time without anything happening. Stake accordingly.
- Is a bonus more likely after a long dry run?
- No. Each spin is independent and the game does not track how long it has been since the last trigger. A slot never becomes due.
- What is the bet range?
- From 0.09 to 9.00 a spin, set by a bet level of 1 to 10 and a coin value of 0.01 to 0.10 across the nine fixed lines.