The world of online casinos has seen its fair share of slots inspired by various themes – from ancient civilizations to modern-day pop culture icons. Amidst this sea of creativity, Pragmatic Play’s "Chicken Run" series stands out as a unique offering that takes players back in time to the Wild West. In Chicken Road 2 2023, they followed up on their success with "Chicken Road 2", an enhanced iteration built upon the foundations laid by its predecessor.
The theme and setting
The backdrop for this slot game remains firmly rooted in the American Old West during the late 19th century, but it is now given a fresh new look. The updated visuals incorporate vibrant colors and crisp animations that blend seamlessly together to create an immersive experience. Players are transported into a bustling town filled with cowboy attire-clad chickens as they go about their daily activities.
Upon closer inspection of these characters, one notices they have personalities distinct from one another – something entirely lacking in the first edition of Chicken Run. This adds an extra layer of depth and charm to the game by fostering engagement between players and the on-screen avatars. The narrative woven around this setting revolves primarily around a wild chicken named Buck who must complete various challenges while collecting rewards.
The grid layout
Chicken Road 2 is structured as a classic five-reel slot, albeit with an added twist of non-standard payline structure. Players are not confined to the traditional arrangement and can instead navigate through six distinct routes that offer varying degrees of volatility – an innovative design approach sure to appeal to seasoned gamblers. The layout shifts dynamically according to which route players select.
In-game symbols
Symbols within Chicken Road 2 mirror its predecessor, featuring various inanimate objects found during a typical 19th-century Western setting: a horse shoe, bellows, lasso loop, lanterns and a set of playing cards (from Jack to Ace). There are also special characters, but these do not play as significant roles here. To further enhance this aspect of gameplay Pragmatic added high-stakes symbols depicting Buck the wild chicken along with a map symbol.
Payout structure
The payout system in Chicken Road 2 has undergone substantial changes from its predecessor’s paytable-based design and now operates on the principle that six distinct routes can offer a variety of total wins depending on how many ways they contribute towards them. Each path rewards combinations differently when landing winning outcomes with some rewarding high-stakes combination hits.
Wild symbols
Here, Buck is portrayed as a Wild symbol able to replace any regular in-game symbol. His substitution capabilities hold true for nearly all regular game features apart from the very top-paying wild chickens on the bonus board.
Scatters and free spins
In this iteration of Chicken Road 2 players get the chance at some good fortune, thanks to two different special icons: a map pin that can trigger any number of up to fifteen new rounds in which all normal payouts become doubled for both standard & special cases. Then there is a lasso symbol with its unique capacity – it’s only required combination piece to bring forth instant cash rewards equaling the players stake multiplied five times over.
Bonus Features
To add more interactivity, "Chicken Road 2" features three additional bonus components alongside the high-stakes paths: two of them related to Buck. These offer potential for significantly bigger prizes but come at slightly higher risks – players now also get awarded exclusive wild chickens when they opt-in using real cash in these modes.
A third mode allows gamers access other items with better odds than common wins since it awards some bonus items which may then be traded against any of those rare wild chicken symbols. All elements mentioned here together contribute greatly toward raising this slot game’s entertainment value significantly.
RTP and volatility
The house edge in Chicken Road 2 has been set to around 95% – relatively low compared with other slots available today, meaning more chances for gamblers at their best odds yet potentially fewer if those optimal situations were missed out on.
Pragmatic took another approach that not only gives players a higher shot at getting some good luck but also introduced moderate volatility as part of the game. Volatility here pertains to how much risk and reward players encounter based upon their betting limits chosen prior any actual stakes applied in gameplay.
Betting range
The minimum bet here stands at $0,20 with topmost accessible amount being around 50 dollars thus catering towards both high rollers as well low-staked beginners making this slot inclusive regardless player preference.
Max win potential
Potential maximum payout for a single game is impressive – set at fifty thousand times total stake applied which may bring gamblers enormous benefits if managed properly.
Gameplay experience
Each round’s flow here feels somewhat enhanced when compared against the initial installment, thanks to Pragmatic implementing various subtle animations designed specifically around character interactions – most noticeably between main chicken figure Buck & his female companion who does sometimes assist him. Their movement brings slight changes in color palette giving more than just static still images.
Mobile compatibility
This release has also seen mobile devices become a viable platform as the game now supports both iOS and Android platforms – running equally well as it would on a PC due mainly to smooth handling of necessary controls & overall design.
Overall analysis
In conclusion, Pragmatic Play’s take on slot machine design presents some compelling features while retaining its signature charm found within first Chicken Road series release. The dynamic grid and six pathways available for players to navigate certainly set it apart from other titles currently floating around.