Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop: Slot Overview

These are coming thick and fast, with Volatile Vikings 2 being the third slot to be included in Relax Gaming's Dream Drop jackpot network. The first Volatile Vikings slot was indeed a volatile machine with a vibe that was as eerie as it could be thrilling. The second slot follows in much the same footsteps as the original, with the majority of the gaming based around cascade wins triggering multiplier symbols which build a persistent multiplier in free spins. The major difference is the addition of the Dream Drop jackpots, with the Mega reaching as high as €10,000,000.

Another difference between the two games is a location switch, from the icy lands of Volatile Vikings' base game or fire of its bonus round to the decidedly more agreeable confines of Volatile Vikings 2. Now the main game action occurs in a sturdily built stone structure with chic circular windows letting in glowing shafts of light. The slot doesn't feel as mystical as before, but it does feel cosier, the graphics are noticeably crisper, and the jolly tune is inspiring, as is the rest of the comfy décor.

Don't get too cosy, though; this game isn't called Volatile Vikings 2 for nothing. The math model might be highly volatile, as before, yet the RTP is significantly different. To account for the Dream Drop aspect, the return to player value now comes to 94.8%, with 12% going to the jackpots. Any stake level is technically capable of triggering the Jackpot feature, which goes as low as 20 p/c or as high as $/€100 per spin. Just as democratically, the game can be played on mobile, tablet, or desktop devices.

Reaching the Jackpot round might be the goal, yet most of the time, the gaming takes place on a 6-column, 5-row matrix. The game uses a scatter pays system to award wins, paying out when 8 or more matching symbols are in view, anywhere on the board. Low pay symbols are four runic items, while the high pays are four Viking-ish faces and what looks like a boar. Landing 8 matching low pay symbols is worth 0.4-0.5x the bet, rising to 3-6x the bet 12+ in view. Having 8 high pays in view is worth 1-10x the bet or 10-50x for landing 12+ premiums.

Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop: Slot Features

Features in Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop include cascades, Multiplier Reveals, free spins, and the Dream Drop jackpot round - let's dive right into it.

Cascades

When a scatter win occurs in the game, the winning symbols explode off the board. New and/or existing symbols fall down into the empty spaces. If a new scatter win appears from the symbol drop, the cascade feature triggers again.

Multiplier Reveal

In the base game, wins can be boosted by the Multiplier Reveal feature. How it works is that on every spin, 2 Multiplier Reveal symbols land on reels 3 and 4. Each Multiplier Reveal symbol has two numbers displayed on it – a counter and a multiplier value. The counter value decreases by 1 following cascades on the same spin. When the counter reaches 0, its multiplier is activated, and it destroys any adjacent symbols, letting new symbols drop. One of the new cascading symbols will be another Multiplier Reveal symbol. At the end of the spin, the sum of all achieved multipliers is applied to the total win amount.

Free Spins

Landing 3 scatter symbols in the base game awards 6 free spins, plus 1 additional free spin for a 4th scatter and beyond. In free spins, the game conducts itself as it does in the main game with one key difference. When the Multiplier Reveal triggers, the values are added to a persistent multiplier. This multiplier is applied to wins at the end of each free spin. In addition, every Bonus symbol landing in the bonus round awards +1 extra free spin.

Dream Drop Bonus

The Dream Drop Bonus round can be randomly triggered before any normal spin. When it activates, 5 reels appear on the screen, with one of the jackpots listed above each reel. Once underway, only crates or DD symbols land on the reels. Crates are destroyed while DD symbols remain stuck to their reel. Once one of the reels is filled with DD symbols, its corresponding prize is awarded. Jackpot seed values are €1, €5, €100, €25,000, or €500,000 for the Rapid, Midi, Maxi, Major, or Mega jackpots, respectively. The Mega is guaranteed to fall before reaching a million Euros the first two times. Its level is increased at certain intervals until reaching €10,000,000. There it will remain from then on.

Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop: Slot Verdict

Volatile Vikings 2 as the third Dream Drop entry came as a pleasant surprise. The previous game was a unique Norse-themed slot which mixed scatter wins with growing multipliers to excellent effect. In theory, all of that has returned for Part 2; however, in a watered-down form. Sure, it has some potentially enormous prizes attached, which is the prime reason for choosing to play it. Yet, strip the jackpots away for a moment and what's left is kind of disappointing in some ways.

For one, the mysteriousness has been dialled back a notch, making Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop more mainstream than its predecessor. Maybe that was the point and one way of drawing a wider audience to the Dream Drop jackpots. The new vibe isn't a deal-breaker by any means; quite the opposite, really, as the graphics are more defined, and the tune is exceptionally jolly. It just wasn't as arresting as part one's deep Norse mysticism. Crucially, the premium symbols still chant when they create a win in Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop. Not as hauntingly as before, but at least that excellent touch is still there. A number of other things have been dialled back as well. The RTP has naturally taken a hit, but so has the non-jackpot max win, which at 10,000x is half of what it was before. In terms of gameplay, the free spins frequency appears to be rather low too which is a natural consequence of a large portion of the RTP being allocated to the jackpots.

In the end, Volatile Vikings 2 is a playable Dream Drop slot with a delightfully cheerful disposition, though one which pales in comparison to the original from a non-jackpot standpoint. No doubt plenty of players will pick this one for the chance to have a crack at an eye-watering jackpot, yet Volatile Vikings part one remains a more holistically satisfying game in most other regards.