Wild Blood 2 (Play’n GO): Overview

The first Wild Blood was a moody vampire-themed adventure that Play’n GO launched back in 2013. For reasons known only to the studio, they’ve now decided the time is right for a reboot. Fans will be pleased to see the three bold femme fatales return for the sequel. They’re noticeably sharper-looking this time around, with a more contemporary redesign than the original versions. In an interesting reversal, the game’s vampire has shifted in the opposite direction stylistically. He now appears more traditional, with a definite 18th-century Lestat de Lioncourt vibe. Wild Blood was never among Play’n GO’s biggest successes, which makes a late follow-up an intriguing move. Still, with a soft spot for damsels in peril and a decent vampire slot, it’s time to see what this one delivers.

On the visual side, it’s clearly progressed beyond the original—something you’d expect after a seven-year gap. The closest comparison that comes to mind is Immortal Romance rather than the first Wild Blood, and it was always likely those parallels would be drawn. Since Immortal Romance arrived, it’s effectively become the standard that vampire slots get measured against. The changes are also obvious in the layout: the grid has grown from 5 to 6 reels. There’s also an added row, pushing the total ways to win from 15 up to 4,096. To begin, players choose stakes ranging from 20 p/c up to $/€100 per spin. As expected, both manual play and auto-spins are available.

Wins are created by landing 3-6 matching symbols along a win way. The base game includes 10 paying symbols. The lower-value icons are the 9 – A card royals, which—let’s be honest—look a bit, ahem, Immortal Romance-ish. Above those sit skulls and daggers as the mid-tier symbols. The top premiums are the three women, who seem carefully designed to appeal to a wide range of male tastes. You’ll find a redhead, a brunette, and a blonde heroine named Laura, Margaret, and Rebeca. All three pay the same, returning 7.5 times the stake for six of a kind. In general, payouts are on the modest side, which fits the medium volatility. Play’n GO rates it a 5. This is the sort of slot that leans toward consistent, smaller returns rather than huge, high-intensity swings. RTP is slightly improved versus the original at 96.18%. You may also encounter versions set to 94.14%, so as always, it’s worth checking the paytable before you play.

Wild Blood 2 (Play’n GO): Features

A solid set of features is included here, with a few that involve player choice. To start, there’s the stylish vampire wild, shown as a 1×1 tile that can land on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5. The vampire wild substitutes for any symbol except the scatter. It can also appear on the sixth reel, and when it does, it arrives stacked. Better still, a stacked landing on reel six triggers the Vampire Bat Respin. This feature grants a single respin, during which the stacked wild shifts over to the first reel. Vampire Bat Respins can’t be retriggered, and they also can’t award free spins.

The blood vial is the scatter symbol and it can land on any reel. Hitting 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters awards 10,15, 20, or 25 Bloodlust Free Spins respectively. When the feature begins, players must choose one of three options:

• Laura: Any wild that lands expands by one position either upward or downward. If Vampire Bat Respins trigger while this option is active, then all Laura symbols on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 become wild for the Respin.
• Margaret: This mode includes a win multiplier, and each wild that lands is collected. Once four wilds have been gathered, the multiplier increases by +1 and 2 free spins are added. The multiplier can climb as high as x5. When the multiplier increases, the updated value applies to the next spins. If the Vampire Bat Respin triggers, it turns all Margaret symbols on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 wild for that respin.
• Rebecca: Every wild that lands during the feature carries a multiplier of x2 or x3. If multiple wilds appear, their multipliers can combine up to a maximum of x81. If a Vampire Bat Respin is triggered during this feature, then the Rebecca symbols on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 also turn wild for that spin.

If you choose Margaret, note that the scatter is removed for that round. With Laura and Rebecca, the scatter remains in play and can retrigger those rounds. Landing 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters awards an extra 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 free spins respectively.

Wild Blood 2: (Play’n GO) Verdict

It’s only natural that players will measure Wild Blood 2 against both the original and Immortal Romance. While it’s clearly a step up from part 1, it isn’t trying to be Immortal Romance, and it will appeal to a different type of player. Some elements from the first game may be missed, such as the picking game and the ability to retrigger respins. Beyond that, Wild Blood 2 feels far smoother and more up to date. It also improves the upside, offering up to 5,000 times the stake on offer. Overall, it’s the dependable, polished experience you’d expect from a Play’n GO title.

Wild Blood 2 is by no means a poor slot. It packs in several engaging mechanics, and trying out the different free spins choices helps keep it fresh over time. Anyone drawn to darker themes may find plenty to enjoy. That said, with medium volatility, it lacks the ferocity that could have turned it into a truly brutal vampire slot. The potential is perfectly respectable, but the overall temperament may still make more hardcore players hesitate before venturing out into the night.