NetEnt Dead or Alive review
Released way back in 2009, Dead or Alive has almost gathered a loyal fan following over the years. The Wild West slot became such a big hit that NetEnt also created a sequel – Dead or Alive 2 and rolled it out in 2019.
Nonetheless, the original remains iconic, and we’re here to talk about it. Learn about the RTP, Symbols, Payouts, Max Wins, and more in our Dead or Alive slot review.
What you’ll find in this Dead or Alive Review
Here’s a quick summary of what this review is about:
- The slot symbols: Sheriff’s Badge, Belt with a Gun, Whiskey Glass, Cow Boy Boots, along with regular card symbols
- Minimum and maximum bet: The least you can bet is 9p, and the most you can bet is £18
- Autoplay: Available
- RTP: 96.8%
- Volatility: High
- Hit frequency: N/A
- Jackpot and / or maximum win: 13,888X the bet
- Wilds, re-spins and other functions: Wilds,
- Bonus-buy option: N/A
- Bonus game: N/A
- Graphics & sound: Wild West theme with sound effects like a gun shot, desert winds howling, and more
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Dead or Alive Symbols and Payouts
Dead or Alive is a standard 5×3 reel slot with 9 paylines. Alongside regular symbols, you have Wilds and Scatters. In this Dead or Alive review, we’ve covered all slot symbols, volatility, RTP, and more.
The Symbols
Let’s start with the symbols. The game has ten symbols, excluding the Wild and Scatter symbols. The five high-paying symbols are – Whiskey Shot, Cowboy Boots, Cowboy Hat, Pistol Belt, and the Sheriff’s Badge. Meanwhile, the low-paying symbols including A, K, Q, J, and 10.
We’ll get to the Wild and the Scatter symbols in a minute.
Paylines
As mentioned earlier, Dead or Alive has 9 fixed paylines, which you can see on the grid. As usual, the paylines pay from the left reel to the right one.
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Dead or Alive Min / Max Bets
The minimum eligible bet is 9p, which means you don’t need much to get started. However, the maximum bet goes up to £18, so you can still walk away with a good win, especially if you manage to trigger the free spin round.
Dead or Alive RTP
The Dead or Alive RTP might seem reasonable and comes in just above the industry standard at 96.82%.
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Volatility & Hit Frequency
DOA has notoriously high volatility, making it hard to trigger any free spins or big wins. During testing for our Dead or Alive review, we spun the reels five hundred times and managed to enter the bonus round four times.
In this slot, it’s the free spins that are the most rewarding, especially with their 2x multiplier. Unfortunately, the low hit rate means that you’ll need to have quite the bankroll to finance your spins. In fact, we barely broke even after our tests so things might go either way. In the end, it all depends on the luck of the draw!
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Dead or Alive Jackpot and / or Maximum Win
The maximum win during the base game is 3,000x. That said, if you do manage to strike gold, you can win up to 13,888x your stake during a round of free spins!
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| Dead or Alive is volatile but rewarding |
|---|
| With DOA, it really does come down to luck, so make sure you’ve set your limits before you start spinning the reels. You might just run out of ammo before you get your man! The game makes you work for every single win, and you’ll need a bankroll to finance your Wild West adventure. That said, you do get a 2x multiplier during the free spin bonus round, giving you a little extra boost. |
Dead or Alive Features
Dead or Alive is packed with features and in our Dead or Alive review, we took a closer look at the various characteristics that make this such a fun and popular slot.
Wilds and Other Base Game Features
Wilds are not the only features that populate the base game. As a player, you will come across sticky wilds and multipliers too, as we shall see down below!
Wilds
There’s no way you can miss these wilds. Although suspiciously blank during the base game, it’s easy to spot the Wanted, Dead or Alive posters on the reels. These unfurling scrolls can substitute for all other symbols, except for the scatter.
If you trigger a poster, the ‘Wanted’ title turns into a big ‘WILD’ instead, and the mysterious outlaw will blow the smoke from his pistol.
Scatters & Free Spins
In addition to the regular symbols, you have a scatter symbol represented by two crossed guns. Landing three or more scatters will trigger the free spins bonus round, and you can win 12 or more spins. If you manage to land five scatters, you win 2,777x your wager.
The scene will change slightly if you enter the bonus round, and you might feel like you’re sitting at a remote corner in a saloon bar. The honky-tonk music will play in the background as the reels tumble, and you could get more free spins if more scatters fall on the reels.
Take advantage of sticky wilds and a 2x multiplier and, if you’re remarkably lucky, you could walk away with a win that’s 13,888x your stake.
Sticky Wilds
Sticky wilds only appear during free spins. Like the regular wilds, the symbols are wanted posters. However, instead of being blank, you’ll now spot a few named bad guys. There’s Belle Starr, Apache Kid, Delia Rose, Jesse James and Billy the Kid.
If you get a sticky wild on every reel during the bonus round, you’ll get an additional five spins.
Multipliers
DOA doesn’t make it easy to trigger the free spin rounds, but it does try to make it a little more rewarding. Once your spins run out, all your winnings are doubled! Unfortunately, these are the only multipliers in the game.
Graphics & Sound
The game’s design is relatively simple, but it captures the heart of the west really well. You’ll see little but a desert background, with a lone wind pump and a swinging lantern to show that there’s life.
| Graphics | 2D |
| Optimised for Mobile | 👍 |
| Music | Sound effects like gun shots, snapping whips, desert wind |
| Special features | Special background for Free Spins round |
The slot’s themed design and loud sound effects only highlight the lacklustre soundtrack. Aside from the occasional whistle reminiscent of old wild west movies, a few creaking boards, rustling tumbleweeds and a hungry crow, you won’t hear much. The only time that changes is during the bonus round. Once you’ve triggered free spins, the track changes to typical saloon music, with a slightly livelier but still subdued tune.
| Charming visuals, lacklustre sound effects |
|---|
| The 2D graphics do not feel outdated at all and come off as charming. However, there’s no music, and the most exciting sounds you’ll hear are the snap of the whip if you open any of the information screens. That said, the soundtrack does evoke a certain feeling of loneliness. It captures the emptiness of the desert quite well, and you might just get swept up in the atmospheric sounds. |
Other Slots to Play If You Like Dead or Alive
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Dead or Alive Review – Conclusion
Dead or Alive is extraordinarily volatile, and it doesn’t give up the gold easily. However, if you’ve got the time and the purse, you can have a lot of fun spinning those reels. With free spins, wilds and sticky wilds, multipliers and more, there’s certainly a lot to enjoy.
Keep in mind that this isn’t a slot for the faint of heart. However, if you’ve got nerves of steel and you’re ready to brave the wild desert, you might just get lucky!