MEDUSA II

Do you dare to lock eyes with Medusa? Then gather your courage now, because you'll certainly need it! It's hard to believe that it has been almost five years since the first Medusa slot burst onto the online gaming scene; sinister yet compelling, it has since become one of NextGen's biggest and most popular titles. It's no surprise, then, that its runaway success has sparked the creation of a spine-tingling sequel. Medusa II is set to hit your screens this summer, and we can't wait.

So what's different about the new slot? For one, it's going to be sexier. It's true that previous interpretations of the legend have painted Medusa as an enraged woman who is hideous to behold, but frankly, NextGen have never been ones to think inside the box. In line with their expectation-shattering modus operandi, Medusa II features a far more glamorous, vixen-like character. It is clear that considerable effort has gone into Medusa's reimagining – according to NextGen, Medusa is not an evil monster at all, but simply a “misunderstood being of ravishing beauty who merely wants to live her cursed life in solitude.” Don't get too sympathetic for this serpentine sweetheart, however. Beautiful as she is, she still has a writhing tangle of snakes for hair, and a glowing green gaze that will turn you to stone faster than you can say “gorgon”. Gulp.

BEAUTIFUL HORROR
The graphics are leagues above the original Medusa game, whose ground-breaking artwork at the time could nowadays be seen as a little old-fashioned. In Medusa II, a new wave style win display creates a shimmering, fluid effect, and helps players to identify individual win values in a spin. The game is set against a backdrop of a mysterious violet Grecian sunset, and the symbols on the reels are dominated by gleaming gold treasure, snakelike effigies, and forbidding weapons (as well as the common A, K, Q, J, and 10). Watch out for foolhardy soldiers who attempt to take on Medusa – the stone of their petrified bodies will crumble to dust in front of your very eyes, revealing a Stack of Wilds in its place. Medusa herself can also appear when you win, swaying sensuously and inviting you to come further inside with dangerously flashing eyes.

Medusa II uses the ever-popular '243 Ways to Win' model, which gets rid of the idea of rigid win lines entirely. Instead, you just have to line up any matching symbol in adjacent reels from left to right, and you're in with a chance to hit a winning combination (meaning that you are essentially playing with 243 win lines). Another important attribute is the fact that it is available on mobile as well as online, so you have the freedom to have a spin in Medusa's virtual lair while out and about and one the go.

PLAYING PETRIFIED
When it comes to the gameplay, Medusa II has all the ingredients that make a player favourite (e.g. Stacked Wilds, a detailed Gamble setting, and a bewitching soundtrack), as well as a few exciting new features to try out. One of these is Locked Reels, presumably something that is caused by Medusa's fearsome freezing stare. This can be triggered randomly at any time, and causes up to five reels to 'lock' into place with the same symbols – giving you the chance to hit some hefty five-of-a-kind wins. What's more, these have the potential to happen fairly often; there is a Free Spins bonus round, which ensures at least two locked reels on every spin. Another thing we particularly liked was the introduction of pre-emptive event alerts. These are animated hints that appear when you are about to hit big, something which definitely increases excitement and anticipation while playing. Finally, Medusa II is a medium-high volatility slot. Technical jargon aside, this means that when it pays out it has the potential to be for MUCH larger amounts.

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