Space Wars 2 Powerpoints

Space Wars 2 Powerpoints: Slot Overview

For office workers, or anyone really, one thing you probably don't want to see in a game title is the word 'PowerPoint'. Imagine a team meeting slot, opening with an ice breaker, then ploughing through a presentation before failing to come to a satisfactory conclusion and having to reschedule for another day. Fortunately, we're talking about an online slot called Space Wars 2 Powerpoints (there's an 's' there, you see) from software provider NetEnt. When announced by Evolution Gaming back in February, the title definitely brought on a few giggles and, to be honest, it sounded pretty stiff, as if dubbed by a group of business suits.

It might have taken a few years, but the studio has brought a collection of cutey aliens back together in a game that is extraordinarily different to the original. NetEnt is one of the early pioneers of slot-based space exploration, though their mega-hit Starburst tends to overshadow others. Another cosmic slot NetEnt released back in the day was the alien filled Space Wars. It was an uncomplicated slot full of playful characters, well-animated gameplay and a simple respin feature. Well, forget about that. Space Wars 2 Powerpoints trades in the regular reels, rows, and payways the first one used and replaces them with a 6x6 cluster paying slot with a feast of features to explore.

Visually, Space Wars 2 isn't the same paradigm shift its expanded set of features are. This is actually more a testament to the original slot's excellent graphical quality rather than a criticism of Powerpoints'. As before, players are off-planet, in a corner of the galaxy, surrounded by endearing aliens. The goal is to land matching symbols to trigger a host of features, as well as collect Powerpoints to power into free spins.

For this voyage to the stars, NetEnt has dialled up the volatility to 'high' while easing RTP back, where the highest default value is now 96.05% - whether buying free spins or not. Players can blast off on any device, selecting stakes as low as 20 p/c or as high as $/€100 per spin. Potential is significantly larger than what it previously was, and the ride to get there is a lot more varied than ever.

As for the symbols, wins are formed by matching three or more symbols in horizontal or vertical lines. From the bottom of the paytable up, players get green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple rocks, then green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple aliens as the mids, before finishing off with a high pay crystal. When winning combos are formed, they are removed from the grid allowing new symbols to tumble down and potentially lead to new wins. Different winning combination sizes also trigger a variety of effects; let's see what's possible.

Space Wars 2 Powerpoints: Slot Features

Better strap in for this section as there's a lot to cover, including Powerpoints, Column/Row Blasters, Zappers, Bombs, Wilds + Multiplier Wilds, Combos, Free Spins, and bonus buys.

Powerpoints

When winning combinations are formed, Powerpoints are generated. As Powerpoints are added to the meter, players attain higher levels, thereby increasing the win multiplier.

Column/Row Blaster

Scoring a 4-symbol horizontal winning line in the base or bonus game awards a Column Blaster symbol. This removes all symbols except wilds or feature symbols from the corresponding row and adds Powerpoints to the meter. The same thing happens when a 4 symbol vertical win hits, except this time, it's the applicable symbols in a reel which are removed.

Zapper

A 5 or 6 symbol win in the base game produces a tile called a Zapper. Zappers remove 1 to 4 types of symbols when triggered by a 5-symbol match or 3 to 4 types of symbols when triggered by a 6-symbol match. In free spins, Zappers are awarded when a 5, 6, 7, or 8 symbol match occurs.

Bomb

A special Bomb symbol is added to the grid for hitting a win consisting of vertical and horizontal matching symbols. Bombs explode after wins are paid, removing themselves and all symbols around them, adding points to the Powerpoints meter. If the Bomb affects a Multiplier Wild, it multiplies the number of awarded Powerpoints.

Wild + Multiplier Wild

A 3 symbol match in the base or bonus game has a wild symbol placed in one of the empty positions. In free spins, these added wilds may also possess a multiplier of x2, x3, x4, x5, x10, or x25. If Multiplier Wilds are used in a win, they multiply the number of Powerpoints awarded.

Combos

If in the course of the game, Column/Row Blasters, Zappers, or Bombs are adjacent to each other, they combine, increasing their power.

• Combo 1 – triggered by landing a Bomb next to a Blaster. If it's a Column Blaster, three reels of symbols are removed (not wilds or feature symbols). If its' a Row Blaster, three rows of symbols are removed (not wilds or feature symbols).
• Combo 2 – this is triggered when a Bomb lands next to a Zapper. When this happens, 1 to 3 types of symbols change into Bombs, as well as the Zapper, then Bombs explode.
• Combo 3 – land a Zapper next to a Blaster to trigger this combo to have 1-3 symbol types transform into Column or Row Blaster symbols.

Free Spins

Manage to collect at least 1,000 Powerpoints, and free spins are awarded depending on how many points have accrued. In free spins, the grid expands to 8 rows high, and players can win additional free spins from within the feature.

Buy Feature

Players in eligible territories that don't want to wait can instead stump up 75x, 140x, or 250x the bet to buy 8, 12, or 16 free spins.

Space Wars 2 Powerpoints: Slot Verdict

If you're familiar with the first Space Wars slot, you'll clock in moments that this is a completely different sort of game altogether. Several years have passed between the original and the sequel, giving NetEnt plenty of time to utterly revamp the experience. So much so that if NetEnt had given Space Wars 2 a different name, maybe launched a new series altogether, it's unlikely too many eyelids would have been batted. No complaints, though, as the slot which has fired off the assembly line is a pretty darn good one, matching a cute band of extra-terrestrials with a pile of interesting features.

Not only interesting but many of the features intertwine to greater effect when the right symbols land next to each other. We are talking, of course, of Combos, which is a simple yet creative idea you don't see every day. The actual effects themselves might not be super original on their own, mainly consisting of symbol removals or wild/multiplier wild placements. However, factoring in all the individual quirks, such as different winning combo sizes triggering different feature symbols and Space Wars 2, adds up to a clever slot which should offer more than enough to entice curious grid slot specialists in for a spin or two. The final icing on Space Wars 2 is its impressive winning potential of 10,020 times the stake, easily eclipsing slots it's going head-to-head with, Reactoonz or Reactoonz 2, for example.

NetEnt had been a little quiet of late, and Space Wars 2 managed to both remind us how imaginative the studio can be and just how long they've been churning out charmingly playable slots. Space Wars 2 doesn't quite reach the status of an epoch changing event, but players looking for a high-performance grid slot that's fully decked out with features should be pleased with this.