Narcos

Narcos (NetEnt): Review

After much anticipation, Narcos, a highly awaited title from NetEnt, finally debuts across all associated casinos nearly 18 months post-announcement from the London iGaming event. Its slow rollout is justified, given the ambition behind creating a slot adapted from the American crime narrative series Narcos, effectively bridging the gap between video gaming and traditional slot play.

All the initial speculations and exclusive insights about the Narcos slot turned out to be accurate. True to reports, the game showcases 5 reels , 3 rows , and offers 243 winning combinations . This arrangement stands out among NetEnt's offerings.

The game is equipped with a variety of fascinating features designed to maintain player engagement. In the primary mode, the Locked Up feature acts as a mini-bonus round with high winnings potential. Another exciting highlight is the Drive-by feature, where bullets transform high-paying icons into wilds. Additionally, the Walking Wilds , reminiscent of the beloved feature from Jack and the Beanstalk, enhances gameplay during both standard and free spin modes. The elusive centerpiece is the Free Spins mode, which is tough to activate but essential for unlocking sizable rewards. Bets range from €0.20 to €400 on all devices.

Produced by Gaumont for the streaming giant Netflix, the initial two seasons of Narcos draw inspiration from the life of a notorious drug baron Pablo Escobar whose empire and wealth were built on the back of cocaine distribution. Translated into NetEnt's version of the game, players are thrust into the vibrant, chaotic atmosphere of Medellín. Here, they encounter visually stunning symbols reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto, featuring royal card values adorned with cash, grenades, and firearms. Images include flamingos, airplanes, and series characters like José Rodríguez Gacha, Connie Murphy, and DEA operatives Steve Murphy and Javier Peña. The latter agents offer the largest return, multiplying your wager by 15 times for a complete payline.

A symbol embodying the DEA badge acts as the wild, equivalent in value to the agent symbols. Just like other slots, this wild replaces standard symbols except for scatter and special ones, triggering the Walking Wild feature during wins. This familiar mechanic lets the wilds shift leftward reel by reel after each victory until they vanish.

Narcos (NetEnt): Features

During any standard spin, the Drive-by feature might be randomly initiated, depicting a gang member firing bullets from a speeding car. This action can cause prime symbols to morph into wilds.

A mini-bonus known as the Locked Up feature activates when three or more Locked Up images (featuring Pablo Escobar) align on a row. Entering this mode introduces a new reel set where Escobar icons combine, awarding payouts between 1 and 10 times your wager.

This feature uses mechanics based on winning clusters. Initially, you receive 3 spins with only Locked Up and Golden briefcase icons on display. When three or more connect, they form a winning configuration. Escobar symbols joining a cluster award a random 1 to 10 times stake multiplier. If a Golden briefcase connects, you'll encounter one of these outcomes:

• Multiplier - Enhances all connected coin values by a factor of x2 or x3.
• Upgrade Symbols - Adds incremental upgrades to symbols based on your total bet.
• Big Starting Value - Bloodshed-value enhancement for the Golden briefcase symbol.

For every new symbol attached to the cluster, spins reset to three. The feature concludes when no new connections form. With a hit rate of 1 in 124 spins, it's more frequent than the Free Spins feature, which strikes only once in 351 spins. The Locked Up feature can reward you up to 271 times your stake .

Lastly, but far from least, there is the grand finaleclimactic Free Spins finale- engage in an action-packed shootout triggered by landing three scatter icons across reels 1, 3, and 5 simultaneously. Players start off with 10 free spins, benefiting from the Drive-by feature on each one, with Walking Wilds potentially appearing. While difficult to unlock, the Free Spins feature is where the largest winnings lie. Post-battle riches could amount to 1506 times your bet .

Narcos (NetEnt): Verdict

Narcos promises excitement with its powerful visuals, yet the potential winnings are modest. Despite its thrilling appearance, NetEnt seems to have stuck with a conservative payout approach typical of their games, overshadowing its other remarkable qualities.

Even with its blend of cinematic sequences and variety of features, it seems this slot struggles to deliver on great potential due to its lower winning capabilities, making the wait for the Free Spins feature less rewarding than anticipated.

It is with disappointment we confess that NetEnt's Narcos fails to rise to the stature of a commanding drug lord and remains merely that of a lowly dealer.