Thunderstruck II Slot Review
Thunderstruck 2 is the sequel to Microgaming‘s popular slot Thunderstruck, and like its predecessor, the 5-reel video slot relies on a Norse mythology theme. While Chris Hemsworth may have given the slot game a wide berth, Thor does not. Nor does his father Odin or his adoptive brother Loki. But will the luck of the Gods shine down upon the valiant slot players? By the power of Asgard, we hope so.
Theme and Symbols
As you’d expect from a game that has every Viking symbol you can think of, the game embraces the Norse theme like Loki embraces skull decorations.
All the symbols are here. You’ll find Asgard sitting majestically upon a rainbow. There’s also Loki, Thor, Valkyrie, Odin, a Viking ship and the Thunderstruck 2 logo. The latter doubles up as a wild symbol, although it can’t be used as a substitute for the bonus icon. For that, we look to the scatter icon, Mjolnir, Thor’s trusty hammer. The 9-A cards make up the lower symbols of the pack.
The graphics of the game are beautiful, appearing more like a cut scene to a high-quality video game than any slot game we’ve ever seen.
There is a great deal of detail to all of the figures. Each character is instantly recognisable thanks to them all being given an individual sense of style. Loki, in particular, is very striking with fiery hair and green skull-decorated cloak.
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Heavenly Sounds
The music in the game mimics a movie score with its majestic and regal tones. Trumpets and strings work in harmony to add background music, that while not obtrusive is noticeable and enjoyable in equal measures. Sound effects, by comparison, are a little bit of a letdown. These remind us of sounds found in most other video slots, which is a shame given the level of detail added to other game elements. All in all, though, the visual and audio experience of the game is impressive.
How to play Thunderstruck 2
Newcomers should have no problem getting to grips with the reel layout in Thunderstruck 2. This is a 5×3 reel slot with 243 ways to win. Below the reels, you’ll find a balance button, a bet button, autoplay and spin. In the middle is a box that displays the value of your most recent win.
Spin the reels and they’ll glide around with a clunking noise. Gain 3 or more of the same symbols on a pay line to win. Like most online slots the pay lines move left to right. It is possible to win up to 2,400,000 coins on one spin if the reels fall in your favour. To score a win this big you would have to have 15 Thunderstruck 2 symbols covering the reels. These payout 1,000 coins per 5 symbol combination. Any win gained with the Thunderstruck 2 icon is doubled.
Thunderstruck 2 RTP
The RTP of Thunderstruck 2 Slot is a respectable 96.65%. We consider any game over 96.00% as a ‘loose’ slot worthy of playing. Thunderstruck exceeded this target with ease. But it’s not just RTP that makes a game worthwhile. The payouts of the game have to be worth it. Thunderstruck 2 has followed in its prequel’s footsteps in this regard.
The smallest payouts are for the 9 and 10 card icons. You’ll receive between 5x and 100x your initial wager if you spin three or more of them consecutively. All of the card symbols pay out handsomely with between 5x and 150x your wager value returned to you for a successful spin.
As for character symbols, Valkyrie is the lowest of these with a maximum win of 350x your initial wager. Then comes Loki with a max win of 400x, Odin is 450x and Thor is 500x. Lastly, as already mentioned is the wild card Thunderstruck 2 symbol which pays out up to 1000x your spin value.
Thunderstruck 2 Volatility
Thunderstruck 2 Online is a medium volatility slot game offering a good variance when it comes to winning size and frequency. This sits it nicely below other Microgaming slots such as Break da Bank Again and Pretty Kitty, who although have higher RTPs than Thunderstruck 2 at 97.00% each, have much less frequent wins, so are more suited to those with larger budgets.
When compared to the original Thunderstruck game, however, Thunderstruck 2 has a higher volatility. This means that the original game would have likely had more wins, but these would have been for smaller amounts. This change may be more to do with the additional bonus rounds that have been added to the sequel, which we’ll touch on in a moment.
Bonus features, Wilds and Free Spins
You’ll find no Wild symbols in this game, but there are bonuses aplenty, not least the Stolen Stone bonuses themselves. Holmes is on the hunt to rediscover these stones, and if he does he’ll be heavily rewarded. These stones appear during free spins or in normal play, although our experience found that they are much less likely during normal play.
To get free spins you’ll need to either spin three or more golden keyhole scatter symbols across the reels or spin five stone shards in the same spin. Either way, this will result in a reward of 10 extra spins.
Get Wild With Thunderstruck 2
Thunderstruck 2 Online Slot has two main bonus features. The first is a Wildstorm feature. This can happen at any time during gameplay. When Wildstorm is triggered it can fill between 1-5 reels with wild Thunderstruck 2 symbols. This can result in large wins, and in the case of a full house of Thunderstruck logos, a jackpot win of 2,400,000 times your initial stake!
Great Hall of Spins
The Great Hall of Spins is a new feature that has been added specifically to Thunderstruck 2. It is a free spins feature that is triggered by spinning three or more Mjolnir hammer symbols. The Great Hall of Spins is a progressive feature, offering higher rewards for repeated gameplay. Each time the free spin feature is played it will add a block to the Great Hall meter at the top of the screen. When your blocks hit certain triggers new awards will be given.
Valkyrie – Registers on the first trigger. Awards 10 free spins, wins with 5x multiplier
Loki – Registers on the fifth trigger. Awards 15 free spins and Wild Magic feature. If Wild Magic symbol lands on reel 3, symbols change to substitutes. Trigger the feature again and you’ll get 4 extra spins
Odin – Registers on tenth trigger. Awards 20 free spins and Wild Raven feature. These swoop at random during your spins. One raven is worth 2x multiplier, the other 3x multiplier. You may receive one or two ravens per spin.
Thor – Registers on fifteenth trigger. Awards 25 free spins with rolling reels that can multiply wins x5 and award extra wins per spin.
Thunderstruck 2 Strategies, Tips and Tricks
This is the part of the Thunderstruck 2 Review where we like to give back. Over our years of playing Online Slots, we’ve become accustomed to their quirks. Here are some tips and tricks to make the most of your time playing the Thunderstruck 2 Real Money slot which can also be applied to just about any other Online Slot Canada has to offer.
Thunderstruck 2 Online Slot uses a Random Number Generator to determine the position of its reels. As such, we’re unable to influence how they fall. What we can change are those elements that we have control over, such as how much we spend on a game and what criteria we use to select a game in the first place. Intrigued? Read more in our Thunderstruck 2 Review.
Choosing A Slot Game
Most online bettors will pick a slot game because they’re interested in the theme. While this is good for casual players, those who gamble for a living are more likely to opt for a game with a good RTP and volatility that suits their needs and their bankroll. Determining a game’s RTP is simple.
Most online slot providers give these figures on their website. Remember, a game of 96.0% or above is recommended. Volatility is down to personal choice. To determine what level of volatility is right for you, it’s a good idea to play for free on one of the many slot demo sites out there. You’ll see within a few minutes whether you prefer lots of wins, but of smaller value or you’re happy to wait for a big jackpot.
If you’re still not sure, check out other Thunderstruck 2 Review articles to see if they can offer extra advice. A little research into your game of choice before betting makes it all that more likely you’ll succeed.
Controlling Your Budget in the Thunderstruck 2 Real Money Game
Playing for free is a good way of testing a game, but when it comes down to playing for real money, you’ll want to stretch out your budget as much as possible. More spins = more chances to win. The best way of controlling your budget is by playing games that offer adjustable bet values. Also, be sure to check your chosen casino’s promotions page to see if any bonuses can be applied to your Online Slots Session.
Thunderstruck 2 Review – Our Thoughts
Although Thunderstruck 2 has been around for several years, the game still attracts millions of online players every year. This is undoubtedly because of Microgaming’s dedication to their Norse God theme, which while not original, is infused into every element of the slot, however minor. This works particularly well in the Great Hall of Spins, with each progressive spin element dedicated to an individual god or goddess.
We love the fact that Thunderstruck 2 Online rewards players for their perseverance by awarding extra spins and bonus features to those that stick around. It is this bonus round adaptation which keeps the game feeling fresh even after repeated plays.
