Western Gold 2 Slot Review 2024
Western Gold 2 from Just for the Win is on the way to continue where the original left off.
The original Western Gold was simple and charming, but we thought it lacked a little something…
The Scatter pays mechanic has become a staple with some of the Microgaming partner slots, and it really can result in something tremendously exciting under the right circumstances. This time Just for the Win look to improve on the formula of the original with their Double Barrel Feature, which brings a whole new element to the Western Gold series.
Let’s head West once more to see just what has changed.
Western Gold 2 Base Game and Features
Western Gold 2 is a 5 reel slot with 40 fixed paylines. In order to form a winning combination, you will need to connect 3 or more (or 2 or more of the highest paying symbol) from left to right, starting from the left-most reel. The minimum bet available here is £/€0.20 per spin and the maximum bet available is £/€20 per spin, with a handful of bets in between the two to choose from.
In terms of symbols, the highest paying regular symbol in Western Gold 2 is the Triple 7’s, followed by Triple Bars, Double Bars, Single Bars and any combination of the three. Low paying symbols fall to the Guns, Hat, Boots and Playing Cards. There is also a Wild symbol present, which substitutes for all symbols except Bonus, Wrangler, Mustang and Scatter symbols.
Like the original Western Gold, Just For The Win has stuck to their guns so to speak, and chosen to bring back the popular Scatter Pays feature in the sequel, along with a brand new Wrangler symbol for you to enjoy. More on these below.
Scatter Pays Feature
On the left side of the reel set you will see 2 different Barrels, the bottom one is called the Cash Barrel, which is part of the Scatter Pays feature.
During any base game spin, landing a minimum of 4 Scatter symbols (in the form of Horseshoes) anywhere on the reels, awards a Cash Prize from the Cash Barrel.
- 4 Sactters – Awards 1x your current bet.
- 5 Scatters – Awards 5x your current bet.
- 6 Scatters – Awards 15x your current bet.
- 7 Scatters – Awards 25x your current bet.
- 8 Scatters – Awards 50x your current bet.
- 9 Scatters – Awards 100x your current bet.
- 10 Scatters – Awards 250x your current bet.
- 11 Scatters – Awards 1,000x your current bet.
- 12 Scatters – Awards 10,000x your current bet.
Wrangler Symbols
During any spin in the base game, Wrangler symbols may appear on reels 1 and 5.
Landing 2 Wrangler symbols, one on the 1st and 5th reel, activates the Cash Barrel which awards one of the corresponding Cash prizes at random. Wrangler symbols will not activate the Cash Barrel if they fall at the same time as the Super Free Spins is triggered.
Western Gold 2 Free Spins
Landing 3 Bonus symbols on reels 2, 3 and 4, triggers the Free Spins round, awarding 3 Free Spins.
The Free Spins round will start with a Multiplier of x1, which can be increased with the help of the Feature Barrel, that activates once the Free Spins round is triggered.
During the Free Spins round, each time a Mustang or Scatter symbol lands in view, the Free Spins are reset back to 3. The Scatter Pays feature is active during the Free Spins round, but works differently to the base game.
Each time a Scatter symbol lands, it will be collected and stored in the Cash Barrel until the end of the Free Spins round. Once Free Spins are complete, the collected Scatter symbols will award their corresponding Cash Prize from the pre-existing amounts.
Mustang Symbols
Mustang symbols make their grand entance in the Free Spins and Super Free Spins rounds, only appearing on Reel 5.
Once a Mustang symbol lands, you will automatically receive a spin on the Feature Barrel.
Feature Barrel
Once the Mustang symbol lands in view, the Feature Barrel will award one of the following Modifiers.
- Cash Collect – Awards the Cash Prize of all collected Scatters on the Cash Barrel so far.
- Barrel Upgrade – Upgrades all Prizes on the Cash Barrel.
- Multiplier Boost – Upgrades the current Multiplier by +1.
- Reset Extra – Increases the Free Spins meter by +1.
- Super Free Spins – Upgrades the current Free Spins round to Super Free Spins.
Western Gold 2 Super Free Spins
Landing 3 Bonus symbols on reels 2, 3 and 4, along with a Wrangler symbol on reels 1 and 5, triggers Super Free Spins. The Super Free Spins round can also be awarded through the Feature Barrel during the regular Free Spins round.
The Super Free Spins round works the same way as regular Free Spins, the only difference being that the current value of the Cash Barrel pays out after every Free Spin.
Western Gold 2 Bonus Buy
For those outside the UK, you may benefit from a Bonus Buy option.
Both the regular Free Spins and Super Free Spins rounds can be purchased. Purchasing regular Free Spins will cost you a generous 85x your current bet, with Super Free Spins costing a whopping 500x your current bet.
Although the Super Free Spins option is tempting, you may find it wiser to go for the regular Free Spins round that gives you the chance to upgrade your Free Spins round to Super Free Spins for a fraction of the price. Please note that the Super Free Spins upgrade is not guaranteed.
The RTP when purchasing both the Free Spins options remains the same at 96.15%.
Western Gold 2: Our Verdict
Western Gold 2 is a definite step up from the original in a lot of ways, even down to the finer details in the design. Western Gold 2 is exactly the kind of sequel we are all hoping for, there are so many differences to both gameplay and statistics compared to the original, it’s refreshing!
It wouldn’t be classed as a sequel if it didn’t resemble the original in some ways, and so Just For The Win has kept most of the design the same but with a few tweaks here and there, with even better graphics and a much nicer view in terms of background.
The Scatter Pays feature has also made a comeback here, which still has some exciting Cash Prizes to offer players, only this time the 10,000x Cash Prize seems possible to achieve thanks to the Wrangler symbols.
Just For The Win are pulling out all the stops in the Free Spins round too, with a brand new Super Free Spins along with a Bonus Buy option. Of course the Bonus Buy option will only excite those who have access it to it, unlike the UK.
Although there is a chance to land the Super Free Spins round, Just For The Win haven’t made it easy for us to get it. If you have access to Bonus Buys you can ignore this part and just skip straight to it for 500x your current bet, but if you’re a UK player you will either have to land it naturally or hope that the Feature Barrel will award it during Free Spins, which let’s be honest is probably very rare.
Statistically, Western Gold 2 looks heveanly with an above average RTP of 96.15% and a beautiful maximum win capacity of 25,000x.
Overall, it’s clear to see that there’s been a dramatic improvement when compared to the first game. The Super Free Spins and Feature Barrell really makes Western Gold 2 shine where the original didn’t.