Safari Sam 2

Following on from their huge success to the African savanna, an explorer, and his assistant return in the Safari Sam 2 slot where players can be assured of outstanding graphics and superb game play.

Overview Safari Sam 2

Safari Sam from the Malta based developers at Betsoft is making a comeback after its first release nearly 10 years ago. Betsoft are well-known for their 3D cinematographic slots, and thanks to this they have converted the original Safari Sam slot into a vibrant African cartoon styled slot, and whilst some elements of the game are a little lower than the original it is still above average.

In the original game the most innovative element was that you could create a win by landing stacks of vertically matching symbols, and whilst this feature has been carried into the new version it is joined by the collapsing reels mechanic. There is also Call of the Wild feature that activates at random to sprinkle the game screen with wild reels and in the bonus round it really comes into its own. There is no doubt that this new Safari Sam 2 is going to be a welcomed addition for players and as so is bound to attract a lucrative following.

Theme & Symbols

The slot takes place in the African savannah with the reels sitting within a tree trunk that is surrounded by mountains and grassland and there is a tent, Land Rover and some playing card symbols that have been created and covered with vines. There are expertly executed animated cartoon characters that are complete with solid details and it is a great looking slot with a wildlife theme, but it does not stop there are the slot is not just a veritable feast for the eyes but there is an African soundtrack that completes the whole theme perfectly creating just the right ambience.

Regarding the symbols Sam and his female counterpart Pam are the premium symbols and these are followed by a scenery depicting the savannah, a safari van and various animals which include zebras, and lions and a tent that you will recognise from the first slot if you are au fait with this. The low paying symbols are the card royals, and you will see the Jack through to Ace and these are decorated with safari symbols. The design of the slot is superb with the gaming grid propped against a huge tree in the vast savannah with Sam and Pam standing by the grid during play.

Game Play

Safari Sam is played using 5-reels and 50 pay lines and rewards players three or more symbols on a pay line or there are symbols stacked three high in view. The stacked symbols trigger the cascade mechanic and there is a wild that can then help you to create winning combinations. The reels can at any point become randomly covered in wilds and once you activate the free spin element you will see that the Call of the wild feature is active every time the reels spin.

The slot can be played on any device and offers a bet range that starts from just 0.20 to 24.00 for each spin and you can vary the amount you bet use the scrolling bar which sits below the five reels. The amounts that you can win are all displayed on the pay table and these are as follows. Landing 3, 4, or 5, Jacks pays 5x, 10x or 20x your bet, respectively. The Queen pays 5x, 10x and 25x when you land 3, 4 or 5 symbols, respectively. Landing 3, 4, or 5, Kings pays 7x, 12x or 25x your bet, respectively. The Ace pays 7x, 12x and 30x when you land 3, 4 or 5 symbols, respectively.

The lower paying symbols above are followed by the premium symbols which start with the tent, and landing 3, 4, or 5, tents will see you pocket 10x, 20x or 50x your stake, respectively. The Land Rover will pay 10x, 20x, 60x when you land 3, 4, or 5, respectively. Next up is the Zebra which pays 12x, 25x, or 70x when you land 3, 4, or 5, respectively. Landing 3, 4, or 5 lions will reward you with 15x, 30x or 80x your stake, respectively.

Finally, there is Pam who will reward you with 20x, 40x or 160x your stake when you land 3, 4, or 5 respectively and Sam and the Compass symbols are the highest payers and pay 25x, 50x, or 200x your stake when landing 3, 4, or 5, respectively. Although there are no details regarding the return to player percentage the developers at Betsoft are certified for fair gaming and as so I would expect this to come in at around 95% - 96%.

Features

The first of the features is the Compass Wild and this can replace all regular symbols to create winning combinations. The wild is worth the same as Sam and the Call of the wild feature can activate at random meaning that 1 to 4 reels can cover your reels completely at random with compass wilds. When you land a reel that shows three matching stacked symbols you are rewarded with three of a kind pay outs. The matching symbols are then removed, and new ones drop into the positions, it is like a mini cascade feature but for individual reels and this continues all the time that you are landing new vertical wins.

If you land three or more of the Acacia Tree scatter symbol/s in view the Bonus round is activated and you will be awarded with a small scatter win, 3, 4, or 5 scatters will reward you with 7, 12, or 20 free spins, respectively. On every free spin you activate the Call of the Wild feature which means that as many as four of your reels can turn wild on each spin. As well as this all the new symbols can replace vertical Safari Stack wins, and these are guaranteed to be wilds when you enter the bonus rounds. Thanks to this you can win as much as 500x your stake per spin.

Conclusion

When I tested Safari Sam 2, I land a few smaller wins in the base game however the action heated up when I landed three scatters. At this point there was an annoying bonus, but you can avoid this by hitting the play button. The compass shows you the right way to land some additional wins. The compass is a wild symbol so it can step in for all symbols except for the tree symbol to create winning combinations. The Call of the Wild feature are where you will see the stacked wild symbols filling the entire reels and there is a possibility that you may even fill four or five reels with compass symbols.

I found the graphics were a little less from the first in this series, but this is still a highly impressive release from Betsoft. The features include extra wins, Safari Stacks, stacked wilds and free spins and there is also the chance that you will win 500x your bet when either the compass or Sam fills your reels. I enjoyed this slot immensely and can not recommend it highly enough, it has all the elements that make an enjoyable gaming experience for all.