Introduction to Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering
Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering is a casino slot from Nolimit City, once again dabbling in the intricacies of global commerce, where hiring a cheaper workforce to reach your business goals is a preferred strategy. It may not result in stellar customer satisfaction resulting from quality and timely delivery, but it sure can save a buck or two. Just look at the original Outsourced release, where half-baked products, shipped from shady factories on the other end of the world, to meet high demands driven by extremely low prices, were the key to the entire operation. This time, you'll explore the bustling world of construction, where a friend of a friend of the second cousin offers ways to deliver the project at a lower cost. How? It's usually better not to know and focus on the savings instead. It's only clear that, on the surface, it's still the xWays and xNudge symbols that will account for the majority of the labour, working hand in hand with Print Spins, where multipliers in winning positions grow with every successful hit. Don't forget a hard hat, watch your every step, and let's enter the construction site to see how the Balkan crew is handling the project.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering is a video slot from Nolimit City with 4 reels, 5 rows, and 625 ways to win. The available stake range starts from a Min.bet of 0.20 and goes up to a Max.bet of 200. Behind the reels, a default RTP of 96.04% runs the game's engine, being on the lower end of the industry average. A couple of lower variants of 94.06% and 92.05% were also released, so make sure to check the version before playing. More valuable wins can be fewer apart when there's a hit, as the math profile comes with a high volatility rating, while the maximum win you can land within a single game round is 11,111x the bet. The top prize is achievable with an average frequency of 1 in ~1.16M spins. Free spins trigger at an average rate of 1 in 201 spins, whereas wins exceeding 100x the bet occur with a frequency of 1 in 970 spins. The base hit rate sits at 24.59%.
Just like its predecessor, Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering features a messy, cartoon design that embraces the utter chaos of the theme. The graphics perfectly reflect the disorganised feel of the scene, set on a shoddy construction site, where dangers and lack of security loom from every corner. Rebar sticking out from concrete, spilt liquids, questionable joinery of heavy materials, and destitute porta-potties are the clear signs that whoever hired this crew went for the cheapest option possible. But that's outsourcing for you, and you must make the best out of the situation, so step up to the 5x4 grid and hope that nothing falls on your head as you spin the reels. You can join the construction on any modern device, whether you prefer to play on a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet.
Symbols in the paytable award wins when you match between 3 and 4 on adjacent reels, starting from the left. The payout hierarchy is represented by two groups, of which low-paying icons appear as multiples of card ranks from 10 to A, all awarding 0.05x the bet for a 3 or 4-of-a-kind combination. High-paying symbols are depicted by crumpled cans, a dirty gamepad, a severed hand, a hard hat, and a construction worker. These images offer prizes ranging from 0.15x to 0.5x the bet when you create a winning way across 4 reels. Alongside the regular line-up, there are also Wilds in the form of a green sign and Bonus symbols represented by a yellow sign, counting the days since the last injury. Additionally, reels also hold xWays symbols in the form of a purple tile with the feature's logo and xNudge Wilds depicted by a crane lift.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering?
You can win up to 11,111x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering?
The features are Infectious xWays, xNudge Balkan Wild, Elevator, Print Spins, Tilt & Tiltier Spins, Extra Spin, Nolimit Booster, and Feature Buy (Nolimit Bonus).
Infectious xWays
Infectious xWays are mystery symbols that always reveal the same outcome when more than one is present on the screen at the same time. Each Infectious xWays can hold between 2 and 4 instances of a regular symbol or can become a non-paying blocker. Once a symbol is revealed, all instances of it elsewhere on the grid also become Infectious xWays.
xNudge Balkan Wild
Each xNudge Balkan Wild can either nudge up to 999 steps or malfunction and remain in its original form. If it starts nudging, its multiplier increases by 1 for every step taken.
Elevator
Upon landing, the Elevator can either grant instant access to any of the bonus modes or become a non-paying blocker. During the bonus round, it can award 1, 2, or 7 extra spins or become a blocker.
Print Spins
After a winning combination is paid, the positions it occupied spin again to produce new outcomes. Additionally, the multiplier in a winning position increases by 1 for every Print Spin that occurs. When no more wins can be created, the sequence ends, and all multipliers are cleared before the next paid spin.
Tilt & Tiltier Spins
Landing 3 or 4 Bonus symbols anywhere in view simultaneously triggers 4 Tilt Spins or 7 Tiltier Spins. In both modes, the multipliers generated on the triggering spin are carried over to the bonus and can grow persistently until the end.
Extra Spin
The feature can trigger automatically at the end of a round, offering the possibility to play another spin with position multipliers kept from the previous spin. The price depends on the conditions of the last round and can only be triggered if it doesn't exceed the total win.
Nolimit Booster
To enhance your base game spins, you can use several options available in the Nolimit Booster menu.
1.35x = Bonus Booster, guaranteeing a Bonus symbol on the second reel.
13.5x = Bonus Balkan Booster, guaranteeing a Bonus symbol on the initial spin and on any respin triggered by a win.
15x = Print Spins x3, starting the spin with x3 multipliers in all positions.
200x = Print Spins x6, starting the spin with x6 multipliers in all positions.
750x = Print Spins x8, starting the spin with x8 multipliers in all positions.
Feature Buy (Nolimit Bonus)
If you want to skip the base game grind, you also have the possibility of triggering any of the bonus rounds instantly through the Nolimit Bonus function.
80x = 4 Tilt Spins.
390x = 7 Tiltier Spins.
235x = Lucky Draw with a 50/50 chance for either bonus mode.
999x = Filthiest Spins, starting with x2 multipliers in all positions.
1,111x = God Mode, allowing to hit the max win or nothing.
Final Thoughts on Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering
Since the original Outsourced release, Nolimit tried to branch out the idea by introducing two peculiar hybrids in the form of Outsourced: Slash Game and Outsourced: Payday, which didn't seem to take off. That led us to doubt we'd ever see a full-fledged sequel, although maybe it's the studio's Hail Mary to find out if there's any value in continuing the series. Whatever the case, the Balkan Engineering edition is here, and it brings an even higher dose of absurd humour, this time exploiting stereotypes about construction workers from South-Eastern Europe. As usual, the references are quite bold and brutal, putting the hard(ly) working folks in an unfavourable light, although the blow is somewhat softened by the quirky cartoon design that has accompanied the series from the start. Still, the humorous take on the artwork does not overshadow the overtly exaggerated depiction of filth and utter disregard for safety (insert 'Really? Right in front of my OSHA handbook?' meme). Obviously, it's not the most shocking picture NLC delivered, but one with a strong message nonetheless.
Gameplay-wise, the transformation has not been massively disruptive, although there are a few bits and pieces that improve the original setup. One extra row has been added to the grid, which can make a difference when you deal with position multipliers. xWays evolved into Infectious xWays, usually affecting multiple symbols in a single go, and the xNudge Wild can now shoot up to boost its multiplier up to x999, but with a risk of breaking down and remaining a single Wild. The Elevator is an odd kind of addition, which can simply trigger the bonus without the need to hit 3 or more Bonus symbols, but it's not like it gives you extra chances of getting there. With all those changes, Balkan Engineering plays things quite safely, contrary to its theme, yet the subtle enhancements applied to familiar features do seem impactful.
Outsourced 2 - Balkan Engineering brutally picks apart construction workers' stereotypes with its edgy humour, while improving the original feature toolkit with a few significant twists.
