Introduction to Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed
Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed is a casino slot from Relax Gaming that will take you on a space journey exploring distant corners of the universe to hunt down a legendary mechanical serpent. You'll be joining an army of futuristic, hooded warriors called Slayers tasked with scouring a sandy planet in search of the creature's valuable eggs. The premise of a sci-fi world covered in endless deserts, with dangerous monsters lurking beneath the surface, points to the creators' inspiration by Dune, a best-selling novel by Frank Herbert, and its recent adaptation on the big screen. Moreover, it's a sequel to the 2020 release, Snake Arena, which skillfully incorporated the classic arcade video game format into the bonus round. It's probably not hard to guess which one, judging by the title, right?
So, here we are, five years later in the real world and decades, or even centuries, in the game's narrative timeline. Everything about the setup has evolved, from the medieval to sci-fi in terms of the theme, and to a much wider arsenal of features on the technical side. However, the insatiable serpent chasing after soldiers remains a core attraction, which is fantastic to see. On top of everything, there's a massive bounty of 50,000x the bet up for grabs if you manage to outsmart the snake, so if you're ready to begin your training among the Slayers, start honing your skills and tactics in the demo mode we've placed at the beginning of this article.
Andy Payne, Game Product Owner at Relax Gaming, had this to say:
I’m genuinely proud to have had the opportunity to produce the sequel, and to have been able to do it with my team in Malmö who created the original, made it all the more special. The dual bonus gives players real agency. Whether they choose the classic feel of the Slayer Spins or the chaotic build-up of the Snake Arena, both paths offer depth and escalating excitement. Snake Arena 2 may be miles from the original in terms of scale and complexity, but we still have a Snake, we still have slayers, and we definitely still have an Arena. This is Snake Arena 2 Kinesis Unleashed!
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed is a video slot from Relax Gaming with 6 reels, 4 rows, and 14 paylines, which is quite an unusually low number for such an extensive grid. You can choose your stake from a range of options, starting from a Min.bet of 0.1 up to a Max.bet of 20. The game offers a default RTP of 96.10%, which falls into the average range of the industry standards. The volatility is on a high level, meaning there's a better chance for high-value wins but at the cost of lower frequency, while the maximum achievable prize in a single game round is 50,000x the bet.
Upon launching the game, we find ourselves looking into a futuristic contraption from a top-down perspective, one that resembles some kind of simulation environment where Slayers train to improve their skills in the fight against robotic enemies. The entire station is suspended somewhere in space, most likely hidden from prying eyes that could discover the warriors' tactics. Inside, the metal floor is covered with a layer of desert sand, imitating the conditions on the planet where the mechanical serpent rules, while the monster's clone sits above the grid, waiting for the next session of devouring warriors to begin. The overall design has a cartoony, lighthearted touch, making the entire scene feel like an attractive video game. Smooth, perfectly synced animations and spectacular effects accompanying wins and feature triggers ensure the top-grade audiovisual experience. If you're ready to jump into the arena, you can do that from any modern device, as the game is available on desktops, smartphones, and tablets alike.
The paytable comprises two sets of distinct symbols. Payouts are awarded when at least 3 matching instances land on any of the active paylines while utilizing neighboring reels, starting from the leftmost one. On the lower end of the hierarchy, you'll find metal tiles with four suits from playing cards, diamonds, clubs, hearts, and spades, paying 5x the bet for matching 6 on a winning way. High-paying symbols come in the form of four robotic creatures: a beetle, a fly, a scorpion, and a spider. Premium icons award from 10x to 20 the bet for a complete way of 6. In addition to the regular symbols, there are Wilds appearing as a round red emblem with a gold letter "W", Bonus symbols represented by a futuristic device, and a range of special icons available during the Arena Bonus, which we will describe in more detail in the respective section below.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed?
You can win up to 50,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed?
The features are Slayers & Wild Chase, Bonus Choice, Slayer Free Spins & Super Slayer Free Spins, Arena Spins & Super Arena Spins, Additional Spin, and Feature Buy.
Slayers & Wild Chase
On every base game spin, Slayers may randomly appear underneath the reels, carrying shields with multipliers of between x2 and x1,000. When a Wild lands on a column above the Slayer, it receives the displayed value and multiplies any wins it's part of, respectively.
Additionally, the Snake may awaken, indicating the activation of the Wild Chase feature. It will target a random reel, and if there's a Slayer at its base, the warrior will use its shield to defend against the attack and turn the respective reel Wild, while also applying the carried multiplier. The snake will continue to target random reels until it has attacked all available Slayers or selected a reel without one. Wins crossing through several Wilds with multipliers will benefit from their total cumulative value.
Bonus Choice
Landing 3 Bonus symbols anywhere on the grid on the same spin activates the Bonus Choice feature, where you'll be able to pick between Slayer Free Spins and Arena Spins. If you manage to land 4 Bonus symbols in the base game, both rounds 'Super' variants will be available to choose from.
Slayer Free Spins & Super Slayer Free Spins
You begin with 5 Slayer Free Spins. During the round, the Snake is always awake and targets the reels on every free spin, creating more opportunities to achieve full-reel Wilds with multipliers carried by the Slayers. In the 'Super' variant, every Wild reel remains sticky until the end of the bonus, and any other Slayers defending against the Snake's attack on the same column will increase the multiplier respectively. Landing 3 Scatters simultaneously in either mode awards 5 extra spins, but landing 4 during the regular Slayer Free Spins upgrades the round to the 'Super' mode with 5 additional rounds on top of any remaining ones.
Arena Spins & Super Arena Spins
Arena Spins are played on a 6x6 grid, expandable to 6x8, where only Snake, Slayer, and special symbols may appear. You receive 5 spins. On every round, the Snake and the Slayer (or a Super Slayer with a multiplier between x2 and x5) will appear in random positions, and the Snake will start traversing the board to reach the Slayer. It always moves to the top or bottom of the reel it landed on, depending on which direction it's facing, then switches to the adjacent reel in the Slayer's direction, and continues the sequence. On its way, Snake will devour any special symbols in its way, awarding their respective features. The spin ends when the Slayer is consumed. Any remaining special symbols will persist on the grid between spins until eaten by the Snake.
Snake Eggs = award an instant prize, ranging between 1x - 19x for Bronze Eggs, 20x - 99x for Silver Eggs, and 100x+ for Gold Eggs.
Cameleon = collects all prize values on the grid and adds them to itself.
Spider = reveals a value that is added to other prize symbols on the grid.
Cameleon/Spider = collects all prize values on the grid and then distributes the formed total back to all visible prize symbols.
Golden Spider = distributes the current total win amount to all prize symbols on the grid.
2Spider/1Cameleon = reveals a minimum value of 10x, adds it to all prize symbols, then collects the updated amounts from them and distributes the formed total again.
S-N-A-K-E Letters = when collected, they contribute to the meter that allows for upgrading the round to the 'Super' variant once the entire word is formed.
Arrow/Double Arrow = unlocks one or two extra rows, depending on which directions are highlighted on the symbol.
+Value = awards extra spins equal to the displayed value.
Scorpion = can only be revealed from the Loot Box. Adds between 2x and 5x to the Slayer's shield and causes him to jump one reel to the right. Additionally, it multiplies the total win from the round it's activated on by x5.
Loot Box = a mystery symbol that awards any of the special symbols. If it's an Egg, it will hold a value of at least 50x.
If you manage to collect all letters of the word "SNAKE" in the regular mode, you'll be upgraded to the 'Super' variant. Any additional spin symbols available on the grid are instantly awarded and added to the total spin counter as the round upgrades. The enhanced version is played on a fully expanded 6x8 grid, with all the special symbols persisting between spins even after being activated by the Snake.
Additional Spin
After all spins in the Super Slayer Free Spins or Super Arena Spins are used, there's a possibility to purchase an extra round. However, if the calculated cost of such an offer proved to be higher than the total win or it's less than 100x active bet, it will not appear. The additional spin will maintain all the current persistent conditions on the grid.
Feature Buy
In Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed, you can choose from a wide range of options of Upgrade Spins and the possibility to trigger any variant of a bonus round instantly.
2x = Enhanced Spins with doubled chances for activating the Wild Chase feature and landing Bonus symbols.
10x = Bonus Reels, played with only Bonus symbols for an increased chance of triggering the Bonus Choice.
50x = Double Slayer Spins, guaranteeing 2 Wild Chase connections.
150x = Triple Slayer Spins, guaranteeing 3 Wild Chase connections.
350x = Quadruple Slayer Spins, guaranteeing 4 Wild Chase connections.
100x = Trigger regular Bonus Choice with Slayer Free Spins or Arena Spins.
500x = Trigger Super Bonus Choice with Super Slayer Free Spins or Super Arena Spins.
Final Thoughts on Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed
If you managed to get through that wall of text unscathed, avoiding the deadly mechanical snake, congrats, but if you fell honorably along the way, let's sum up what Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed has delivered. A bit like the journey between Money Train and Money Train 4, the narrative here has developed into a futuristic setting, skilfully maintaining all the nitty-gritty details of the original and converting them into matching elements of the new design. Robotic insects and arachnids look super-cool, making you instantly visualize spectacular battles between Slayers and the swarms of those deadly constructs amidst barren landscapes of a desert planet. But, before that happens, brave warriors must hone their skills in a simulation environment on a space station, which keeps the entire storyline consistent. Switching between the station's levels, depending on which stage of the game you're in, also seamlessly fuses the experience. We could go on and on about the quality and ingeniousness of the artwork, as there are no half-baked elements to be seen, and the entire package is polished to the last tiny detail, running smoothly like the massive serpent under the sandy dunes.
Feature-wise, this is as proper a sequel as they come. It maintains everything that contributed to the success of the original release, enhanced with a stunning amount of extras, and not just crammed in carelessly, but meticulously structured to elicit the best experience. Within the base game, you'll have plenty of chances to witness a clash between Slayers and the Snake, resulting in full Wild reels with potential win multipliers up to x1,000 per column. Failing that, Slayers will always project their multipliers onto singular Wilds to provide at least some assistance. Special base game mechanics will also dominate the first of two bonuses, guaranteeing the Snake's activity on every spin and turning all active Wild reels sticky during the 'Super' variant. But, it wouldn't be a Snake Arena game without a proper snake-style round. This time, however, it plays differently from the one you may know from the first installment. There's no possibility for the Snake to bash into its own body, as it always moves column by column toward the Slayer, so the poor warrior's fate is doomed from the start. Also, the serpent will grow by consuming special symbols on the grid, and that's where all the fun stems from. In a nutshell, imagine many of the modifiers from the Money Train series, like Collectors, Payers, Expanders, and any mixed ones, on top of the regular instant prizes, placed on the Snake's path for it to activate them when they're consumed. The entire sequence is utterly visual and fun to follow, although during our testing, we also found it somewhat predictable on many occasions. This can be a good or a bad feeling, depending on the composition of symbols on the grid. Regardless of how you feel about it in the end, it's definitely worth trying due to the immense production value and authentically involving gameplay formed out of fantastic features that may combine into a 50,000x max win.
Snake Arena 2 - Kinesis Unleashed is one of the most impressive sequels in the online slots world, mixing the appeal of the original release with the studio's flagship features in a brilliant bonus game.
