The time has come to admit that developing video slots for online casino games is an art form. The proof? Dracula, brought to you by NetEnt in collaboration with Universal Studios. Never before have theme, graphics and gameplay formed such a superlative winning combination. You know you’re in for something special right from the opening video of a terrified young female-Mirena, Dracula’s Bride to be – fleeing the Prince of Darkness to a dramatic, creepy soundtrack so good it’s worth playing with your headphones on.
He catches her, of course, and swoops her to the reels, where a thrilling, succulent, full-blooded gaming experience awaits you. In true Vegas casino-style, Dracula has returned.
If you’d like to sink your teeth into some juicy wins, Dracula is your nightmare come true. The basic set-up consists of 5 reels, 4 rows and, unusually for an online casino slot game, no fewer than 40 fixed paylines. Bet levels range from 1 to 10 and you can select coin sizes from 0.01 to 1. The minimum bet is 0.20 so it needn’t suck you dry; the maximum bet is 200 – hit “Max Bet” if you want to dance with the devil without delay.
The Return To Player is 96.58% and the default maximum win is 2 000 coins on a single bet line. It is therefore possible to win a total of 80 000 coins – a much greater chance than other slots afford. You can multiply your winnings by up to 50 times during Free Spins. Now doesn’t that sound bloody good?
Online casino game wizards NetEnt have gone to great lengths to deliver a tremendously entertaining base game. A young-looking, handsome, virile Dracula leans back in his throne at the left of the reels against a bruised and brooding foggy sky. On the opposite side, Mirena expectantly over her shoulder at him. A cloud of bats froths from the Spin Button as the reels spin, bringing you beautifully designed low-value symbols – J, Q, K, A mounted on Transylvanian shields – and higher-value symbols in the form of three victims (a bearded man gazing in rapture at a wine bottle, a gormless grinning beggar-boy holding out his hands, and a smug lapdog-clutching dowager in furs and hat) as well as Mirena and Dracula.
When the victims form winning combinations, their expressions become animated with horror at the realisation of their fate. Dracula and Mirena both stack – if they land on reels 2 and 4, you’ll be whisked off to Free Spins.
Wilds are Ws giving off a bloody mist and appear randomly on reels 2, 3, or 4 to substitute for any symbol. From time to time, randomly, Dracula seethes with rage and explodes into a cloud of bats (4 to 12 in the base game, 4 – 20 in Free Spins) that swarm the reels and set fire to a quantity of symbols, which transform into matching sets for a better chance of forming winning combinations.
When the Count and his Bride land on reels 2 and 4 respectively, Dracula taps his beloved on the shoulder and a cut scene starts up depicting Dracula’s journey in bat form to London where Mirena awaits. Enjoy 10 Free Spins, with a stacked Wild in the form of the Count and his lady-love – you get 2 more Free Spins when they appear on reel 3.
The Bat Feature is activated when Dracula reacts to Mirena’s kiss by exploding into bats. The feature ends with a fatal dance ... Wins from Free Spins are added to wins on pay-lines.
