Anubis 2 DoubleMax

Anubis 2 DoubleMax: Slot Overview

Slot makers, for whatever reason, have a strong affinity with Anubis, the jackal-headed god of ancient Egypt, the deity in charge of things like mummification, the afterlife, and guide to the underworld. He has appeared in numerous casino games and headlined Reflex Gaming's DoubleMax slot Secret of Anubis (2023). That game must have struck a chord somewhere because the studio has returned to the topic and produced Anubis 2 DoubleMax, a slot which not only alters the title but alters just about everything else, from features to principle stats.

Anubis 2 has a classic Reflex Gaming look to it, kind of high resolution in parts, kind of dated in others. Hieroglyphed columns stand to either side of the reels on a blazing red-lit day in ancient Egypt. The artwork is neither outstanding nor hiddy and is joined by an exotically flavoured, swaying soundtrack that fits the mood. The change in title, as displayed above the grid, is unusual and foreshadows a lot of changes to come.

Gaming is conducted on a 5x3 matrix, creating winning components left to right from the leftmost side and right to left from the rightmost side. It has 20 paylines with which to do so. The maximum RTP has dropped to 94%, as has winning potential, while the volatility has remained high. As well as stakes of 20 c to $/€100, players may choose to use the Golden Bet, which increases the stake by 25%, causing the Anubis feature to trigger more often.

On Anubis 2's list of symbols, we find J-A, scarabs, pharaoh masks, Cleopatra-types, and Anubis, awarding 0.5-1 times the bet for a line of 5 identical royals, or 1.5 to 10 times the bet for 5 identical premium symbols. 5-of-a-kind wins pay both ways. Wilds may land on all reels, but only during the Anubis feature. They replace any pay symbol and have the same value as the Anubis symbol.

Anubis 2 DoubleMax: Slot Features

Anubis 2's main extra is the Anubis feature. The Anubis feature may trigger on any losing spin. It shuffles the reels to produce a winning combination, and after the win is awarded, the reels shuffle again. If a win appears after a shuffle, the feature continues, but if no win occurs after a shuffle, the feature ends. A win multiplier applies to each win awarded in the feature. The multiplier trail starts at x1 and doubles with each step, up to x2,048. Each winning shuffle progresses the multiplier trail by +1 step, and each win is multiplied by the current win multiplier. When the feature ends, the multiplier resets to x1.

At the start of the Anubis feature, up to 6 wild or super wild positions are added to random spots on the multiplier trail. If the trail reaches a position continuing one of these wilds/super wilds, they are added to a random reel before the next shuffle. Super wilds only appear during the Anubis feature. They are 3 position high wild symbols.

Bonus Buy

With a price tag of 50 times their bet, players can buy the Anubis feature.

Anubis 2 DoubleMax: Slot Verdict

Unexpectedly, Anubis 2 is a very different game from Secret of Anubis. Is it an improvement? That's hard to justify, but it certainly is different. Reflex Gaming has completely revamped the features, removing the Sand Storm feature and axing the Pop and Drop Cascades; even the free spins round is gone. In their place is the Anubis feature, and how you feel about it will likely be the thing which makes or breaks the entire game. On the plus side, the Anubis feature can potentially lead to runs of repeat wins, each win doubling the multiplier the way DoubleMax slots are built to do. On top of this, it is possible to trigger added wilds and even added super wilds. These are indispensable, really, because the shuffle feature literally shuffles the reels as they are, new symbols do not spin in, and there is no cascading remove and replace. So, if the symbols you have on the screen stink, there is a chance the overall result will stink, as well.

An unusual system, then, but it is at least worth a look for connoisseurs of DoubleMax slots. Is it better than the way these games usually function? Hate to be that one guy, but not really. The issues are those mentioned above and the way the Anubis feature is completely random. As in, winning combinations do not automatically activate the DoubleMax multiplier, so you kind of want to lose in the base game since only non-winning spins are able to trigger the feature. Exacerbating the oddness is that in a peculiar turn of events, Reflex Gaming has dramatically decreased the max win from 20,000x+ in Secret of Anubis to a small, by comparison, 5,000x.

Reflex Gaming, you know, it's a studio which marches to the beat of its own drum, shrugging off fads and fashion to make games that are distinctively theirs, for better or for worse. As a sequel, Anubis 2 reflects the developer's individuality, going against the grain in so many ways, from a changed title, completely revamped features, and seriously reduced winning potential. Usually, you can say that players who like the original will like the sequel as well, but in the case of Anubis 2, this is not so clear-cut since the two slots are so unalike.