MexoMax 2

MexoMax 2: Slot Overview

One thing developer Yggdrasil Gaming has proven to be a dab hand at is deploying multipliers in its slots. Its DoubleMax mechanic is one of the most obvious examples of this ability, and the doubling win multiplier roller coaster has added adrenal shots to numerous releases, both from Yggdrasil and its partners. Another mechanic the studio has created, though used to a lesser extent, is its MultiMax mechanic, as used in MultiFly!, which builds multiplier values above individual reels rather than a single global value. The feature worked like a jungly charm in the 2022 cluster paying slot MexoMax! and it has been rolled out again for MexoMax 2 along with some new extras.

Visually, MexoMax 2 is a slight step down from MexoMax! The background jungle isn't as richly vibrant as before, the slithering snake from the first game has slithered away, the jaguar lazing on the tree is off doing jaguar things, and the graphically beating heart wild symbol is much less dramatically static. Small things, perhaps, but they add up to a screen that is less alive than the previous slot. Jungles absolutely crawl with lifeforms from the ground to the tips of the trees, and where the original release did a great job recreating a dense feeling of life, MexoMax 2, whilst perfectly fine to look at, is noticeably more lifeless. The soundtrack is cool, though.

MexoMax 2 maintains its high-volatility edge, delivering action on a familiar 6x6 grid where wins trigger when clusters of 5 or more matching symbols connect horizontally or vertically. The max RTP tops out at 94%, and players can dive in with stakes ranging from 10c to $/€50. For those who prefer to up the ante, Golden Bets and feature buy options are back in play, offering fast-track access to the slot's bonus mechanics.

MexoMax 2's pay symbols are four lower-value animal-like carvings on rock, and four higher-paying face/mask symbols. Winning clusters of 5 OAK pay 0.1x to 1x the bet while the biggest clusters are 14+ OAK and are worth 2.5x to 6.5x the bet. An avalanche feature removes winning symbols from the reels, places a wild in one of the empty spaces and fills the rest with a symbol drop. Avalanches repeat as long as new wins appear.

MexoMax 2: Slot Features

MexoMax 2 has a few extra features this time, such as various wild symbol types and non-winning spin modifiers to go with the MultiMax multipliers, free spins, Golden Spins, and feature buys.

MultiMax Multipliers

Above each reel is a multiplier that starts at x1. Each time a wild spawns on a reel, it increases the reel's multiplier by +1. In the base game, all multipliers reset after a losing spin or avalanche. If more than one multiplier applies to a single cluster, they are summed together before being used.

Wild Symbols

Wilds substitute for all paying symbols. Three types of wilds can be added during an avalanche:

• Regular wild.
• WildEnergy Wild - appears with 2, 3, or 4 lives. Each time it is used in a win, it loses a life, staying on the reels until it runs out of lives or avalanches end.
• Extra Multiplier Wild - after spawning, it adds a value of x2 to x50 to its reel multiplier.

Grand Prize

All high pay symbols can land with a sub-symbol on them, which are collected by their corresponding Grand Prizes. Each time a sub-symbol is collected, there is a chance its prize is awarded. The four prizes are worth 15x, 25x, 500x, or 1,000x.

Non-winning Spin Modifiers

On each non-winning spin, there is a random chance one of these modifiers triggers:

• Hand of the Gods - turns a number of non-winning symbols into symbols that form a win.
• Temple Wind - turns random non-winning symbols in a single row into symbols that form a win.
• Sun Stone - turns random non-winning symbols in a 2x2 formation into symbols that form a win.

Free Spins

Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters awards 7, 9, or 11 free spins, respectively. After free spins trigger, players may gamble to win up to 11 spins, or lose the session. The multipliers do not reset for the whole session. Free spins cannot be retriggered.

Golden Bet and Feature Buy

For 1.2x the bet, players can activate a Golden Bet that increases the chance of triggering free spins or 1.5x the bet to guarantee only special wilds on each avalanche. Also, at a cost of 100x the bet, players can trigger 7-11 free spins while 200x guarantees 11 free spins.

MexoMax 2: Slot Verdict

MexoMax! was a choice slot which successfully transitioned MultiMax reel multipliers from the 5x3, 243 ways set-up of MultiFly! to a larger gridded cluster pays environment. It looked great, oozed life, and was an all-around solid scoring slot. MexoMax 2 is interesting in that it adds things, is more mechanically dense, but is less captivating, less enjoyable on the whole. As mentioned above, the game world isn't as absorbing, and the original's creepy-crawly, everything's-alive effect is diminished. Looks aren't everything, but MexoMax 2 just doesn't feel like you're about to hack your way through the bush with a machete like the original did.

Mechanically, there is a larger selection to sample, though. Whereas in the last game, avalanches spawned just one type of wild, the beating heart substituter, that's it, here you've got the standard wild, the life-bearing WildEnergy Wild, and the extra multiplier bestowing Extra Multiplier Wild. The two special wilds are both welcome additions, especially the multiplier adder. As are the non-winning modifiers. The Grand Prizes are possibly more contentious. Jackpot-style prizes no doubt add an eye-catching quality for some gamblers, yet others might have preferred that part of the RTP to be played out on the reels through the core features. Oh well, the Grand Prizes are there.

The bones of MexoMax 2, the clustering, avalanching, reel multiplying are as exciting as ever when they're rolling, amplified by the free spins round's persistent values. MexoMax 2 also has the same winning potential as MexoMax! at 10,000x the bet. However, despite all the new bits and bobs, and providing a completely agreeable review session, it was a less impactful game than the original.