Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways

Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways: Slot Overview

NetEnt's slot Space Wars feels like it's been kicking about since the dawn of time, having been released in 2013. Remember 2013? Cripes, that seems like a long time ago, when Barack Obama was sworn in for another term as president, Croatia joined the EU, scientists created a lab-grown ear using a 3D printer, China sent a rover to the moon, and Danish entrant Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision in Malmo Sweden with the song 'Only Teardrops'. What a time. Since then, quite a lot of stuff has happened, including NetEnt following up with Space Wars 2 Powerpoints, and here, today, with Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways.

Space is where we're at then. Out there, amongst the stars, gas clouds, and aliens. That container thingy on the right-hand side of the screen, the Container Pod, links Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways to the original game, but all three look a bit different in their own way. They play quite differently, too. As a Megaways slot, the gaming grid has 7 reels landing 2 to 7 symbols on each, producing various numbers of ways to win, up to a ceiling amount of 117,649. Populating this sector of the 'verse are a gaggle of cute aliens, and players can pretend they're the captain of the ship, aided by a control console located below the grid.

Betting options in Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways are noticeably higher than usual at both ends of the scale. On the lower side, a minimum of 40 c per spin may be locked in, while on the higher side, stakes of up to $/€320 may be permissible. If you were wondering what makes this Space Wars version XXXtreme, that would be the extra betting options, and these will be detailed very soon. For volatility, NetEnt has classed the engine as high, while the default RTP comes in at 96.14%.

Six quirky extra-terrestrial critters are Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways' lows; they pay 0.1x to 0.125x the bet for a 6 OAK win. Up from them are 4 further critters and a red crystal chunks symbol. Six-of-a-kind wins of them pay 0.25x to 2x the bet. Wilds are easy to spot in the lineup, and they're used to substitute any paying symbol. Wilds are present on reels 2, 4, and 6.

Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways: Slot Features

Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways is not exactly bulging with extras, as its features consist of respins and XXXtreme Spins.

Respins

When a winning combination occurs, a respin triggers after the win calculation. The symbols that made up the winning combination appear stacked for the respin to form a new winning combination.

XXXtreme Spins

XXXtreme Spins are an additional betting option. Activating XXXtreme Spins guarantees a certain number of Megaways occur on the reels. For 10 times the bet, players can get at least 10,000 Megaways on the spin, or for 75 times the bet, at least 50,000 Megaways are guaranteed.

Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways: Slot Verdict

As well as hearkening back to earlier Space Wars slots, there was also something of the NetEnt classic Starburst about Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways, as well. Probably the outer space location mixed with a lack of major complicating factors and the repeatness of it all. Space Wars part two was an anomaly as it functioned very differently from the other 2 games. Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways, by contrast, is actually quite close to the original game on a core level while amplifying effects through the Megaways augmentation process and juicing some of the numbers.

At its heart, however, what you wanted to see happen in the original Space Wars release is basically what you want to see happen here. Namely, hit a win, then get a respin with the winning symbols stored in that container thingy, and watch them land again. Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways quite magnanimously stacks the winning symbols on the respin, potentially creating a fair amount of suspense. Especially if there are a lot of Megaways. Here's where the XXXtreme part of the game comes into play, as players can pay more, quite a bit more for the 75x option, to ensure there are certain ways minimums locked in place.

The more ways you can get, the merrier since there are no free spins rounds or bonus games to help players attain Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways' max win of 14,400x the bet. Can't help but feel Space Wars XXXtreme Megaways isn't super extreme, but considering it's basically a spin + a respin to achieve solid winning potential, there is a level of extremity in what is a handsomely presented space slot with a fairly enjoyable low-budget sci-fi atmosphere to it.