Das xBoot: Slot Overview
Das Boot is a movie released in 1981, which received a glowing
critical response and is viewed 👍 by many as one of the greatest and most expensive films
Germany has ever produced. It was based on a 👍 book of the same name published in 1973 by
Lothar-Günther Buchheim, describing his experiences aboard German sub U-96, in the
👍 hazardous waters of the Atlantic Ocean during World War 2. U-boats sinking Allied ships
during WW2 might not be the 👍 first topic that springs to mind when developers brainstorm
new ideas. If there is one thing Nolimit City has taught 👍 us, it's they are no regular
studio, taking Das Boot, and transforming it into Das xBoot, a complex slot jam-packed
👍 with an arsenal of extras.
Das xBoot is a real amalgamation of features and mechanics
from previous Nolimit slots all rolled 👍 into one. The graphics and effects are full-on
Das Boot, the action located in a murky grey sea next to 👍 the sub's starboard side.
Paradoxically, since Das xBoot is based on the Kriegsmarine, it feels a little tame,
coming so 👍 soon after Mental. However, it packs in plenty of atmosphere, with come book
style looks offset by a brilliant Jaws 👍 meets Klaus Doldinger meets Blade Runner 2049
soundtrack, which adds a layer of lurking menace to induce an enjoyable tense
👍 feel.
Playable from 20 p/c toR$/€100 per spin, the base game is played on a 6-reel
panel arranged in a 2-3-4-4-3-2 👍 formation, which chops and changes depending on the
game phase or if certain symbols are present. In its most basic 👍 form, there are 576
ways to win, though this can balloon to 75,712 under the right conditions. It kind of
👍 goes without saying that Das xBoot is a highly volatile slot, rated 10 out of 10 by its
maker. RTP 👍 is variable, so be on the lookout for the 96.03% version as it is the most
generous one. Wins occur 👍 at a frequency of 22.07%, while free spins trigger every 211
spins on average - there are two bonus round 👍 levels, depending on how many scatter
symbols hit to activate them.
Diving down further to the symbols, we come across ten 👍 of
them as the regular pays, plus various special symbols. On the low pay side are 10-A
card ranks, then 👍 five crew members as the premiums – chefs, radio guys, engineers,
periscope operators, and captains. The most valuable is the 👍 Kapitanleutnant, worth 20
times the stake for a six of a kind winning combination.
Das xBoot: Slot
Features
Going to sea for 👍 any length of time requires plenty of stores to tie you
over, and Das xBoot comes with loads of extras 👍 such as xNudge Wilds, xWays, xBomb Wild
Multipliers, Silent Hunter Spins, and Wolf Pack Spins.
Starting with the wilds, the
xNudge 👍 Wild is a 4-row high wild symbol that always nudges to be fully visible. Each
nudge increases its wild multiplier 👍 by +1. xNudge Wilds land on reel 3 or 4 only,
except in Silent Hunter Free Spins, where it only 👍 lands on reel 4. All multipliers add
to each other, and wins are evaluated using the total multiplier.
The xWays symbol
👍 lands only on reels 2 or 5 to reveal 2-3 instances of a regular random symbol. If more
than one 👍 xWays symbol lands on the reels, they all reveal the same pay symbol.
When an
xBomb Wild lands, the global win 👍 multiplier increases by +1, then it explodes, removing
all non-winning symbols from the reels. Exploded xBombs convert to wild symbols 👍 after
exploding. The remaining symbols after the explosion drop to the bottom of the grid,
and new ones tumble in. 👍 If free spins trigger on the same spin, the win multiplier is
carried over to them.
Keep an eye out for 👍 the sonar display, it's the scatter symbol,
appearing on reels 2-5. Landing 3 of them triggers 8 Silent Hunter Free 👍 Spins, or 4 of
them in view activates 8 Wolf Pack Free Spins.
For Silent Hunter Free Spins, reel 3
grows 👍 to 8 positions high (like a periscope), and a new Periscope Wild may land on it.
If matching symbols land 👍 on reels 1 and 2, with a Periscope Wild on reel 3, a torpedo
launch sequence occurs, and the win 👍 multiplier increases by +1. This is a short boat
attack animation, and if the boat is sunk, the Periscope Wild 👍 covers reel 3. Also, for
each position, the stack of Periscope Wilds nudge down to cover the reel, the
multiplier 👍 for that reel increases by 1. This value is added to any global win
multiplier. If the attack misses, the 👍 Periscope Wild remains a single wild. Finally,
any scatter in view adds +2 additional free spins.
For Wolf Pack Free Spins, 👍 a torpedo
tube appears beneath reels 2-5. When new torpedo wild symbols hit on these reels, they
drop an xWays 👍 symbol onto the torpedo area. These xWays symbols start on x2, increasing
by +1 for each following torpedo wilds that 👍 hit from then on, up to a maximum of x9.
When all 4 positions of the torpedo are filled, it 👍 launches out of the way to reveal
xWays symbols. On reels 2 or 5, these revealed xWays transform into the 👍 respective
number of regular symbols; on reels 3 or 4 they become the applicable number of wild
symbols. A torpedo 👍 launch also increases the win multiplier by +1. Like before, scatter
symbols award an extra +2 free spins.
The last feature 👍 is the Nolimit Bonus feature buy
option where players can buy either bonus game. Silent Hunter Free Spins cost 75x 👍 the
bet possessing an RTP of 96.57%, while Wolf Pack Spins cost 350x the bet while having
an RTP value 👍 of 96.58%.
Das xBoot: Slot Verdict
Das xBoot has a higher than usual
complexity, though it's nowhere near as confusing as the 👍 previous game Mental was. It
will probably take a few bonus rounds to completely clock what is going on, yet 👍 there
is no residual confusion left once everything falls into place. It's funny, after
Mental, Das xBoot feels rather light 👍 by comparison, which is an odd thing to say about
a slot based on one of the most dangerous battlegrounds 👍 of World War 2. Comic book
graphics soften the theme to an extent, but sinking enemy ships and the menacing
👍 soundtrack do a great job of building tension.
The features are a who's who line up of
Nolimit City classics. Limiting 👍 special symbols to certain reels was a good idea,
adding variety while also amplifying each other's effects should they trigger 👍 in
unison. Silent Hunter Free Spins would usually produce 1 or 2 Periscope Wilds per
round, giving you the chance 👍 of filling reel 3 with wilds. Get an xWays symbol or
xNudge in there at the same time, and results 👍 can be exciting. Das xBoot is a volatile
slot, though, so brace for plenty of 'Scheisse' moments, too (the game's 👍 word here).
As
we've seen in previous Nolimit City games, all it takes is one stunning spin to change
everything, and 👍 Wolf Pack Free Spins are where this is most likely to happen. Here is
where you want to build as 👍 high a collection of xWays symbols on the torpedo as
possible. Then, if you manage to launch the torpedo, the 👍 following spin can be
absolutely crazy with all those potential wilds, multipliers and additional ways in
play. Prepare for some 👍 major teasing, however. One time during testing, the very last
Wolf Pack spin launched the torpedo, jacking ways, alongside wild 👍 stacks, xWays, the
whole works… with absolutely nothing connecting on the first reel. That produced a
humorous yet frustrating 'Nein, 👍 nein, nein' animation as the game tried to commiserate
with the close but no cigar outcome.
Das xBoot's gameplay is so 👍 all or nothing it's
like a metaphor for a fruitless or successful submarine hunt. On a darker note, some
estimates 👍 put the chances of U-boat sailors surviving the war at 20%. By comparison,
the odds of hitting Das xBoot's max 👍 win are even slimmer. However, do so, and a
colossal haul worth 55,200x the bet is coming your way, triggering 👍 the Das Gold Des
Roter Teufel feature as the round shuts down.
Having memories, or nightmares, of Mental
fresh in your 👍 mind may diminish Das xBoot's impact, but this doesn't stop it from being
another big, volatile juggernaut from Nolimit City. 👍 Once again, the team has picked a
theme most others would shy away from and stacked it with the sort 👍 of gameplay that has
no qualms torpedoing starry-eyed players out of the water as much as reward them.
