The Moai statue buddies have taken a vacation to Venice Beach in the sequel of Easter Island by Yggdrasil, and they’re thoroughly embracing the tourist lifestyle with their bright singlets, hats and sunglasses. With their wobbly, gelée-like bodies, they are more lively than ever before, bringing a smile to the faces of players with their comedic antics. Yggdrasil has done an impressive job with the visual presentation in this sequel.
The main mechanic of Symbol Swap Respins remains the same, but the math model has been enhanced slightly, resulting in a higher maximum win and an increased max bet. The game is aimed at casual players who enjoy a bit of humor and animation rather than serious gamblers. Despite the addition of an extra reel, the number of ways to win has been reduced to 25.
The Symbol Swap Respin feature continues to play a central role in this sequel, with minor adjustments made to the extras. For instance, the wild symbol now only appears during the Respin feature, replacing the expanding wilds feature from the first game. Winning combinations trigger the Symbol Swap Respin, and regardless of whether you win again, only one respin is awarded. High value winning symbols replace all other high value symbols on the respin, while low value winning symbols replace all symbols of low value in the same way.
The game also introduces Colossal Symbol Blocks, which appear as 2×2, 3×3 or 4×4 blocks when you win with 4, 5 or 6 of a kind. Seagulls can also be pulled into the action, creating colossal wilds. Winning with 6 of a kind expands the reel set with 4 extra rows, from 6×4 to 6×8, and increases the number of paylines from 25 to 55.
Although the Moai buddies’ antics are entertaining, they can become too hyperactive at times. The game is slightly more robust than its predecessor with a 2,500x potential, which is reasonable for a medium volatile title. The game is clearly targeted at casual players, however, the absence of the expanding wilds feature from the original game is notable. The concept of better wins resulting in better modifiers is engaging, and fans of the first game will likely enjoy this sequel.
In comparison, the max win is a bit lower in Easter Island, but 1,800x is still respectable for a less volatile game. Tiki Wins, a slot game by Booming Games, offers expanding wilds and a bonus round where you can win up to 5,000x your stake. Tiki Treasures Megaways by Blueprint features a progressive jackpot and up to 10,000x your stake win.
