Buckshot Wilds (NetEnt) Slot Review

Picture this: the sun setting over a dusty Wild West town, with the distant jingle of spurs and the crack of a whip. Such is the scene set by NetEnt’s latest foray into the world of online slots, Buckshot Wilds. After their impressive run in 2023 with hits like Twin Spin XXXtreme and Wild Turkey Megaways, expectations are as high as the noon sun in a spaghetti western for NetEnt’s 2024 offerings. Enter Buckshot Wilds, a game that has us don our cowboy hats, load our six-shooters, and ride straight into an adventure filled with wilds – and not just the ones lurking in the saloon.

Aesthetically, Buckshot Wilds doesn’t reinvent the wheel with its Wild West theme – a genre as well-trodden as the main street of a gold rush town. Yet, it still manages to bring a sense of novelty to the saloon table. The game leads players through a landscape that feels familiar, yet with graphics that freshen up once the bonus game kicks in, shifting from a barren desert to a lively village where the tavern lights draw you into the warmth of the action.

The structure of Buckshot Wilds is fairly standard for the modern slot enthusiast: a 5×5 grid which can expand to 5×8 during the ever-popping Expanding Reels feature, and 20 paylines that can grow just as the rows do. While the game doesn’t boast a high hit frequency, it promotes a medium volatility that should keep players on the edge of their barstools, gunning for that 859x maximum win.

But what truly sets this slot apart from the rest in its posse are the features – and NetEnt doesn’t shy away from packing a punch with Wilds and Scatters galore. Not to forget the Expanding Reels and Wilds, Free Spins with guaranteed wilds, and the exhilarating trigger of the Symbol Shootout. And for those impatient gunslingers, there’s a Feature Buy to jump straight to the Free Spins, and a Bonus Bet to spruce things up in the base game.

With such an ensemble of features, one would expect a bountiful haul of coins at the end of the ride, but Buckshot Wilds likes to play it safe. Sure, the medium/high volatility label suggests a rollercoaster of wins and droughts, yet it pans out more like a leisurely carriage ride through a theme park Wild West replica. It’s a slot whose six-shooters are loaded with blanks but still provides a good ol’ time.

Players can enjoy Buckshot Wilds’ horseback escapade for a minimum bet of 0.2 and saddle up with a maximum of 100. Despite its modest volatility, it’s a game that knows how to keep your spurs spinning. NetEnt adds this medium volatility game to their holster with a decent RTP of 96.04%, although there’s a less favorable version with a 94% RTP lurking out there.

Without further ado, let’s saunter deeper into the town of Buckshot Wilds and dissect the components of this digital slot canyon.

Game Information

Buckshot Wild Slot Features

In the sweltering heat of the Wild West, a slot machine with a good set of features is like finding an oasis. Fortunately, Buckshot Wilds is a veritable watering hole brimming with such features. Starting with the Wild Symbol, it’s the Swiss army knife of the game – it slices, it dices, it makes julienne fries… or so they say. The Wilds substitute for paying symbols, sticking around for an encore, moving down one row each spin before they make their exit stage bottom.

Scatter Symbols in Buckshot Wilds do more than just look pretty; they’re your ticket to the Free Spins feature. But it’s the Expanding Reels that are the centerpiece of this Wild West show, randomly adding four rows to the game grid, and then, like a well-played hand of poker, resetting at the end of the spin.

Symbol Shootouts make you feel like the quickest draw in town every time a Wild covers a trigger symbol, turning adjacent icons wild. It’s the kind of broadside that can leave other slots in the dust. And with Free Spins always summoning Wilds into the fray, every tumbleweed roll seems to bring a new shot at gold.

Should patience be in short supply, as it often is when there’s gold in them hills, you can buy Free Spins for 100x your stake or up the ante with 125x for the Bonus Bet. But be warned: like any old-timey elixir peddled on the main street, the Bonus Bet comes with a pinch of salt. In the base game, it doubles your spin cost while promising new wilds and a leg up on both Expanding Reels and Free Spins features. During Free Spins, additional Scatters may drop onto the reels, each one handing out another free spin like a genial bartender.

Buckshot Wilds Slot Conclusion

Buckshot Wilds is a bit like a cowboy movie with all the trimmings but none of the climactic duels. While it sports a medium/high volatility tag, the shootouts in this town are more akin to friendly contests than high-stakes showdowns. The 859x max win may sound decent in a barker’s spiel, but when you see the Wilds line up and the payout checks in under 100x, that ‘big score’ starts to feel like a tall tale.

Yet, on the frontline of frequent features and mechanics that do entertain, Buckshot Wilds holds its own. There’s an undeniable charm in stringing together Wilds for a payout, and even if the game’s bounty isn’t as hefty as some, the thrill of the chase still keeps you in the saddle.

Buckshot Wilds may not have the gold rush excitement of some higher volatility slots, but it sure ain’t a ghost town. It’s a place where the reels keep spinning, the Wilds keep grinning, and the adventure – while not always as wild as promised – still makes for a rootin’, tootin’ good time.