Narcos Slot Review
Narcos is one of the biggest Netflix shows and has now become the basis of an online game from NetEnt. This Narcos slot review will take you back to Columbia in the 1970s, when Pablo Escobar ran his vast drugs empire and the DEA set out to bring him down.
If you have seen the TV series, then you might expect the Narcos online slots game to be filled with drugs and violence. However, NetEnt has deliberately toned it down. You will, however, see guns, explosions, and piles of cash as the five reels spin. It’s not exactly child-friendly.
The Narcos slot machine has a 243 Ways to Win setup and comes packed with extra features to give you a high. Walking wild symbols, free spins, and a unique Locked Up bonus can lead to some of the top payouts.
Will this game blow away the opposition? Play it for free here, or read our full Narcos online slot review before visiting one of our top-rated online casinos to play it for real cash.
Meet the Cast of Narcos
Slots themed around movies or TV shows often use real images of the stars, but the Narcos slot machine has opted for realistic drawings instead. You’ll see Wagner Moura as Escobar, Pedro Pascal as Javier Pena, and Joanna Christie as Connie Murphy on these reels – just not as actual photos. Our Narcos slot review team would have preferred photo images, but these illustrations are still a good substitute.
Other symbols in the game include flamingos, a light aircraft that’s undoubtedly stuffed full of something illegal, and playing card symbols decorated with guns and cash.
The reels backdrop fits the animated style. A dusty street scene behind the game looks like an updated Wild West town. The view changes as some of the bonus rounds are active, with night-time gun battles and drive-by shootings linking the Narcos online slot to the TV show.
Mariachi-style music plays out, and while this isn’t directly related to the show, it certainly adds to the atmosphere. Our review team agrees that the Narcos slot machine is another stylish release from NetEnt, with all the high-end animations that we are used to seeing from this Swedish developer.
Sniffing Out Ways to Win
The 243 Ways to Win format means that you win a prize by landing matching symbols in any places on adjacent reels from the left side. It’s a popular alternative to conventional paylines, and our reviewers found that it has given the Narcos online slot a medium level of volatility. Combine this with an average RTP of 96.23%, and you should see frequent winning combinations appearing.
You can play the Narcos slot machine for stakes of between 0.20 and 400.00 per spin. This wide bet range should suit virtually any bankroll, unless you are the head of a major cartel and need to launder huge amounts of cash.
The Narcos slot review team found that the game works perfectly well on desktop computers, iOS, and Android mobile devices. In common with all NetEnt slot machines, it’s been fully licensed for fair gaming and tested by independent auditors before release.
Trigger the Bonus Features
Just like the TV show it’s based on, Narcos is a slot machine packed full of action. A police badge is a special wild symbol that can act as others to complete a sequence if needed. Walking wilds move one place to the left in the following spins, so a wild appearing on the right-side reel will still be in play four spins later.
A random Drive-By feature sees a car racing past as bullets blast out from the windows onto the reels. If bullets hit any of the character symbols, these turn into extra wilds and any new wins are calculated.
A police mugshot of Escobar is the game’s special Locked Up symbol. Land this in three or more places on a row to trigger a bonus round which starts with an instant coin payout. This feature of the Narcos slots game continues with three free spins, where you will see only Locked Up symbols and images of golden cases. The cases can open up to reveal even more coin awards, extra spins, or win multipliers.
As well as for its potential for big payouts, this round impressed our Narcos review team with the switch to a background image of a prison and chains surrounding groups of symbols. It’s visual treats like this that show how much care and attention the NetEnt team have given to the design of the game.
The scenery also changes during a free spins round. Three or more car symbols start the feature, and the games begin with a bang as the autos explode. You will be witness to a gun battle outside a neon-lit bar as the ten free spins play out.
In our review of the Narcos slot, we discovered that during the free spins, high-value symbols can turn into more walking wilds if they get caught up in the crossfire. The free spins will carry on beyond the initial ten if walking wilds are still in view at the end.
More Crime-Themed Slots Online
Other crime-themed games from NetEnt include the Scarface video slot. It uses real images of the cast, and scenes from the fantastic 1983 movie will play out as the reels spin. Stacked wild symbols and free games help to make this game just as exciting as the Narcos slot machine. You can say hello to Scarface at online and mobile casinos that feature the NetEnt range.
The Torrente slot from Playtech takes a similar design approach to Narcos. Torrente is based on a series of popular movies, and it uses high-quality artwork to represent the characters, instead of actual photos. It’s a five-reel, 25-payline game based on the comic misadventures of an ex-cop. Free games and a bonus wheel that launches a smash-and-grab round are among the fun features.
Our Verdict on Narcos
You don’t have to be a fan of the Netflix show to enjoy the Narcos online slot machine. Some of our reviewers had never seen Narcos but still found lots to like about it. The style reminded us of the Grand Theft Auto console game, which should help it to attract a wider audience. We love it so much that we've included it in our Top 7 TV-Themed Slots 2023 list.
If slots filled with action and features are your thing, then play the Narcos slot at one of our recommended online casinos below.
