Just like the original, Medusa II has a strong mythological feel - the reels are set against a ruined temple and include symbols of gold rings, quivers full of arrows, statues, icons and snakes. There are also playing card values from A to 9. Medusa herself is the wild - she substitutes for every symbol bar the scatter. The wild is a stacked symbol and can fill up entire reels when it lands.
They're not the only wilds on offer - look out for when the soldier randomly appears on the reels and attacks Medusa. Her icy stare will turn the soldier to stone to reveal a newly created wild stack. This is known as the Turned to Stone Stacked Wilds feature.
Medusa II also comes with locked reel technology - any 2, 3, 4 or 5 adjacent reels may lock into place to reveal the same symbol to offer some potentially very impressive payouts. These really come into their own during the bonus feature.
Once triggered, you'll be awarded 10 free spins with each free game featuring the locked reels. To activate Medusa’s Locked Reels Free Games feature, you'll need to land 3 or more Medusa II logo scatters. You'll also be awarded a cash prize of 50, 125 or 250 times your total bet. There’s also the chance to get an extra 5 free spins during the feature too.
Medusa II doesn't quite hit the heights of the original - visually, it's another solid outing from NextGen Gaming though. The graphics aren't quite a precise as some but do the job well enough. The action plays out to a haunting soundtrack that matches the somewhat creepy mood.
There's a good range of features on offer - a shame though that the Super Spins and their 5x multiplier from the original game didn't make a reappearance. The locked reels are a welcome addition in their stead though. Medusa II will certainly appeal to lovers of classical and mythological themed slots.
The variance may not quite be high enough for some but for a solid slice of ancient Greek folklore you won't go wrong here. If you like the theme, you should definitely try the more volatile original Medusa as well as the high variance Myth by Play ‘N Go which is often overlooked.