Hacksaw Gaming Phoenix DuelReels Review
Hacksaw Gaming first introduced its DuelReels mechanic with Wanted Dead or a Wild, and we’ve seen it since in games like Slayers Inc., but the provider resurrected it again at the end of 2024 with the new slot we look at here in our Phoenix DuelReels review.
Phoenix DuelReels’ symbols and payouts
We begin this review where we begin all of our reviews of the best online slots in Canada, with the basics: the slot’s main symbols, paylines, payouts, maximum win amount, RTP, and volatility.
Game symbols
Phoenix DuelReels has 10 main symbols: a Phoenix, Water Dragon, Phoenix Egg, Blue Goblet, Green Crystal Ball, and 5 traditional playing cards, 10, J, Q, K, and A. There are several special symbols we will cover later in our Phoenix DuelReels review.
Number of paylines
The game board in Phoenix DuelReel features 5 reels with 4 rows and includes 14 paylines. The board pays when symbols match a payline left to right on 3 or more consecutive reels.
Payouts
From highest to lowest value, Phoenix DuelReels’ symbols payout in this order: the Phoenix, the Dragon and Phoenix Egg pay the same, as do the Blue Goblet and Green Crystal Ball, and, finally, all 5 of the traditional playing cards payout the least. As we will see, the wild symbol also pays out, the same amount as the Phoenix, but only when the matching symbols cross all 5 of the reels.
Min/max bet
The minimum bet in Phoenix DuelReels is $0.10, and the maximum bet is $100. The range is not bad, but a higher max bet would attract higher rollers.
Maximum Win
Hacksaw Gaming has designed Phoenix DuelReels with a theoretical maximum payout of 10,000x the bet. With the max bet of $100, players can win a maximum of $1,000,000 playing Phoenix DuelReels.
RTP and volatility
Phoenix DuelReels has a Return to Player of 96.27%, which puts the game in the high-RTP slots category. The slot comes with medium volatility, making it more consistently fun than games that require longer wait times between wins (i.e., high-volatility slots).
Phoenix DuelReels’ slot special features
What makes Phoenix DuelReels fun are all the delightful special features that Hacksaw Gaming has packed into this slot. So, let’s turn our Phoenix DuelReels review towards the wilds, scatters, DuelReels, and other special features that bring the game to life.
Wild symbol
Like any wild, the wild symbol in Phoenix DuelReels can substitute for any of the game’s main symbols to complete combinations. Wilds can appear in the base game and bonus games and hit their own paylines, matching the top-paying Phoenix symbol with any full 5-reel match.
DuelReels
The DuelReels feature is a Hacksaw Gaming signature mechanic that utilizes a VS symbol. The VS symbol acts like a scatter symbol in that it can hit if it appears anywhere. When it does, it expands across the entire reel, setting up a duel between the phoenix and dragon.
Each mythical creature is given a random multiplier, and a battle between them ensues. After the battle, the entire reel becomes wild, and if this contributes to any winning payline, then the winning creature’s multiplier is applied to the payout. Multipliers can range from 2x to 200x and are added together if multiple VS symbols land on the same spin and contribute to winning paylines.
Resurrection spins
A nice addition Phoenix DuelReels makes to the mechanic is the new Resurrection spin: if the Phoenix loses the duel with the dragon, then a re-spin is awarded with the guarantee for another VS symbol to land. This repeats until the Phoenix wins the duel.
Scatter symbol
While Phoenix DuelReels’ VS symbol acts as a scatter symbol, the slot has an actual scatter symbol: an FS symbol. The FS symbol activates different free spins rounds when enough of them land anywhere on the board.
The Fire and Water bonus game
Landing 3 FS symbols anywhere on the board activates the Fire and Water bonus game. This gives players 10 free spins with increased odds of landing VS symbols to trigger more duels. During the bonus game, hitting 2 FS symbols adds 2 free spins, and hitting 3 FS symbols adds 4 free spins.
The Rise of the Phoenix bonus game
Landing 4 FS symbols anywhere on the board activates the Rise of the Phoenix bonus game, which is an enhanced version of the Fire and Water bonus game. So, players receive the 10 free spins with increased duel odds and additional spins are added for hitting 2 or 3 FS symbols, as in the Fire and Water game, but this time with Resurrection spins that guarantee the same number of VS symbols in re-spins as in the losing spin.
Gamble feature
When the bonus games are activated, players are first given a choice to gamble their free spins round for a round with more free spins or a bonus upgrade to the Rise of the Phoenix if they have a Fire and Water bonus. Players who choose to gamble will select one egg from five to uncover their reward. The egg could be empty, though, and cost the player their entire free spins round. If they win their gamble, they can gamble again two more times over.
Buy feature
Hacksaw Gaming has made Phoenix DuelReels with the bonus buy slots category in mind. There are several great options for players in Canada to skip the wait and enjoy some of the bonus games immediately. Players should be aware that when they switch on the bonus buy feature in Phoenix DuelReels, it remains on for every spin until they turn it off.
These are the slot’s bonus buy options:
- Bonushunt Featurespins: For 3x the bet, players can increase the odds of activating bonus games by five times.
- Phoenix Fearurespins: For 60x the bet, players can guarantee to hit at least 2 VS symbols on every spin to trigger duels. FS symbols cannot land when this mode is active.
- Fire and Water bonus game: For 100x the bet, players can hit the Fire and Water bonus game.
- Rise of the Phoenix bonus game: For 200x the bet, players can hit the Rise of the Phoenix bonus game.
Phoenix DuelReel’s graphics and sound
Hacksaw Gaming is one of our favourite providers when it comes to game aesthetics. Phoenix DuelReels only supports our leanings in this regard. The game’s artwork is truly stunning. The slot’s board is framed by an ongoing battle between a phoenix and a water dragon, the contrast of blue and red sharply distinct, and the game’s narrative playing out at all times in front of us.
A gentle piano and guitar-led melody flows gracefully on top of the sound of a crackling fire, making for an eerie state that sets the scene wonderfully for when duels or bonus games are triggered.
The settings change when activating the bonus games, entering the dragon’s layer for the Fire and Water feature and the Phoenix’s nest for the Rise of the Phoenx feature. Symbols are well-detailed, the animations are smooth, and the sound effects play the perfect complement. Hacksaw Gaming has once again succeeded in crafting a game our Phoenix DuelReels review cannot help but praise.
| Graphics | 3D |
| Optimized for Mobile | 👍 |
| Music | Gentle, piano and guitar-led |
| Special features | Wild SymbolsDuelReelsScatter SymbolsFree Spins RoundsBonus Buy Feature |
Phoenix DuelReels’ mobile experience
Hacksaw Gaming is always adding games to the list of the best mobile slots in Canada, and our Phoenix DuelReels review thinks the provider has done it again with this slot.
It looks great on a phone or tablet, the incredible artwork only becoming more beautiful on smaller screens. Controls are made for use on mobile devices with everything a finger or thumb touch away.
The game loses none of its appeal and only becomes so much easier to play when switching to a mobile device. It’s another win for Phoenix DuelReels.
Phoenix DuelReels’ pros and cons
Compared to other online slots in Canada, Phoenix DuelReels has a lot of good to offer. Our Phoenix DuelReels review thinks these are the game’s biggest pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High-end graphics and sound | Low max bet |
| Wild symbols | |
| DuelReels mechanic | |
| Fire and Water bonus game | |
| Rise of the Phoenix bonus game | |
| Bonus buy |
Best online casinos to play Phoenix DuelReels in Canada
Finding Phoenix DuelReels in Canada is a matter of finding casinos that offer Hacksaw Gaming games, as most of those casinos will have Phoenix DuelReels. Or, take our suggestions and try these top-choice casinos that offer the slot in Canada:
Solutions if you have issues with Phoenix DuelReels
If you face issues playing the game, our Phoenix DuelReels review offers these solutions to the most common problems:
- If Phoenix DuelReels is interrupted during play, it will resume at its previous point of play when players restart the game. Results from the previous round will be displayed only if it was a winning round. Completed games can always be viewed in Game History.
- Unfinished games of Phoenix DuelReels will remain paused until players complete the game or until the game is made void after one day of inactivity, at which point any bets will be returned to the player’s casino account
- Misuse or malfunction voids all pays and plays.
- If you have any issues other than these, please contact Hacksaw Gaming’s customer support team.
More of what works, including the looks
Set amongst battling monsters, Hacksaw Gaming returns to casinos in Canada with more of its fantastic graphics and artwork and its popular DuelReels mechanic. This time, with Phoenix DuelReels, a water dragon battles a phoenix as players hope the phoenix’s multiplier is large.
We adore the DuelReels mechanic; it rarely pays out very massively, but it hits more frequently than the bonus games. The mechanic is also simply awesome to watch and adds the right amount of excitement to the game. Phoenix DuelReels also brings two free spins rounds that adds more excitement to the game.
As we noted above, we have seen this before from Hacksaw Gaming. The new piece here is the resurrection spin, which is a fun addition that allows players to win a touch more. The new skin is, as usual with Hacksaw Gaming, gorgeous. Its details and animations are wonderful. We love the bonus buy options, but there could be a higher bet maximum.
In the end, our Phoenix DuelReels review loved a lot about the game, enough to award a final grade of 89 out of 100.
Other slots to play if you like the Phoenix DuelReels slot
If you like Phoenix DuelReels and want others like it, you should try the slots we mentioned above (Wanted Dead or a Wild and Slayers Inc.), or you can try these slots that offer some similar features or themes and are also available in Canada:
- Outlaws Inc.
- Money Train 2
- Dragon Kingdom Eyes of Fire
Frequently Asked Questions
