Colt Lightning Firestorm is the coolest title of a slot game made in the past 100 years. However, what is not so unique is the fact that this is a sequel game to the slightly less cooler title of Colt Lightning.

As with many sequel games, not many head into a new direction. The idea of evolving beyond what has already been and passed terrifies some developers. Will Colt Lightning Firestorm find itself in the same position? Within the shadow of its predecessor. Let’s hope the developer Play’n GO hasn’t fallen into the same trap.

In this review of Colt Lightning Firestorm, I share my firsthand experience of the real money game. I discuss the design, how it’s played, bonus features, and software programming. Embedded into the review is a free-to-play demo of the game. Something for you to test and see if Colt Lightning Firestorm is a game you would like to play inside the real money casinos online.

There are some changes to the design of this game from the first one. The backdrop changes from canyons to a prairie setting. The border of the slot goes from boulders to wood, and the slot itself comes with a new layout. Colt Lightning Firestorm now has four rows and five reels. The game comes with a default of 1,024 ways to win but expands to 3,125 when playing the bonus round. The music of the sliding guitar is a lot smoother, and the overall animation has improved.

Firstly, you do not need to have prior experience with the first Colt Lightning game to get this one. Both are standalone features with some similar attributes. As this is a Play’n GO slot, you will find it inside many online casinos. Locate and load the game. Set your betting value before you spin the reels. Bets start at $0.10 and go up to a maximum bet amount of $100. 

When your bet value is set, which you pay per spin, press the green spin button to begin spinning the reels. Alternatively, there is the option of auto play, which is the yellow button, next to the spin button.

Wins are produced by landing matching symbols of 3 or more across adjacent reels. The higher-ranking symbols are the eagle, the puma, the coyote, and the snake. The lower-ranked symbols are the A, K, Q, J, and 10. The top symbols to land are the Colt and Fire Colt. With these, you only need to land two or more to get a return.

The order of play is to keep spinning the reels and hope a big win lands. That’s all there is to play any slot. Of course, the game is not without its special bonus rounds and features. 

• Lightning Blaze: If the horseshoe symbol lands on reel 3, you will trigger this feature that rewards you between 3 and 20 Fire Frames scattered across the slot. This will transform lower-valued symbols into animal symbols, which return more.
• Firestorm Feature: Land 3 Scatter symbols, and you will ignite the Firestorm Feature, which is formed of Fire Free Spins and the Fortune Strike feature. 
• Fortune Strike: Formed as an electric roulette feature, it offers instant wins that are valued at 5x to 200x your bet value.
• Firestorm Free Spins: When this bonus round launched, you are awarded with 8 free spins. All Colts become Fire Colts which pay double. Additional spins can be won with each Fire Ball Scatter symbol. A total of 46 free spins can be won during the bonus round.
• Free Spin Lightning Blaze: During the bonus round, the Fire Frames created by the Lightning Blaze remain in place, and at the end of the round, all symbols are turned into animal ones.

I approached this sequel with some hesitation. Often, the look and features remain the same, and all the developer has done is up the jackpot and change the look of the reels. So far, this is the case, but has Play’n GO gone any further?

Don’t get me wrong, the game is cool, perhaps too cool. The music is very engrossing. And when a feature triggers, you get this rugged, hard-man voiceover introducing it. Anyway, I loaded the game in my  preferred casino online, set my bet per spin to $2, and played 50 spins in their auto mode.

In the first spin, I hit $16; so far, so good. Then, $32 with the aid of the Lightning Blaze feature. I then land the Fortune Strike Feature and win $20. So far, I am up on the game, and less than half my spins are played. In the second half of the play, the game seems to calm down, with very little else won. By the end of my 50 spins, I am able to cash out $2.10.

The RTP is 96.20%. The volatility is set to the highest setting, which surprised me, given the manner of my first 25 spins. The jackpot is 50,000 times your bet value. Should you play $100 per spin, the payout will be $5,000,000 should you land the biggest of all wins. 

A cool game and a good follow-up to the first Colt Lightning slot game. Games had been made, the game had evolved, with enough changes for it to take the series into a new direction. I was a fan of the first game and its respin feature, but Colt Lightning Firestorm seems more toned down, more relaxed, and more cool. 

I recommend you try out the first game if you haven’t already. Plus, if you like your horse-themed slots, then why not give these casino games a play?

• Happy Hooves by Pragmatic Play
• Mustang Riches by Microgaming
• Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven by Playtech

All reviews of these games come with the official free demo. You will also be guided to the best online casinos where you can play them for real money.