Grizzly Stampede review
ELK Studios
You've no doubt heard of buffalo or bison stampedes while sampling wildlife slots, yet bears, not so much. Not meaning to be overly pedantic, but bears are generally solitary animals which don't naturally form the kinds of herds necessary to produce a stampede. But that might all be about to change if developer ELK Studios has anything to say on the matter. The software provider has designed Grizzly Stampede, an online slot that features a lot of really angry-looking animals, including grizzly bears who get their stampede on through a symbol transformation sequence, and copious thundering paws. Fortunately, scientific accuracy isn't a requirement for making an entertaining game, and ELK Studios connects the concept to a game packed with transformations and other sorts of roaring action.
Grizzly Stampede also touches on the prehistoric, telling a tale of T-Rexes last spreading destruction on Rage Mountain some 66 million years ago, now replaced by a new apex predator. However, the current hunting ground is also cursed, leading to a game that mixes the natural world with something more ethereal. Basically every critter in Grizzly Stampede seems to be angry, perhaps irritated by the intrusion on their patch of land by bipedal humanoid gamblers. As usual, ELK Studios has painted an attractive game world, the theme a bit more mainstream than what it usually uses, but you won't hurt your eyes when copping a look at all the animals, mountains, trees, and supernatural effects on offer here.
A 5x4, 1,024 ways to win gaming area is where these wild animals call home, and none look too happy about the situation. Stands to reason this is a highly volatile slot, available in a variety of RTP variations from 87% to 96% depending on the market. When choosing a stake, the options are $/€0.20 to $/€100 per main game round.
Grizzly Stampede's pay symbols are 10-A, wolves, eagles, cougars, moose, Grizzlies, and Raging Grizzlies. Royals pay 0.2x-0.5x when landing 5 OAK; premium symbols award 1x-7.5x for 5-of-a-kind. Wild symbols substitute for all paytable symbols. If the wild symbol is part of a win, it may reveal a multiplier of x2 to x5. Wilds always reveal a multiplier in free spins when part of a win. When more than one wild takes part in the same winning combination, the multiplier values are multiplied.
Wandering in the wild are Stampedes, a Totem feature, free spins, super free spins, and ELK's usual range of X-iter feature buys.
Landing two Stampede symbols on the same row triggers the Stampede or Super Stampede feature. The two Stampede symbols and those between them are converted into Grizzly symbols. The Super Stampede feature adds extra Grizzly symbols onto the grid. During the bonus round, the Stampede features convert symbols into golden Grizzlies on reels that have not expanded, and Grizzlies elsewhere. Wilds are not affected by the Stampede feature in the base game. In free spins, wilds between two Stampede symbols temporarily convert to golden Grizzlies.
A single Stampede symbol on a row sends its energy to charge the Totem pole. The Totem feature can trigger at any spin, emptying the pole and releasing the Grizzly Spirit, adding Stampede symbols to the reels before they stop. Each spin has the same probability of triggering the Totem feature.
Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols triggers 6, 9, or 12 free spins, respectively. During bonus mode, landing 2, 3, 4, or 5 scatters awards an extra 3, 6, 9, or 12 free spins. During the round, each reel has a token meter, and golden Grizzlies may hit. When golden Grizzlies land, they add a token to the meter on the reel. Collected golden Grizzlies become Grizzly symbols.
When 3 tokens have been collected on reel 1, 2, 4, or 5, +1 spin is awarded, the associated high-pay symbol is converted to the Grizzly for the rest of the bonus, and the reel is expanded from 4 to 6 rows - the two added positions reveal Grizzlies. When 5 tokens are collected on the middle reel, +1 spin is awarded, all Grizzly symbols on the reels are converted to Raging Grizzly symbols, and the reel expands to 6 rows. The two positions reveal Raging Grizzly symbols. When reel 3 has expanded, golden Grizzly symbols are replaced by Raging Grizzly symbols for the rest of the round, and the Stampede and Super Stampedes create golden Raging Grizzlies on reels that have not yet expanded, Raging Grizzlies elsewhere. Collected golden Raging Grizzlies convert to Raging Grizzlies.
The super bonus is awarded if one of the triggering scatters is a super scatter on the rightmost reel. Before the first super bonus spin, a number of tokens are awarded. Each token fills a position on a reel or adds +1 spin.
At the X-iter feature buy, players can trigger the Bonus Hunt at 3x to have more than 4 times the chance of triggering a bonus game. The Mega Hunt costs 10x to have 15 times the chance. Grizzly Spirit triggers a Totem feature for 25x, free spins may be bought for 100x, or super free spins cost 250x the stake.
There's nothing wrong with a game studio trying new things, of course, but that said, Grizzly Stampede did seem slightly out of character for ELK Studios. The theme choice felt a little common, compared to the developer's normal tastes. ELK Studios has dealt with animals on numerous occasions in the past, from Toro the Bull to Pirots to Huff N' Puff CollectR's wolf, yet they tend to be mischievous animals possessing vaguely humanistic qualities. Grizzly Stampede is more of a straightforward wildlife slot, though one with supernatural tones. Don't get us wrong, the game is strong in the visual department, but Grizzly Stampede looks like the sort of slot a number of other studios might have designed, including outfits that lack ELK Studios' level of uniquely creative design.
Moving on, Grizzly Stampede is a game with a big emphasis on getting Grizzly symbols to the reels, relying on landing them out of the blue, and adding them via transformations and conversions. The Stampede feature lends a hand here. It is a relatively slow process, which might be painful when it's clear all the buildup is not going to produce a win, or rather entertaining as the number of connected Grizzlies steadily increases across the reels. Bonus rounds are able to contribute further by both converting high-pay symbols to Grizzlies in a vaguely Pink Elephants type way, and opening up the grid for more space to land them. Patience and luck may be needed to unlock rows and convert symbols, but rewards are potentially there when it goes well, which proved to be something of a challenge during testing, though others might have greater luck out in the wild.
Snag this bear, and it's possible to collect wins up to a tremendous cap of 50,000x the bet, going to show just how powerful a combination all that converting can be in conjunction with so many ways to win - wild multits don't hurt either. All in all, Grizzly Stampede may seem a little out of place amongst ELK Studios' portfolio, but that doesn't stop it from being a savage slot with enormous winning potential which challenges big game players to see if they can take on its untamed wilderness.
Grizzly Stampede may not be ELK Studios at its most inventive, but its polished execution and rewarding mechanics make it a solid addition to the studio's catalogue.
Grizzly Stampede also touches on the prehistoric, telling a tale of T-Rexes last spreading destruction on Rage Mountain some 66 million years ago, now replaced by a new apex predator. However, the current hunting ground is also cursed, leading to a game that mixes the natural world with something more ethereal. Basically every critter in Grizzly Stampede seems to be angry, perhaps irritated by the intrusion on their patch of land by bipedal humanoid gamblers. As usual, ELK Studios has painted an attractive game world, the theme a bit more mainstream than what it usually uses, but you won't hurt your eyes when copping a look at all the animals, mountains, trees, and supernatural effects on offer here.
A 5x4, 1,024 ways to win gaming area is where these wild animals call home, and none look too happy about the situation. Stands to reason this is a highly volatile slot, available in a variety of RTP variations from 87% to 96% depending on the market. When choosing a stake, the options are $/€0.20 to $/€100 per main game round.
Grizzly Stampede's pay symbols are 10-A, wolves, eagles, cougars, moose, Grizzlies, and Raging Grizzlies. Royals pay 0.2x-0.5x when landing 5 OAK; premium symbols award 1x-7.5x for 5-of-a-kind. Wild symbols substitute for all paytable symbols. If the wild symbol is part of a win, it may reveal a multiplier of x2 to x5. Wilds always reveal a multiplier in free spins when part of a win. When more than one wild takes part in the same winning combination, the multiplier values are multiplied.
Wandering in the wild are Stampedes, a Totem feature, free spins, super free spins, and ELK's usual range of X-iter feature buys.
Landing two Stampede symbols on the same row triggers the Stampede or Super Stampede feature. The two Stampede symbols and those between them are converted into Grizzly symbols. The Super Stampede feature adds extra Grizzly symbols onto the grid. During the bonus round, the Stampede features convert symbols into golden Grizzlies on reels that have not expanded, and Grizzlies elsewhere. Wilds are not affected by the Stampede feature in the base game. In free spins, wilds between two Stampede symbols temporarily convert to golden Grizzlies.
A single Stampede symbol on a row sends its energy to charge the Totem pole. The Totem feature can trigger at any spin, emptying the pole and releasing the Grizzly Spirit, adding Stampede symbols to the reels before they stop. Each spin has the same probability of triggering the Totem feature.
Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols triggers 6, 9, or 12 free spins, respectively. During bonus mode, landing 2, 3, 4, or 5 scatters awards an extra 3, 6, 9, or 12 free spins. During the round, each reel has a token meter, and golden Grizzlies may hit. When golden Grizzlies land, they add a token to the meter on the reel. Collected golden Grizzlies become Grizzly symbols.
When 3 tokens have been collected on reel 1, 2, 4, or 5, +1 spin is awarded, the associated high-pay symbol is converted to the Grizzly for the rest of the bonus, and the reel is expanded from 4 to 6 rows - the two added positions reveal Grizzlies. When 5 tokens are collected on the middle reel, +1 spin is awarded, all Grizzly symbols on the reels are converted to Raging Grizzly symbols, and the reel expands to 6 rows. The two positions reveal Raging Grizzly symbols. When reel 3 has expanded, golden Grizzly symbols are replaced by Raging Grizzly symbols for the rest of the round, and the Stampede and Super Stampedes create golden Raging Grizzlies on reels that have not yet expanded, Raging Grizzlies elsewhere. Collected golden Raging Grizzlies convert to Raging Grizzlies.
The super bonus is awarded if one of the triggering scatters is a super scatter on the rightmost reel. Before the first super bonus spin, a number of tokens are awarded. Each token fills a position on a reel or adds +1 spin.
At the X-iter feature buy, players can trigger the Bonus Hunt at 3x to have more than 4 times the chance of triggering a bonus game. The Mega Hunt costs 10x to have 15 times the chance. Grizzly Spirit triggers a Totem feature for 25x, free spins may be bought for 100x, or super free spins cost 250x the stake.
There's nothing wrong with a game studio trying new things, of course, but that said, Grizzly Stampede did seem slightly out of character for ELK Studios. The theme choice felt a little common, compared to the developer's normal tastes. ELK Studios has dealt with animals on numerous occasions in the past, from Toro the Bull to Pirots to Huff N' Puff CollectR's wolf, yet they tend to be mischievous animals possessing vaguely humanistic qualities. Grizzly Stampede is more of a straightforward wildlife slot, though one with supernatural tones. Don't get us wrong, the game is strong in the visual department, but Grizzly Stampede looks like the sort of slot a number of other studios might have designed, including outfits that lack ELK Studios' level of uniquely creative design.
Moving on, Grizzly Stampede is a game with a big emphasis on getting Grizzly symbols to the reels, relying on landing them out of the blue, and adding them via transformations and conversions. The Stampede feature lends a hand here. It is a relatively slow process, which might be painful when it's clear all the buildup is not going to produce a win, or rather entertaining as the number of connected Grizzlies steadily increases across the reels. Bonus rounds are able to contribute further by both converting high-pay symbols to Grizzlies in a vaguely Pink Elephants type way, and opening up the grid for more space to land them. Patience and luck may be needed to unlock rows and convert symbols, but rewards are potentially there when it goes well, which proved to be something of a challenge during testing, though others might have greater luck out in the wild.
Snag this bear, and it's possible to collect wins up to a tremendous cap of 50,000x the bet, going to show just how powerful a combination all that converting can be in conjunction with so many ways to win - wild multits don't hurt either. All in all, Grizzly Stampede may seem a little out of place amongst ELK Studios' portfolio, but that doesn't stop it from being a savage slot with enormous winning potential which challenges big game players to see if they can take on its untamed wilderness.
Grizzly Stampede may not be ELK Studios at its most inventive, but its polished execution and rewarding mechanics make it a solid addition to the studio's catalogue.
