Wonders of Aztec review
Pragmatic Play
There's something quite fitting about reviewing a game built around an ancient civilisation, as both archaeology and slots include a measure of interpreting symbols. Sorry, that was a bit of a metaphor stretch, but anyway, today's trek back in time comes courtesy of Pragmatic Play, in its Mesoamerican-themed slot Wonders of Aztec. The Aztec theme has been mined so extensively over the years that there's a fear its wonder may one day be extinguished. Will today be that day? Let's find out as we inspect a scatter pays slot, which adds multipliers to the reels to boost win values, while venturing into a virtual Aztec Empire with the hopes there are treasures left to uncover.
An Aztec warrioress calls the shots around here as she leads players on a journey through the Central American landscape. Not a bad-looking spot it is either, filled with waterfalls, impressive stonework, and nature still mostly running wild. Trigger the bonus round, and the background gets a more magically lit look in the standard free spins round, before filling the screen with piles of treasure when super free spins are active. Wonders of Aztec is an attractive slot, contributing more evidence as to why casino game makers keep on choosing this theme, even if the game is unlikely to lead players into totally undiscovered areas of the Aztec Empire.
As a scatter pays slot, wins are formed when 8 or more matching symbols land anywhere on the 6x5 gaming area. After wins hit, the winning symbols disappear to let new and existing symbols tumble down to fill the reels. Tumbling repeats as long as new winning combinations are formed. A medium volatile math model is used, generating a maximum RTP of 96.55%, while a stake range of $/€0.20 to $240 has been provided.
Landing on the reels are 9 regular paying symbols, consisting of five geometric-shaped low pays and four mask-like high pays. When hitting 8-9 OAK winning combinations, the payout equates to 0.2x-10x the bet, jumping up to 2x-100x for a 12+ OAK hit. Wilds are not part of Wonders of Aztec.
Trek this forest and you may just encounter Bomb Multiplier symbols, free spins, super free spins, special bets, and feature buys.
Bomb Multiplier and Super Bomb Multiplier symbols may land on any reel during spins and tumbles in all game phases. When a Bomb Multiplier hits and there is at least one win on the spin, it adds an x2 multiplier or doubles the multiplier on top of its reel, up to x128. The Super Bomb Multiplier acts in the same way except it affects the top of all reels. When tumbling ends, the values of all multipliers are added together and applied to the total win.
Scatters and super scatters are able to land on all 6 reels. Landing 4, 5, or 6 scatters awards 3x, 5x, or 100x the bet, as well as 10, 20, or 30 free spins, respectively. The same number of super free spins and cash prizes is awarded if any of the triggering scatters is a super scatter. During both types of features, multipliers stay on top of the reels until the round ends. At the start of super free spins, a random number of Bomb Multipliers are added to the grid. The multiplier values on top of the reels apply to wins only if a Bomb Multiplier or Super Bomb Multiplier symbol hits during the spin or tumbles. Super scatters do not appear in free spins, but if 4 or more scatters land, +5 free spins are granted.
In the special bet menu, the ante bet costs 5x to make the chance of free spins 16x higher, while Super Spin 1 costs 10x to guarantee at least 1 Bomb or Super Bomb Multiplier on the spin. Super Spin 2 costs 300x to guarantee at least 1 Bomb or Super Bomb Multiplier on each spin, where the initial multiplier added by the first Bomb that hits is x2 to x1,024. The first Super Bomb adds the same value to all reels. Reel multiplier values are capped at x1,024 in this mode. In both Super Spins, free spins cannot trigger. The two feature buys are free spins for 100x or super free spins for 500x, which start with initial multipliers.
Wonders of Aztec hits a certain spot, but rarely manages to push past being merely satisfactory. Pragmatic Play has reached a stage in its evolution where it could knock out a shiny slot in its sleep, and Wonders of Aztec is another example of the studio's ability to paint pretty pictures. So while there is nothing particularly extraordinary to feast your eyes upon, nothing here is going to feel like your ocular cavities have been prodded with sharp sacrificial daggers either. Basically, Pragmatic Play has picked a very popular theme, one that remains a firm favourite amongst casino game makers and produced a version that's visually fine, quite handsome.
The same assessment could be laid on Wonders of Aztec's features as well. Slots with scatter pays, tumbles and multipliers could take up their very own division at Prag HQ, with a number of the studio's hits employing this combination in one form or another. The Wonders of Aztec version of it is quite distinct because instead of adding multiplier symbols together and applying them to the win, values are added to reels. It's a bit fiddlier this way, and rarely amounted to much very often in the base game (not saying it can't), but the progressive application in free spins makes the system a lot more alluring. Even then, it was interesting how often Bomb symbols would land without wins, thereby letting multipliers go to waste. At other times, it didn't seem to take much to plaster some values above the reels and turn out better results. The doubling effect can certainly help.
Reaching the end of the trek, Wonders of Aztec never quite reached the lost-city levels of discovery its name suggests. It looks nice, and the Bomb Multiplier system has enough going on to keep things interesting, particularly once free spins get underway, and the values begin stacking progressively. However, the experience on the whole felt slightly laboured, as if the mechanical ideas are sound rather than remarkable. The treasure is there, up to a cap of 10,000x, yet it isn't buried in a way that makes the excavation process especially memorable.
Wonders of Aztec scratches the scatter pay, tumble, multiplier itch but feels a little too forced to be Pragmatic Play's next home run.
An Aztec warrioress calls the shots around here as she leads players on a journey through the Central American landscape. Not a bad-looking spot it is either, filled with waterfalls, impressive stonework, and nature still mostly running wild. Trigger the bonus round, and the background gets a more magically lit look in the standard free spins round, before filling the screen with piles of treasure when super free spins are active. Wonders of Aztec is an attractive slot, contributing more evidence as to why casino game makers keep on choosing this theme, even if the game is unlikely to lead players into totally undiscovered areas of the Aztec Empire.
As a scatter pays slot, wins are formed when 8 or more matching symbols land anywhere on the 6x5 gaming area. After wins hit, the winning symbols disappear to let new and existing symbols tumble down to fill the reels. Tumbling repeats as long as new winning combinations are formed. A medium volatile math model is used, generating a maximum RTP of 96.55%, while a stake range of $/€0.20 to $240 has been provided.
Landing on the reels are 9 regular paying symbols, consisting of five geometric-shaped low pays and four mask-like high pays. When hitting 8-9 OAK winning combinations, the payout equates to 0.2x-10x the bet, jumping up to 2x-100x for a 12+ OAK hit. Wilds are not part of Wonders of Aztec.
Trek this forest and you may just encounter Bomb Multiplier symbols, free spins, super free spins, special bets, and feature buys.
Bomb Multiplier and Super Bomb Multiplier symbols may land on any reel during spins and tumbles in all game phases. When a Bomb Multiplier hits and there is at least one win on the spin, it adds an x2 multiplier or doubles the multiplier on top of its reel, up to x128. The Super Bomb Multiplier acts in the same way except it affects the top of all reels. When tumbling ends, the values of all multipliers are added together and applied to the total win.
Scatters and super scatters are able to land on all 6 reels. Landing 4, 5, or 6 scatters awards 3x, 5x, or 100x the bet, as well as 10, 20, or 30 free spins, respectively. The same number of super free spins and cash prizes is awarded if any of the triggering scatters is a super scatter. During both types of features, multipliers stay on top of the reels until the round ends. At the start of super free spins, a random number of Bomb Multipliers are added to the grid. The multiplier values on top of the reels apply to wins only if a Bomb Multiplier or Super Bomb Multiplier symbol hits during the spin or tumbles. Super scatters do not appear in free spins, but if 4 or more scatters land, +5 free spins are granted.
In the special bet menu, the ante bet costs 5x to make the chance of free spins 16x higher, while Super Spin 1 costs 10x to guarantee at least 1 Bomb or Super Bomb Multiplier on the spin. Super Spin 2 costs 300x to guarantee at least 1 Bomb or Super Bomb Multiplier on each spin, where the initial multiplier added by the first Bomb that hits is x2 to x1,024. The first Super Bomb adds the same value to all reels. Reel multiplier values are capped at x1,024 in this mode. In both Super Spins, free spins cannot trigger. The two feature buys are free spins for 100x or super free spins for 500x, which start with initial multipliers.
Wonders of Aztec hits a certain spot, but rarely manages to push past being merely satisfactory. Pragmatic Play has reached a stage in its evolution where it could knock out a shiny slot in its sleep, and Wonders of Aztec is another example of the studio's ability to paint pretty pictures. So while there is nothing particularly extraordinary to feast your eyes upon, nothing here is going to feel like your ocular cavities have been prodded with sharp sacrificial daggers either. Basically, Pragmatic Play has picked a very popular theme, one that remains a firm favourite amongst casino game makers and produced a version that's visually fine, quite handsome.
The same assessment could be laid on Wonders of Aztec's features as well. Slots with scatter pays, tumbles and multipliers could take up their very own division at Prag HQ, with a number of the studio's hits employing this combination in one form or another. The Wonders of Aztec version of it is quite distinct because instead of adding multiplier symbols together and applying them to the win, values are added to reels. It's a bit fiddlier this way, and rarely amounted to much very often in the base game (not saying it can't), but the progressive application in free spins makes the system a lot more alluring. Even then, it was interesting how often Bomb symbols would land without wins, thereby letting multipliers go to waste. At other times, it didn't seem to take much to plaster some values above the reels and turn out better results. The doubling effect can certainly help.
Reaching the end of the trek, Wonders of Aztec never quite reached the lost-city levels of discovery its name suggests. It looks nice, and the Bomb Multiplier system has enough going on to keep things interesting, particularly once free spins get underway, and the values begin stacking progressively. However, the experience on the whole felt slightly laboured, as if the mechanical ideas are sound rather than remarkable. The treasure is there, up to a cap of 10,000x, yet it isn't buried in a way that makes the excavation process especially memorable.
Wonders of Aztec scratches the scatter pay, tumble, multiplier itch but feels a little too forced to be Pragmatic Play's next home run.
