Overview of Wild West Duels: An Ambitious Yet Familiar Slot
With an abundance of Western-themed slots saturating the market, one might anticipate discomfort from the overexposure. Perhaps it’s time for a different approach—how about a leisurely stroll instead? Today’s destination leads us to Wild West Duels, an online slot crafted by the prolific team at Pragmatic Play. While their reputation precedes them, originality isn’t always their forte. Wild West Duels is a prime example of drawing inspiration from predecessors without much disguise. We’ll keep the prior game’s identity under wraps for now, but aficionados of Western-themed slots will likely recognize it sooner rather than later.
Setting the Scene: The Desolate Frontier Town
The backdrop of Wild West Duels is a desolate frontier town, seemingly abandoned long ago. Speculation abounds as to why—the local mine drying up, the refusal of train barons to establish a stop, or perhaps the pervasive threat of banditry. Regardless, the town feels eerily empty, its streets adorned with tumbleweeds, dust, and sparse cacti. A fittingly twangy soundtrack sets the scene, though the experience is slightly marred by xylophone-like sounds accompanying win count-ups. While visually and audibly engaging, it falls short of the unique atmosphere it strives to 90jili emulate.
Gameplay Mechanics: Navigating the 5×5 Grid
Wild West Duels operates on a 5×5 grid, intersected by 15 lines where winning combinations can land. Achieving such combinations requires aligning three or more identical symbols along a line from the leftmost reel onwards. The game boasts high volatility and can be rather relentless, regardless of whether players opt for bonus purchases or individual spin bets—the return to player (RTP) rate remains constant, peaking at 96%. However, two lower RTP settings are available, easily discernible by consulting the paytable. Once verified, players can set their stakes anywhere between P1.00 and P5,000 per spin to initiate the duelling action.
Symbolism and Rewards: The Essence of the West
Symbol-wise, Wild West Duels presents 10 regular paying symbols alongside a variety of special symbols. Regular payouts begin modestly with a wanted poster, necktie, bottle, boots, and hat, while higher payouts feature five distinct character symbols. Aligning five identical symbols yields rewards ranging from 1x the bet for lower-paying symbols to 5-20x the bet for premium symbols. Acting as a wild symbol across all reels is the standard bag of gold, substituting for any regular paying symbol. During both the base game and the Duel feature, wild symbols can randomly expand to fill entire reels, triggering a showdown between two gunslingers. The victorious dueler then applies a multiplier of x2 to x100 to the wild. Expansion occurs only if at 90jili least one winning combination is formed.
Slot Game Features: Unveiling the Bonuses
This leads us to the trio of special symbols crucial for activating Wild West Duels’ three bonus rounds—the Beer Game, the Duel, and Lost Relics.
Beer Game
When 3 or more Beer Game scatter symbols land, it activates 10 free Beer Game spins. During this bonus round, when the wild beer mug symbol appears, it receives a random multiplier of either x2 or x3 and remains locked in place until the round concludes. These multipliers enhance any wins they contribute to, and if multiple wilds are present, their multiplier values stack. Unlike in the base game, expanding wilds are not included in this feature, and it cannot be retriggered.
Duel
Upon landing 3 or more Duel scatter symbols on the reels, players are rewarded with 10 free Duel spins. In this bonus round, expanding wilds make their appearance, ensuring that at least one wild symbol lands randomly on the grid with each free spin. However, it’s worth 90jili noting that this feature cannot be retriggered.
Lost Relics
The final scatter symbol is the Lost Relics scatter. Landing a minimum of 3 of these scatters triggers the Lost Relics round, which kicks off with 3 free spins. Prior to commencing the spins, players select 9 out of 25 shovels displayed on the screen to unveil either guaranteed wilds or random multipliers. Wild values range from 1 to 5, while multiplier values vary from x1 to x5. Once the selections are made, the free spins commence. For each spin, the predetermined number of wilds is guaranteed to appear in random positions, and every win is multiplied by the initially selected multiplier. This feature doesn’t include expanding wilds, and it cannot be retriggered.
Bonus Buy Feature: Instant Access to Excitement
Where permitted by local regulations, players have the option to purchase any of the three bonus rounds. The Beer Game can be acquired for 100 times the initial bet, the Duel for 200 times the bet, and Lost Relics for 400 times the bet. It’s important to note that 90jili regardless of whether players opt for the bonus buy feature or traditional gameplay, the return to player (RTP) remains consistent across all options.
Comparison with Predecessors: Echoes of Familiarity
While not an exact replica, Wild West Duels bears a striking resemblance to Hacksaw Gaming’s Wanted Dead or a Wild. The latter, with its gripping depiction of the Wild West, hit the market about a year and a half before Wild West Duels was slated for release. Perhaps Pragmatic Play hoped memories of Hacksaw Gaming’s hit would have faded by then, banking on slipping their version under the radar. Alternatively, they might have boldly forged ahead with their iteration, paying little heed to potential backlash—a move not uncommon in the online gambling sphere, where imitation often masquerades as flattery.
Conclusion: A Familiar Yet Engaging Experience
Setting aside its origins, Wild West Duels still offers an exhilarating Western-themed slot experience, albeit one occasionally marred by harsh volatility. Its bonus features possess the potential to elevate the gameplay to new heights, yet they also carry the risk of leading to disappointment, especially for those considering purchasing them. Our testing sessions revealed immense winning potential, reaching up to 20,000 times the initial bet—a significant improvement over the original Wanted Dead or a Wild slot. Perhaps these substantial rewards will lure players away from the competition? However, beyond the allure of big payouts, Wild West Duels falls short in terms of originality, lacking the distinctiveness—be it in artwork, gameplay, or immersive atmosphere—that set Wanted Dead or Alive apart. While it undeniably delivers an engaging experience, much of its appeal stems from borrowed concepts rather than genuine innovation.
In conclusion, Wild West Duels by Pragmatic Play might not break new ground in the realm of online slots, but it offers a robust and potentially rewarding experience for fans of the genre. Whether you’re drawn by the promise of high volatility or the familiar 90jili Western aesthetics, this game has plenty to offer—just don’t expect a revolutionary departure from what has come before.
