Blueprint keep working hard after acquiring the Megaways license, and Pirates Bounty Megaways is yet another slot to complement their portfolio. Since piracy is one of the most popular themes in the slot industry, it was only a matter of time when will the next huge release happen and catch up with the extremely successful Play’n Go’sJolly Roger 2and NetEnt’sRage of the Seas, and Blueprint was the one to take the task in hand.
While the two above-mentioned hit slots stood out from the crowd with original design and atmosphere, Pirates Bounty Megaways fails to do the same and boasts a more traditional appearance. Loading the game will take players to a pirate ship, where ropes and barrels are scattered all over the place. The semi-transparent grid sits just on the deck, and the backdrop showcases vast waters. A pretty unsurprising scenery indeed.
The actions take place across a common Megaways layout of 6 reels with each holding 2-7 symbols, and an extra 4×1 upper reel. Each spin is unique, and the number of symbols in reels as well as the number of paylines is determined at the beginning of each spin, maxing out at 177,649 ways to play across a 6×7 grid.
Compatible with any device, Pirates Bounty Megaways offers players to place wagers from 0.1$ to 10$ per spin, which is half of the average range found in most Megaways-powered slots. When it comes to the stats, Blueprint ensured that it would appeal to mainstream masses. Powered by a medium-high volatile math model and with an RTP of 96.12%, Pirates Bounty Megaways boasts a decent maximum potential, offering prizes of up to 10,000 times the stake.
As we head over to the paytable we see a bunch of 9-A royals at the lower side, followed by 4 premiums, which include bronze, silver, and gold coins, patterned with octopuses, ships, and mermaids images, alongside a skull and crossed sabers. At least 3 instances of the same symbol on a payline are required to score a win, while the top-paying symbol needs only 2. Matching 6 lows starting from the leftmost reel will award from 0.8x to 1x of the bet, while premiums are worth from 2x to 50x. Helping you to form winning combos is the Wild symbol, acting as a substitute for any other regulars, though, appearing only on the upper reel.
In case you look for dozens of things to do, you came to the wrong place honestly. Pirates Bounty Megaways doesn’t boast loads of features, and players here will benefit from a traditional Megaways Cascading Wins feature as well as a couple of other extras, taken from Blueprint’sDeal or No Deal Megawaysslot, though, altered a bit to give them a dash of personality.
On any spin during both the base and the bonus games, a random number of Mystery Symbols can appear on the reels to transform into the same instance of a randomly chosen symbol, except for Wild.
The Cascading Wins feature plays a central role in the gameplay. Any time you hit a win, all the winning symbols get removed from the reels to allow new ones to tumble down and fill empty spaces. The feature works until no new winning combos could be made, hence allowing to launch chains of consecutive wins on any spin.
A bonus meter is located on the left side of the screen, displaying Bonus, Mega Bonus, and Super Bonus features. It’s filled with cascades, and at least 4 on the same spin are required to trigger the Bonus, while 5 and 8 cascades activate Mega and Super Bonuses respectively. Once triggered, players will proceed to the Bounty Wheel, where they can win either instant cash prizes or advance to Free Spins. There are 4 levels on the bonus wheel, and the further you proceed, the higher will be the rewards.
Before spinning the Bounty Wheel, the Boost Pick-Me feature is played. Players are offered to choose one of three gems, namely red, green, and blue to enhance the prizes on the wheel. The gems reveal random prizes, which are the following:
The feature is repeatable and players can pick as many gems as possible to improve the rewards until they reveal Spin. It’s also possible to respin the Bounty Wheel in case you want a better booty. The Pirates’ Bounty Feature Extra Bet allows to place up to 100x of the bet for an additional spin. The cost is determined by the initial total bet size and the previously won prize. Good thing is that you cannot lose the gamble and collect your prize at any moment.
As soon as the Free Spins round kicks off, the progressive multiplier comes into play. The feature starts with a 1x multiplier, and every cascade increases it by 1x, no limits, plus the multiplier does not reset between the spins. Furthermore, Scatter symbols are added to the upper reel, and landing 3 or 4 will award additional 4 and 10 spins respectively.
As alluded to earlier, Pirates Bounty Megaways doesn’t manage to deliver the same level of immersion due to the lack of originality unlikeRage of the SeasorJolly Roger 2do. The graphics are nice and definitely eye-catching, though, the general ambiance is pale and fails to engage. Luckily, the same cannot be said about the rest of the game, so let’s sort everything out in order.
Even though the features offer no innovations and are taken from Blueprint’s older slots, they deliver what’s needed. While Mystery Symbols and the Cascades can enliven the base game to keep players in the right mood, the Bounty Wheel brings a whole new level of entertainment. The Boost Pick-Me feature adds a certain thrill to the gameplay, so advancing through different wheel tiers is as fun as never before. Moreover, the Extra Bet bonus allows grabbing better booty without even a risk to lose accumulated prizes. Add a moderate math model and a decent potential and you get a winner.
All said and done, Blueprint did a remarkable job of developing Pirates Bounty Megaways. Despite taking a so-called ’lazy’ approach to the design and features, there are few things to complain about. Long story short, this one seems to be a worthy alternative to other slots in the niche.
