Developer Zeus Play complements its range of slot games with another Asian-themed release, this time taking players back to feudal Japan. Named The Emperor’s Curse, the slot tells you a horror love story of Ronin who fell in love with the emperor’s wife and then killed the emperor during a mystical ceremony. This led to the curse being unleashed, and now Ronin is being haunted by demons and the souls of the fallen warriors.
When it comes to the design, The Emperor’s Curse slot is absolutely terrific. Unlike most Asian games, which usually stick to a somewhat formulaic appearance, it has its own distinguishing traits. The anime-styled visuals are stunning, much like the animations and sounds, which altogether produce a fantastic atmosphere. Overall, The Emperor’s Curse definitely receives 10 out of 10 for the outer look, so kudos to the design team.
Loading the game takes you to a traditional pagoda building, where a5-reel,3-rowsetupis sitting. On the reels, we see 8 different regular symbols, which create winning combos when at least 3 of the same kind appear adjacently along one of the20 fixed ways. They are split into two sections. The lower lot comprises hieroglyphs, paying2.5x – 3x the betfor combinations of five, and the collection of premium symbols include three Oni masks and the emperor’s wife Alita, worth from7.5x to 25x the betfor five-of-a-kind.
The Emperor’s Curse slot can be played on any device, and bets from £0.1 to £20 per spin are accepted. It is powered by amedium-to-high volatilemath model and has anRTP of 96%, which is a solid average. The maximum you can get from a single spin is2,000x the stake, achievable during the bonus features, covered below.
The emperor himself appears in the form of aWild symbolon the reels, acting as a substitute for any of the regulars in winning combinations, helping you to achieve payouts. Additionally, each Wild landing anywhere in view awards aRespin, which continues until there are no new Wilds appear.
In theFree Spins, Wild symbols obtain another special function. Theyexpand to cover the reelsentirely, producing bigger winning opportunities. You need to land3, 4, or 5 Scatter symbolssimultaneously during the base game to receive8, 12, or 15 spinsrespectively.
Moreover,each Scatters symbol is collectedand contributes to theImperial Countersitting above the reels. However, keep in mind that there’s a separate counter for each bet level. When the meter is full, which requires500 Scatters, theImperial Bonus Gamecomes into play. This awards10 free spinswith a4x multiplier, applied to all wins you score during the feature. In the bonus game,up to 5 Reel Wildscan appear on each spin.
Zeus Play has really managed to create an Asian-themed game that stands out from the crowd with its unique looks and interesting features. However, less effort has been put into balancing, since the top prize of 2,000x doesn’t really match such a level of risk involved. Aside from that, The Emperor’s Curse is decent and can deliver a fascinating gaming experience.
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