Despite the watered down math model,Bolt X Uphas seen more success than the, in our view, superiorAfrica X Up. Perhaps this is why Alchemy Gaming has decided to go with similar stats and features for their Fifa World Cup 2022 installment, Football Finals X UP, and the medium volatility does make for more of an allrounder release that most player types can enjoy.
The 5×3 grid is placed in the middle of a jam-packed stadium, with confetti frozen statically in the air around it. We have seen more engaging visuals in the World Cup 2022 genre already this year to be honest, and Football Finals X UP comes with a bland presentation that, if nothing else, gets the job done. The X Up system rewards loyalty and patience as usual, and impatient (non-UK) players can always make use of the Upsizer and Bonus Buy options.
The premium football, fans and player symbols pay between 2 and 4 x your stake for 5 of a kind wins, and theworld cup trophy Wildexpands to cover the entire reel when it appears. The wild steps in for pay symbols to help complete wins, and it also pays 4.5x your stake for 5 on a payline. Since the wilds expand, landing a wild on all 5 reels would award 1,093.5x your stake.
You need2 scattersin view to collect anX Up token, and these are stored in theX Up meterseen on the left. You need to collect23 tokensto get to the top-tierx10 multiplier, and whatever multiplier you have achieved is active in the next bonus round. The tokens are stored between bet levels, and you get the bonus round immediately if you reach the x10 multiplier.
The Bonus Round also triggers when you land3 scatterson the same base game spin, and this awards8 free spins. You will still collect X Up tokens during the bonus round, and2 scattersin view also awards+2 extra spins. TheUpsizer featureallows you to pay to upgrade your bonus round multiplier up front, and the cost is reduced if you’ve already collected tokens.
TheBonus Buy optionis not available everywhere, and not in the UK for sure. If available, however, you can purchase 8 free spins for60x your stake. You will then get arandom bonus round win multiplier between x2 and x10 for the feature, and the RTP does not change if you buy the bonus round.
You get to see more or less a minute of base game play, with a few expanding wilds here and there, before we trigger the bonus round. We had achieved an x6 multiplier by then, and the feature plays out for the remainder of the 3:35-minute highlights video. You can see it all for yourself by hitting the play button below.
As already mentioned in the intro, Football Finals X UP is pretty close to being a reskin of Bolt X Up. We have been more impressed by the previous installments in the X Up range to be honest, and the generic football visuals will probably not have much of a shelf life beyond the Fifa World Cup of 2022. A hasty job like this is probably tempting, but you need heart and soul to go all the way to the top.
The Upsizer feature comes in handy if you trigger the bonus round “prematurely”, so to speak, as it seems a bit pointless to blow your load with a mediocre multiplier. Wilds expand to help you out in all stages, and the gameplay is snappy and entertaining overall. It will be interesting to see which football world cup slot that sails up as the fan favorite come November/December, but we hardly think it will be Football Finals X UP.
Pros
Cons
Bolt X Up- is the medium volatile original release from Alchemy Gaming, and it comes with expanding wilds and the X Up collection system. It can provide an x10 bonus round multiplier, which is also available via the Upsizer feature, and you can win up to 10,000x your stake.
Africa X Up- is the underrated X Up debut release from Alchemy Gaming, and it comes with excellent safari visuals and an X Up multiplier that goes as high as x25. There is no Upsizer feature in this installment though, but you can win up to 30,000x your stake from a single bonus round spin.
Chronicles of Olympus X Up- is a Greek mythology installment in the Alchehmy Gaming series, and it comes with an X Up multiplier that tops out at x50. You get the Upsizer pay option in this release, as well as expanding wilds in all stages, and the max win is an eye-popping 50,000x your stake.