World Match has made an interesting choice for what amounts to their Megaways debut release, as their originalInto The Wildswasn’t all that memorable. Instead of taking this opportunity to do something special and spectacular with Into The Wilds Megaways, the Italy-based developer has merely implemented the dynamic reels engine. It maxes out at only16,807 win waysthough, which is way below average for the licensed BTG innovation.
What’s more, they have also made this follow-up release into a portrait mode mobile-friendly slot, so it looks very small on a larger screen. In addition, the grid is far away, and all the symbols shake before each spin, which some players will probably find annoying. The base game is rather barebones, with only wilds to keep you going, and the bonus round plays out the same except that wild wins are boosted by x2.
The premium gemstone symbols pay between 3.15 and 7.5 x your stake for 5 of a kind wins, and theWild symbolsteps in for all regular pay symbols to help complete wins. The wild holds now value of its own however, and this game does not come with a cascading wins mechanic, like so many Megaways engine releases do.
The Free Spins Bonus Round triggers when you land3, 4 or 5 scattersanywhere in view, and this awards8, 12 or 16 free spins, respectively.All wild wins are subject to an x2 multiplierin the bonus round, and you can retrigger the feature to win extra spins the same way it was triggered in the first place.
You get to see around 50 seconds of base game play, before we trigger the bonus round. You would hardly notice that something happened if it wasn’t for the fact that day suddenly turns to night. The feature simply starts spinning with no introduction or fanfare of any kind. Anyway, the whole video lasts only 1:36-minutes, and you can hit play below to see how we fared.
The best thing about this release is probably the title, as Into the Wilds sounds pretty cool. It also reminded us of the excellent Sean Penn movie from 2007 with a similar title. Having all the symbols shake for way too long before each spin gets super annoying rather quickly, and paradoxically you get faster spins with the ‘Fast Play’ option turned off (if you double click, that is). The base game is barebones and tedious, with nothing but wilds to help you out.
At least in the original Into The Wilds, which is very similar by the way, you were close enough to the grid to see what was happening. The grid is so far away in this mobile-friendly Megaways version that there is plenty of room for the snake to slither its way across the stone tiles in the foreground. Clearly, you’re meant to play this in portrait mode on your phone, but we just don’t see any reason to. The max win is not even disclosed, and the94.4 % RTPis far from the only dealbreaker.
Pros
Cons
Into The Wilds- is the original World Match installment, and it comes with a grid that’s a lot more “up close and personal” than in the game at hand. You get 1,024 win ways instead of dynamic reels though, and the sole feature is the bonus round which comes with x2 boosted wild wins.
Aztec Falls- is a medium volatile south american jungle slot from Northern Lights Gaming, and you get a very clever Pachinko-inspired coin drop bonus that dishes out 4 unique features. You’ll benefit from stacked sticky wilds in the bonus round, and this can lead to payouts up to 5,000x your stake.
Gonzo’s Quest Megaways- is a far, far better alternative if you’re into stone tile slots set in the south american jungle. This Red Tiger follow-up to NetEnt’s most iconic release comes with dynamic reels and an avalanche win multiplier that can go as high as x15 in the bonus round. You get several new modifiers as well, and the max win is a solid 21,000x your stake.
World Match’s debut Megaways release is an intriguing choice, as they’ve chosen to rework their original game, Into The Wilds, which wasn’t particularly memorable. Instead of using this opportunity to create something new and exciting with Into The Wilds Megaways, the Italy-based developer has simply incorporated a dynamic reels engine. The game only offers up to 16,807 win ways, which is far below the average for licensed BTG innovations. Furthermore, this new release has been designed as a portrait mode mobile-friendly slot, making it appear very small on larger screens. The game grid is also far away and the symbols shake before each spin, which may irritate some players. The base game is basic, featuring only wilds, and the bonus round is similar but with a x2 boost for wild wins. The premium gemstone symbols offer pay-outs between 3.15 and 7.5 times your stake for 5 of a kind wins, and the wild symbol can replace all regular pay symbols to help complete wins. However, the wild symbol has no value of its own and this game doesn’t feature a cascading wins mechanic, unlike many other Megaways engine games. The Free Spins Bonus Round is activated when you land 3, 4 or 5 scatters anywhere in view, awarding 8, 12 or 16 free spins, respectively. All wild wins are doubled in the bonus round, and the feature can be retriggered to win additional spins. The video of the gameplay lasts only 1:36 minutes, with about 50 seconds of base gameplay before triggering the bonus round. The transition from day to night is the only indication that something has happened. The most appealing aspect of this release is probably its title, Into the Wilds, which is reminiscent of the 2007 Sean Penn film of a similar name. However, the shaking symbols quickly become annoying and paradoxically, the ‘Fast Play’ option makes spins faster when turned off. The base game is rather monotonous, with only wilds to assist you. The game grid is so far away in this mobile-friendly Megaways version that there is ample room for a snake to slither across the stone tiles in the foreground. The maximum win isn’t even disclosed, and its RTP of 94.4 % is far from the only deterrent. In comparison, the original Into The Wilds offers a more immersive grid and a bonus round with x2 boosted wild wins. Other alternatives include Aztec Falls, a medium volatility slot from Northern Lights Gaming with unique features, and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways, a superior offering from Red Tiger with dynamic reels, an avalanche win multiplier, new modifiers, and a maximum win of 21,000 times your stake.