Elk Hunter: Slot Overview
With a title like Elk Hunter, you can't blame us for thinking it could have been a stab at competitor ELK Studios. Somewhat disappointed (yes, we've like a bit of drama) it turns out it was anything but. Instead, Elk Hunter pivots away from industry rivalries, immersing players in wildlife-themed gaming where elk symbols offer the best returns from all the animals on offer, while payout values may be boosted by Multiplier Wild symbols, which become sticky during the free spins bonus round.
NetEnt has laid on an attractively picturesque scene for Elk Hunter. Towering mountains overlook a quiet forest while an elk grazes on grass at the home screen. Click continue, and the beast gallops away, perhaps dodging bullets or arrows or whatever, to reveal Elk Hunter's 4-reel, 6-row gaming panel. It is an unorthodox setup, though one that has been used before. Yanaha's Rite is one example of this reel configuration from provider Light & Wonder. Nature lovers should be all over this as Elk Hunter captures the spirit of a forest devoid of people, and never actually sprays any four-legged creatures with bullets or displays their body parts on a wall.
Elk Hunter is a medium-high volatile slot with several RTP values to be on the lookout for. The default return value players can theoretically expect is 96.05%, jumping up a notch or two to 96.1% when buying the free spins bonus round. The stake range is as wide as the land presented in the game, going from a low of 20 c to a high of $/€200 per spin.
Elk Hunter is also a scatter-paying slot. This means to get a win, you will need to have at least 6 elk symbols or at least 8 of every other pay symbol in view anywhere on the reels to create a win. When a winning scatter appears on the grid, the relevant payout is made, but winning symbols remain on the board. This game does not have a cascade/reaction/tumbling mechanic in either the base game or in free spins. It does have nine regular paying symbols, though; 5 are lows, and 4 are highs. The lows are 10 to A card ranks, while the highs are an eagle, a cougar, a bear, and an elk. When 6 elks or 8 of any of the others create a win, the payout equates to 0.1 to 0.5 the bet, increasing to 1.5 to 5 times the bet for a 12+ sized scatter win.
Elk Hunter: Slot Features
In the spirit of decluttering in nature, Elk Hunter is not the most feature-filled scatter pay slot around. Its extras are Multiplier Wild symbols, free spins, and a bonus buy.
Multiplier Wild Symbols
Multiplier Wild symbols with values of x2, x3, x5, or x10 may appear anywhere on the grid in the base game and in free spins. Multiplier Wilds substitute for any pay symbols and apply their value to the win. If more than one Multiplier Wild is used this way, the winning total is multiplied by the sum of the multiplier values. A maximum of 5 Multiplier Wilds may appear on the reels at a time.
Free Spins
When 3 scatter symbols appear in the base game, then 7 free spins are awarded. Getting 2 or 3 scatters while the round is active awards an additional +2 or +5 free spins, respectively. What makes the free spins part of Elk Hunter more special than its base game is that when Multiplier Wild symbols land on the reels, they remain there until the end of the round.
Buy Feature
The free spins round may be activated by the bonus buy feature for 60 times the bet.
Elk Hunter: Slot Verdict
Elk are big animals, but the same can't really be said about Elk Hunter as an online slot. It is medium-high volatile, so that's something to keep in mind, but its list of features is limited, though not as limited as its modest max win. What's interesting is how the neatly developed game world goes with how simplistic the features are. Perhaps this was done in the spirit of getting back to nature and living a simpler existence while minimising stress, responsibilities, mental taxation, contact with humanity and all that.
The weaponry Elk Hunter does have on hand is pretty nifty. Few would argue with the inclusion of wilds with multipliers in a scatter-paying slot, though the multiplier values are nothing when compared to a benchmark scatter pays slot like Gates of Olympus. They are wild, let's not forget, which adds an exciting dimension to a slot like this. The omission of a cascading wins mechanism is felt, though, and may play a part in Elk Hunter's modest max win figure of 2,035 times the bet. This figure and the overall vibe the game gave off would suggest it is aimed at the recreational segment of the gambling crowd. As such, it is tough to critically crush Elk Hunter too much if it is setting out to be a pleasant nature game with elk rather than a paradigm-shifting hot rod of a slot. This would follow the pattern NetEnt has followed of late in slots like Don't Eat the Candy, 101 Candies, or Crab Trap.
If you dig the natural setting but crave a bit more grunt, then Print Studio's nature slot Huntress Wild Vengeance might be a better match. It is not so elk-focused, but it is a stunning wilderness slot with potent features and bigger winning potential. Keyboard hunters also get the chance to fire arrows at a bear in that one.
Elk Hunter serves up some interesting gameplay for a scatter pays slot but it's hardly big game hunting.
