Aztec Magic Megaways

Aztec Magic Megaways: Slot Overview

One thing we learnt from doing this review is that casino game designer BGaming really has a thing for the esoteric side of Aztec culture. At the time of writing, they'd made or were in the process of making Aztec Magic, Aztec Magic Deluxe, Aztec Magic Bonanza, and the subject of today's review, Aztec Magic Megaways. Quite why the studio has such a strong affinity with this part of the world was a mystery we were unable to unravel. Surely so many repeat visits have given the team plenty of opportunities to hone their Aztec design expertise? Only one way to find out.

On a positive first note, Aztec Magic Megaways is easy on the eyes; the colours, shapes, and objects BGaming has used possess a pleasant vibrancy to them. At the same time, the visuals are simple, as is the rest of the game, consisting of leaves and pots with glowing dots rising out of them. Fireflies or something more mystical? You be the judge. Sitting in the middle of it all is a 6-reel game panel wedged between stone columns bearing flaming torches and twisting vines, while audio consists mainly of random jungle noises and winning ways celebrations.

Coming from a technical standpoint, provided you're the sort of player who prefers highly volatile gaming, then Aztec Magic Megaways has a respectable set of statistics. Actually, the game has been classed as 'Very high' in regard to volatility, so factor that in if pondering whether to take the game on. With an RTP value of 96%, Aztec Magic Megaways may be played on any device, allowing regular stakes of 10 p/c to $/€20 to be set. If the Chance x2 feature is present, players can up the stake by 50% to increase the chance of landing three or more scatters to trigger the bonus game. There is no mention if doing so affects the RTP.

On each game round, the number of symbols displayed on individual reels varies from 2 to 7, producing up to 117,649 ways to win. Landing 3 to 6 matching symbols from the left most reel creates a winning line, and BGaming has chosen not to include a cascade feature. Wins are evaluated, then the next spin can occur. Symbols, for the most part, further the theme. The high pays do anyway, which include four Aztec styled symbols worth 0.8 to 2x the bet for six of a kind, and two premium character symbols paying 5-10x the bet for a six-symbol hit. The remaining five low pays are 10-A card ranks icons worth 0.5-0.7 times your stake for six of a kind. Not amazing values, but they are helped along by multipliers and sticky wild features.

Aztec Magic Megaways: Slot Features

In the absence of cascades, the main game mixes things up with wild multipliers, while free spins may be triggered naturally or bought where wilds become sticky.

Wild Multipliers

Wild symbols appear on reels 2, 3, 4, or 5 and substitute all symbols except for the scatter. Wilds get a random multiplier of x1, x2, or x3 when they hit, applied to any win they are involved with. If more than one wild is part of the win, all multipliers apply to the win of the combination.

Free Spins

Scatters appear anywhere on the reels, and landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 of them awards 8, 10, 12, or 16 free spins, respectively. During the free spins game, any wild symbols on the reels become sticky and stay on their reel until the bonus round comes to an end.

Buy Bonus

If this option is present, players are able to buy a game round that will result in triggering free spins. The cost of this is 100x the stake. You cannot buy the bonus while the Chance x2 is active.

Aztec Magic Megaways: Slot Verdict

Well, the previous section was short but sweet since there isn't a stack of extras in Aztec Magic Megaways to cover. So did BGaming choose to license Megaways so they could push the boundaries of BTG's engine and showcase their talents, or did they simply run out of ways of remaking their Aztec Magic games? Just joking around, because it's tough to savage what Aztec Magic Megaways offers too harshly as wild multipliers and sticky wilds in free spins can be quite good fun.

Also, let's not forget this is BGaming first foray into Megaways, after all, so let's not expect miracles. On balance, the gameplay and circa 12,960x potential isn't a bad effort. However, if a Central American Megaways matchup is what you're after, it's hard not to recommend Gonzo's Quest Megaways from Red Tiger, which is pretty much the gold standard. When comparing the two games, Gonzo is a clear-cut winner, offering a fuller experience. Aztec Magic Megaways, by comparison, does feel like something is missing at times. Maybe an injection of cascades or another feature, or even a bit more Aztec-ness, would have helped thicken an experience that can occasionally feel a little thin.

Aztec Magic Megaways is one of those games which sort of skates the middle ground. It does its best not to do anything to cause offence or irritate, like a serve up a noticeably off stat or a poorly conceived feature. Yet, nor does it do anything outstanding. Instead, Aztec Magic Megaways manages to be a competent Megaways debut from BGaming that looks pretty nice, plays alright, but lacks the sort of x-factor needed, whether good or bad, to make a major impression.