Pirates’ Plenty Megaways

Pirates Plenty Megaways: Slot Overview

Developer Red Tiger takes to the high seas once again for the third chapter in their successful Pirates Plenty series. So far, the range has done extremely well for itself. The originator, Pirates' Plenty The Sunken Treasure, was warmly received, as was its sequel, Pirates' Plenty Battle for Gold, which, incidentally, was Red Tiger’s 100th slot release. We’ve pretty much lost count now as to what number they are up to - Red Tiger is a fruitful developer, so that figure must be pretty high indeed by now. For the third instalment, the studio has rolled out the big guns in the form of Megaways on license from Big Time Gaming.

Aside from the enlarged grid size, the rest of Pirates Plenty Megaways feels quite familiar. The action takes place on the deck of an ornately constructed barge, two sweeping staircases wrapping around the reels, leading up to the poop deck. Littered about the place are bombs, chests, and gold coins. This must be one successful bunch of picaroons if they can leave that many loose coins lying around the place. Pirates Plenty Megaways doesn’t have quite the same warmth Battle for Gold had, but it’s a looker nonetheless and forms an enjoyable swashbuckling atmosphere, enhanced by a buccaneering soundtrack.

Red Tiger has reined in the bet range this time around, which is generally a positive indicator. Here it rings true, and the 10 p/c to $/€10 stakes can lead to some hefty potential wins. As before, volatility is high, so don’t expect smooth sailing in these waters – rocks and reefs abound. On a bright note, the RTP is higher than it usually is from Red Tiger, as Pirates Plenty Megaways generates a theoretical value of 96%.

This being a regular Megaways setup, 6 reels hold 2 to 7 symbols each, producing up to 117,649 ways to win. It is possible to grow this number too when Wild Ways has been unlocked, as we will see. The number of symbols on screen varies on each spin, so you never know what’s coming next. The game also offers a cascade mechanic, which clears winning symbols from the board to let new or existing symbols drop into the gaps. Consecutive wins from single spins are possible using this system as cascades trigger as long as new wins land.

Pay symbols have all come from previous Pirates Plenty games, starting with 4 card suits as the lower value tiles. High pays delve deeper into the theme where we find poison bottles, pistols, smoking cannons, elaborate hats, and skulls. All need at least 3 of a kind to pay out, and premium values range from 0.8 to 3.5 times the stake for a line of 6.

Pirates Plenty Megaways: Slot Features

Included in the game are 3 different wilds. Starting with the Wild Monkey, which may appear at any time, when monkey symbols are in view the wee scamp removes all low-paying symbols. Once the low pays have been removed, the monkey symbol locks onto the reels, staying sticky for the current spin sequence.

Now and then, treasure map symbols may land on any reel. Treasure maps are collected and move a boat along a map located above the grid. When the boat reaches the other side of the map, Wild Ways are unlocked. An extra row appears across the top of the middle 4 reels, increasing the number of win ways to 200,704.

When Wild Ways are unlocked, Lady Anne Wilds are introduced, which land on the top bonus reel only. Lady Anne Wilds expands to cover full reels and has a random multiplier of x3 to x8 attached. If the Lady Anne Wild does not participate in a win on an initial spin, it is locked in place for any subsequent respins until it is used.

Landing 3 scatter symbols in view award 9 free spins. If you are lucky enough to land 4 or more, the extra scatters award +3 free spins up to a maximum of 18. Scatters remain in play during the bonus round, so the feature may be retriggered. The other benefit of triggering free spins is an increasing win multiplier. It starts the round on x1, rising by 1 with every winning cascade.

Pirates Plenty Megaways: Slot Verdict

Pirates Plenty Megaways is a case of let’s give the fans what they want, but a little bit more – in a good way. There are plenty of links to the two previous games, helping embed Pirates Plenty Megaways deep in the series. Simultaneously, the new bits gel well with Megaways, though the free spins are pretty standard unless the bonus reel has been unlocked. For the most part, it works. While Pirates Plenty Megaways doesn’t feel quite as piraty as Battle for Gold (there’s no burning bearded captain lobbing bombs everywhere), everything else has been dialled up.

Much of the increase in potency is due to Megaways, but Red Tiger hasn’t just bunged a bigger grid on then left it at that. The treasure map feature integrates with Wild Ways and the Lady Anne Wild feature to create thrilling moments when it all comes together. Treasure map collecting also creates a spirit of adventure, or at least an incentive to keep on hitting spin, when you know there is a reward at the end of it for being patient. Along the way, the cheeky monkey fellow who has been around since the start is there to keep you company and toss the odd win your way when he sticks to the reels.

As for the main event, in some ways, the free spins feature isn’t as exciting as free spins in the previous one. They don’t typically get as manic, with all those sticky wilds and explosives flying about the place as before. Free spins can certainly perform though, as progressive multiplier Megaways features do, to the tune of 10,489x the bet.

In all, everything is a bit bigger, a bit louder, a bit saltier, making Pirates Plenty Megaways a logical evolution in the Pirates Plenty series, building on what came before as it sails off in its own direction.