Shadow Raiders MultiMax

Shadow Raiders MultiMax: Slot Overview

Take to the seas with a band of zombie swabs in the online slot Shadow Raiders MultiMax from Yggdrasil Gaming partner Bang Bang Games. As the name would suggest, Yggdrasil has graciously lent Bang Banga Games its MultiMax mechanic to let the team loose and see what they do with it. Not to be confused with DoubleMax, the MultiMax mechanic originally saw the light of day in Multifly!, though the feature wasn't officially acknowledged at the time as such. It's since gone on to appear in a slot from Bulletproof Games and is scheduled for use by at least one other studio, but now it's the chance for Bang Bang Games to let it shine.

Despite any possible connotations, Shadow Raiders MultiMax has nothing to do with Blackbeard's zombie officers from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, officially speaking, at least. Nor is it linked to Quickspin's outstanding hold 'n win 2022 hit Cash Truck, despite the familiar font and gonzo attitude. When the action begins, the ship has yet to set sail, so players find themselves dockside, next to a boat and a thatched structure, all tatty flag bedecked, while bones appear on either side of the board. It's an intriguing scene, and while the gambling industry is awash with pirate slots, the undead angle and general mayhem make stepping into Shadow Raiders MultiMax's world a tempting proposal.

Before leaping on board and raising the gangplank, users pick a wager of 20 p/c to $/€40 per spin and decide whether or not to switch the Bonus Boost on (if available). The Bonus Boost adds a 50% premium onto the stake in return for double the chance of hitting the bonus. Any device can be used to play this highly volatile online slot, which delivers a maximum return to player value of 96.1% - lower models are available, though, so it might pay to check.

On the set-up side of things, Shadow Raiders MultiMax utilises 5 reels and 3 rows in combination with 243 ways to win. With a hit frequency of 18.32%, players collect a reward when matching symbols land from the left side of the panel across adjacent reels. Sticky-looking 9-A card ranks take the place of the low-pay symbols, while four pirate characters make up the high-pay bunch. Should a five-of-a-kind win hit, a prize worth 0.5-0.6x the bet for the lows or 1-5x the bet for the highs is coming your way. All pay symbols can be substituted by the golden skull wild symbol.

Shadow Raiders MultiMax: Slot Features

The extras padding out Shadow Raiders MultiMax include a Dropdown feature, the MultiMax, Booty Bombs, Raiders Free Spins (with a pre-feature gamble option), and, where available, a bonus buy option

Dropdown Feature

The Dropdown feature removes winning symbols from the board whenever they land. A wild symbol is placed in one of the empty spaces, while a symbol drop fills the rest. This procedure repeats consecutively, only stopping when no new win is created.

MultiMax

Above the main reels, a line of skulls represents a multiplier row. Each Dropdown win adds +1 to the reel multiplier – which resets after losing spins or dropdowns in the base game.

Booty Bomb

As part of the Dropdown feature, after a wild has been placed in an empty position, the remaining empty spaces may drop Booty Bombs. Booty Bombs reveal symbols of the same type or cash prizes. If cash prizes appear, their values are multiplied by the reel multiplier.

Raiders Free Spins

Getting through to the bonus round happens when 3 or more bonus symbols land, awarding 8 free spins. In Raiders Free Spins, the reel multipliers do not reset until the round ends. Before going into free spins, players have the option of gambling to potentially win more spins. Gambles take place on a wheel divided into red and green segments. Successful gambles award extra free spins.

Also, where available, players have the option of buying 8 free spins for 100x the bet or 14 free spins from the Super Bonus for 350x the bet.

Shadow Raiders MultiMax: Slot Verdict

When Yggdrasil Gaming has lent its mechanics out to associate studios in the past, the results have been varied. Bang Bang Games, we're happy to say, has done a stand-up job with its turn on the MultiMax mechanic. The studio hasn't tried to be massively revolutionary with it, nor has it gone crazy and bolted on a bunch of extras. All the better for it, really, as players get a smooth MultiMax experience that, nevertheless, is quite different from those which preceded it, like Multifly!, Firekick! MultiMax, or Crystal Falls MultiMax, for example.

One big point of difference is Shadow Raiders MultiMax's outer casing, and the zombie pirate idea was a fun one that the design team has pulled off well. Shambling hordes of zombies, all flesh dripping and whatnot, might be a terrifying thought, but in online slots, they can work like a charm, often in a humorous setting. Picking zombified pirates rather than regular flesh and blood buccaneers gives the game a load of personality, which not only brought Cash Truck to mind but, interestingly, slots like Florageddon! and Granny vs Zombies, as well. So, while the gameplay is similar to others in the MultiMax range, Shadow Raiders MultiMax ironically feels fresh.

Another relatively fresh part is the Booty Bomb, which is good for some (hopefully multiplied) cash prizes or some matching symbol action. Not a monumental innovation, but a clever one that fits neatly with everything else Shadow Raiders MultiMax has to offer. When Shadow Raiders MultiMax is pulling everything together, it's capable of generating wins of up to 15,000x the bet - the highest in the franchise so far. Factor in the numbers, the entertaining theme and the proven mechanics, and Bang Bang Games has a potential winner on its hands.