Aztec Wilds Megaways

Aztec Wilds Megaways: Slot Overview

It was said that deep in the South American jungle lay a mythical temple where the Aztec Wilds resided. At least, it did in the game info for Aztec Wilds from Iron Dog Studio, and if you didn't find the temple the last time around, here is another chance to do so in an online slot named Aztec Wilds Megaways. As the name makes clear, this is a Megaways makeover, which has kept some things from the previous game while changing others and adding new bits. Aztec Wilds Megaways is still a game featuring wilds with various properties, so if you're ready for some more machete hacking, let's take a look.

The original Aztec Wild slot had an unusual neon symbols on a rock wall effect going on, which has been recreated for Aztec Wilds Megaways. Here the visual clash is offset to a degree by the larger grid and a new background. It's a little difficult to tell what's happening in the background, though, as it's kind of blurry, probably a temple or something, while the foreground consists of a stone wall and plants. As before, the visuals get the job done, but again, Aztec Wilds Megaways isn't the most attractive or evocative Aztec-themed slot on the market.

This time around, the action is held on a 6-reel game grid, with each reel holding 2 to 7 symbols. Since the number of symbols in view changes, so does the number of ways to win, varying from 64 to 117,649 ways to win. The symbols in winning ways get removed from the grid by the tumble function, which lets symbols fall into the gaps, and if another win is created, the tumble feature triggers again, only stopping when no new wins hit. This all occurs in a highly volatile way, and when not buying free spins produces a return to player value of 95.82%. Any device may be used to play Aztec Wilds Megaways, accepting stakes of 10 p/c to $/€50 per spin.

Eleven regular symbols appear on the paytable. The first five are patterned 10-A card ranks, paying 0.6 to 1.5 times the stake for a six-of-a-kind win, then there are yellow, green, and blue animal tiles, then snakes, birds, and a character as the higher value symbols. Landing a six-of-a-kind of these latter non-royal symbols is worth 2 to 10x the bet.

Aztec Wilds Megaways: Slot Features

True to its name, Aztec Wilds Megaways comes with a bunch of wild symbol action. One is the regular wild, which appears on all but the leftmost reel in the base game and free spins. Regular wilds substitute for any regular pay symbols and may get multipliers in free spins.

The second wild symbol is the sticky wild, also substitutes for normal pay symbols. One single sticky wild can appear on reels 2, 3, or 4 in free spins. It has a multiplier that starts at x1, increasing on each consecutive tumble. Sticky wilds stay on the reels during a tumble sequence, and its multiplier is reset at the end of it.

The third and final wild is the Aztec wild which can appear on reel 3 or 4 in the base game or in free spins to substitute for any regular pay symbol. Aztec wilds can create up to 3 more Aztec wilds on reels 2, 3, 4, or 5. In free spins, if Aztec wilds grow on the same reel as regular wilds, the regular wild multipliers increase by +1.

Free Spins

In the base game, consecutive tumbles can lead to winning free spins. When 4, 5, 6, or 7+ consecutive tumbles occur, players win 8, 10, 12, or 14 free spins, respectively. Free spins use a win multiplier that starts at x1. However, each triggering consecutive win after 5 increases the starting win multiplier by +1, up to x3. Following winning tumbles, the win multiplier increases by +1 and does not reset between free spins.

During the bonus round, it is possible to win additional free spins from consecutive wins or consecutive losses. Getting 4 consecutive winning spins awards +2 extra free spins, plus 1 free spin for each winning spin after 4 with no limit. The same goes for losses - getting 4 consecutive losing spins awards +2 extra free spins, plus 1 free spin for each losing spin after 4 with no limit.

Buy Bonus

If the bonus buy button is available, players can buy 8 free spins for 85x the bet or 10 free spins for 115x the bet. The RTP for both of them is 96.3%.

Aztec Wilds Megaways: Slot Verdict

It wasn't a huge surprise to see Aztec Wilds transition to Aztec Wilds Megaways. It already had a bunch of Megaways-friendly features, such as tumbles and win multipliers. There are mixed feelings about the change-up of wild symbol properties. Some may rue the exclusion of the full reel expanding wild from the original, but the new spreading Aztec wild and the multipliers on the sticky wild might make up for it. The aesthetics are as hit and miss as ever, though. Players keen on a bit of colour may appreciate the brighter than usual symbols used on the board, though they do clash with the Aztec, rural setting, and it's not as visually refined as some other competitor slots have been. Gonzo's Quest Megaways is one that instantly came to mind.

If you're okay with the artwork, then Aztec Wilds Megaways has a few interesting things to offer via its list of features. Unsurprisingly, they tend to work best when more of them are active at the same time. That is, during free spins, with the win multiplier potentially boosting the effect of the three wilds. Speaking of potential, Aztec Wilds Megaways has doubled what was available in the previous non-Megaways version, now topping out at 12,000x the bet, which is a plus. On the whole, though, the two games, broadly speaking, offer a comparable experience, so if the eye-catching looks of the first weren't your cup of tea, it's unlikely Aztec Wilds Megaways will win you over, and vice versa.

Paradoxically, one of Aztec Wilds Megaways' main issues is it doesn't do enough to make it shine brighter than the top-tier slots in its genre. A slight lagginess combined with the contrasting graphics detracted from the Aztec Wilds Megaways experience, making it harder to push through to find its finer points. All in all, for a bright Aztec slot, heavy on the wilds and neon, Aztec Wild Megaways might entertain the right player; however, it's hard to shake the thought that there are stronger options out there.