Aztec Gems Deluxe

Aztec Gems Deluxe – an upgrade on the original

In 2018, Pragmatic Play released the original Aztec Gems, a South American themed slot. It had plenty of multipliers, but unfortunately there was not much else. It certainly was not the highest paying slot we have ever seen from them. It did however seem to strike up a cord with the Indonesian gamblers for some strange reason. Fast forward three years and we have a brand-new sequel to the original – Aztec Gem Deluxe. A few things have been changed, bits have been removed and additional features added, but was it all worth it?

When the game lands on the screen, the first thing you noticed compared to the original is that the fourth reel has been removed. Now the slot plays over 3 reels and 3 rows with just 9 pay lines. The removal of the fourth reel means there is no Win Multiplier reel for you to win on; this had applied a multiplier to every winning spin. Now that’s gone. But on the plus side, the graphics of the South American jungle seem enhanced, and the respin animations are smoother, giving the visuals an upgraded look. The dramatic soundtrack still sombre in the background, it gives a chilling feel to the slot.

Betting and volatility to play with

The betting range for Aztec Gem Deluxe is from 9p up to a maximum of £90 per spin; you can do this from any device you want. Whether players have plenty of money to spend, or they only have a small budget to splash about, there is something to entice everyone and anyone!

The best part about this slot is the RTP, which is set at 96.5%. This is above the average of 96% that we are used to seeing with most general slots. With a volatility that has been hiked up from the previous version, it now sits at 4/5, pushing the volatility to medium/high territory on the spectrum of volatility. It is possible to slip on some bad periods where money slowly begins to run out, but then you can hit the Grand Jackpot – we manage to hit this during testing – showing this slot is definitely a volatile one!

Symbols scattering the reels

There are three kinds of combinations available, using 5 different gemstones symbols in order to do so. Values for these shiny stones range from 0.89 times the stake with the yellow triangle, all the way up to 9.78 times the stake for the red diamond shape. Aiding in creating these combinations is the wild, which can substitute for all symbols except for the special; the special one for the slot is the Money Symbol. Going back to the wild, it will also pay out in its own right and offers the player 27.78 times the stake for matching 3 on a line. Throughout the game, the strange values and odd sets of numbers pop up, do not worry.

Features

While the win multiplier reel is gone, there is several new features in place of it. These include Money Respins, a Wheel of Fortune, and four jackpots to spin for, which are fixed in place. The first step to unlocking the jackpots is the blue Money Symbol scatter, which will display either a cash prize or the Mini or Minor jackpots. They will trigger the Money Respin feature when four or more land on the reels. The feature will begin once the wins have been paid out. Then, the pay symbols will fade away, and lock in the triggering Money Symbols to the reels.

The feature starts with 3 spins where only Money Symbols appear on the reels. When one or more lands on the reels, they will lock in position and the spins will reset to 3. If spins run down to zero, the prizes indicated by the Money Symbols will be tallied up and paid out to the player.

If all positions become covered in the Money symbols, then the prizes are paid out and a random feature will be triggered. This is either a multiplier or the Wheel of Fortune. If a Multiplier lands, then either x2, x5, x8 or x10 will be attached to the total winning pot of the respin round.
The prizes on the Wheel of Fortune are a little more worthwhile. Multipliers of 18 to 388 times the stake are available as well as the jackpots. The Mini, Minor, Major and Grand pay the player 100x, 250x, 500x or 1,000x the stake, respectively.

Conclusion

The addition of ‘deluxe’ to the title of this game is not completely unwelcome. Aztec Gems Deluxe offers the player more than the original one did, mainly due to the addition of the respins and jackpots. While the win multiplier reel has been taken away, the main game is relatively similar to the previous. Aztec Gems Deluxe makes marginally better use of the theme than the previous, perhaps due to the intervening years. If you enjoyed the first, you would likely enjoy the new and improved version.

If we are completely honest, it was difficult to review this slot. The game does not really elicit a strong response for or against it. It is well made, with nice visuals and all that, and it does what it says on the tin, and while it provides some strong moments, there is little more to it. In all, we get the fruit slot machine vibe, just in a new disguise. Those who like fast-paced slots with smaller jackpots will likely enjoy it, but those looking for a bit of depth will find it lacking. Give it a spin and see what you think.