Aztec Ascent

Overview Aztec Ascent

Relax Gaming are the latest studio to jump on the Aztec-themed slot game bus with this new release. This slot, however, promises to be one of the higher quality Mesoamerican-themed offerings with a range of excellent features, a well-designed visual make-up, as well as some top prizes for the most dedicated of players. The game’s name comes from its principal feature – the Ascension free spins round, where players complete various stages by collecting a certain range of gem symbols. The more stages you complete the better the bonuses and the higher you rise- hence Aztec Ascent.

In terms of features, Aztec Ascent has two main features. One of which is called the Relic Random feature. This feature triggers completely randomly and turns between 1 and 4 symbols on the board into mystery symbols. These symbols are then revealed as multiple iterations of the same symbol to create a win, which is then boosted by a random multiplier in the range of 2x to 100x. The second feature as we mentioned, is the Ascension Free Spins feature which is a little more complex and will be explained later in this review.

Theme and Symbols

The theme for this slot is easy to determine as it is one that seems to be doing the rounds a lot at the moment. This theme is Aztec culture, meaning a celebration of a people who lived in Central America from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Their culture involved multiple god worship, great constructions in their pyramids and totems and a fascinating language similar to the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt. Relax Gaming has done an excellent job with the theme and visuals here, with a considered and accurate approach from the detailed symbols to the amazing background.

Speaking of the background, Relax Gaming have taken us to the heart of a steamy jungle where an ancient temple resides. To the left and right of the reels, we see the outer edges of the great temple carved from greyish stone. Outside of this fortified layer is the thick jungle. This environment is dominated by tall palms, thick bushes and vines. Just above the board small windows of the blue sky peek through the canopy.

The board on the other hand is represented by the interior of the temple. To the left and right of the reels are two great totem poles topped each by a sacred animal – one is a jaguar, the other a falcon. Sitting above the reels is a beautiful pediment, which in addition to displaying some of the Aztec gods also shows the current multiplier applied to your score.
The symbols for Aztec Ascent are split into low-paying, high-paying and special symbols. The low-paying symbols comprise the card suit symbols as well as a small star in the same style. Up from these in the higher paying bracket are the assortment of Aztec-themed symbols. These are the brightly coloured animal heads and the human warrior symbol. This latter symbol is the most valuable of all, paying 5x your total stake for a combination of 6 on the board. The specials for this game comprise the mystery symbol (the golden question mark) and the free spins scatter, which is the golden sun-God symbol.

Game Play

Aztec Ascent is played on a 6-reel, 4-row game board with 40 fixed pay lines. To achieve wins on this slot, players must match 3 of a kind on a pay line or use the special symbols to make combinations. Each combination made must start on reel 1. The betting range for Aztec Ascent is 10p to £20 per spin.
To adjust their bet levels, players can toggle their stake up and down using the bet adjuster located just to the left of the spin button. Information about the slot, including the paytable and the auto spins options, can be found via the menu button on the lower left-hand side of the screen.
The volatility rating for Aztec Ascent is in the extremely high bracket. The return to player percentage for Aztec Ascent is 96.37%, which is just a little better than average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 40,000x their stake.

Features

Aztec Ascent has two main bonus features which at times can work together to create some remarkably interesting and lucrative combinations.

The Relic Random feature is the first bonus that players should be aware of. It can be triggered on any spin either in the base game or the free spins game. When it is activated, between 1 and 4 symbols are transformed into mystery symbols. These symbols are then revealed to show a collection of matching high-value symbols. A payout then occurs but with a randomly selected multiplier used to boost the score. The multipliers that can be applied are 2x, 5x, 10x or 100x.

The second feature is the Ascension Free Spins feature. To activate this feature, you must land 3 or more of the special golden face scatter symbols on the reels at the same time.
The number of scatters that you land determines the number of free spins that you get to take into the free spins round. These are as follows:
3 scatters = 8 free spins
4 scatters = 10 free spins
5 scatters = 12 free spins
6 scatters = 15 free spins
Now, this feature is not as simple as it might seem. Players when inside the free spins round need to be on the lookout for red and blue gem symbols. These symbols appear as part of a regular symbol. Each one of these symbols that is landed is added to the respective meters located to the left and right of the reels.

To fill a meter to the top, players need to collect 5 of one of the symbols. Doing so will complete a ‘stage’. Each stage that you complete grants you an extra free spin. Filling either meter also comes with a bonus. Filling the red meter increases the attached multiplier, whereas filling the blue meter activates the mystery symbol bonus. With each stage that you complete, the bonuses get better. At stage five, filling the red meter gives you a 100x multiplier and filling the blue meter converts all the mystery symbols into the top value symbol.

Conclusion

Relax Gaming have taken their time with this slot, getting each visual and gaming dynamic just right. There is definitely a polished feel to the game that other Aztec slots lack in comparison. The features although not numerous are good fun and can be incredibly lucrative. The RTP is not half bad either. This is a top effort from the Relax Gaming Studio.