More Game Themes
There has always been a somewhat mysterious aura surrounding Wolves. Ancient tribes of what is now the Canadian north have many different folk tales and superstitions about the creature and of course, in modern culture, the notion of man changing into a wolf, or a werewolf, is one of the most common themes in literature, TV and film.
It's strange to think that all the different breeds of dogs around the world today can trace their ancestors back to the wolf, given how different a Chihuahua looks compared to a slavering lupine beast howling at the moon, but such is the way with evolutionary biology it seems.
Due to their almost unique place in the human psyche, slots about wolves are not that uncommon and Rival Games have given us one of the very best in their excellent Mystic Wolf slot.
I'm not quite sure how a wolf can be mystic. Whether it can predict the future by reading the paws of its pack or whatnot. It does seem an odd title for the game, or maybe it just wanted to allude to the Wolf's mysterious quality and somewhat strange lifestyle.
Whatever the reason, I decided to slide on some snow shoes and take a closer look at what the game has to offer, starting with the basics about the slot.
Overview
Where can I play the Mystic Wolf slot?
If you are looking to play the exciting Mystic Wolf slot at a reliable and reputable online casino then take a look at the fantastic Welcome Bonus that is available for new players at Slots Capital Casino, which could be worth up to $2,777.
This is a fantastic starter bonus, especially if you are a player that likes to commit a significant amount of capital when you join a new casino. Slots Capital will reward players that sign up with a 277% Welcome Bonus on their first deposit, with the bonus payable on deposits starting at just $20, which means the offer is available to all players.
However, to maximize the benefit, you could deposit $1,000 into the casino and receive a huge $2,777 in bonus funds to play alongside your cash amount.
That's not the only bonus available at Slots Capital however as the site also offers a number of Weekly Bonus deals which you can take advantage of repeatedly to get even more bonus cash to play with at the reels. In fact, there are so many bonuses you can take advantage of one each day of the week if you so wished.
Presentation
Rival Gaming clearly wanted to emphasize the mystical nature of the wolf, as well as its ferocity and magnificence in this slot and they have done a very good job. A nice cut-scene introduces you to the slot and makes it clear what the focus of the game is. The reels are done nicely with a mix of black, blue and white livery that is somewhat eye-catching and reflects the snowy homes of the wolves.
The only odd thing on the slot I found was the soundtrack, which is a very understated piece of music which harks back to the tribes that once thrived in the same environs that the wolves lived in. It's fine as music goes but it doesn't really get you excited for what could happen on the slots when you spin.
The reels don't really spin as there are no reels as such but the symbols simply move downwards where the reels should be and a wind effect plays as the reels spin. Different sound effects will play when you land certain symbols on the reels to and they can signify a win or some other bonus, as well as just letting you know a symbol has landed.
What is impressive however is when you trigger some of the animations on the reel as this is when the slot does come to life and really looks impressive.
What's on the reels?
The lower value symbol son the reels are the six playing card symbols from nine through to the ace and these offer a range of pay-outs ranging from five coins up to 200 coins. It is worth noting at this point that if you play the maximum number of lines on a spin you will be wagering 50 coins per spin, so these wins are generally small in value.
Higher value symbols include the silver token, the full moon (which also serves as the backdrop to the reels) and two different wolf symbols. The first is the wolf howling at the moon and the second is a simple facial shot of the wolf. These offer pay-outs from 15 coins up to 700 coins. The highest value symbol however is the Diamond which pays out for 2 on a pay line (5 coins) but offers a chance at the jackpot prize of 5,000 coins if you can land five across a single winning line.
It has to be said though that the majority of wins on this slot in the base game are small, unless you can land them with the Wild symbol and that does mean that carefully selecting the size of coin is important as you should try to play with maximum pay-lines in play when possible.
There are two other symbols on the reels, the scatter and the Wild symbol each of which allows you access to some of the main bonus features of the slot which we will explore in more detail in the sections below.
Wild features
The leaping wolf symbol is the main Wild symbol in the game and this can be used to substitute for any of the standard symbols on the reels to help create winning pay-lines. The symbol appears across all five reels and it is extremely important in the base game as it comes with a 5x multiplier attached.
This is important because the value of standard wins is generally so low on the Mystic Wolf slot that a 5x multiplier can make a huge difference as to whether you make a profit on the bet or not. Land this symbol on the first two reels in particular and you can trigger multiple pay-line wins and that can turn a normal spin into a much bigger winning one.
The symbol is also key to unlocking one of the bonus features of the slot the Random Jackpot prize. An unstated amount of money which is triggered when you land five of the Wild Wolf symbols anywhere across the reels.
Free Spins features
The scatter symbol on the slot is the feathers symbol and when you land three or more of these across the reels you can win Free Spins. The number of Free Spins won depends on the number of symbols landed, three wins you 7 free spins, four will give you 15 Free Spins while five will trigger the largest amount of 50 Free Spins.
In addition to the Free Spins bonus, the Wild Wolf symbol also sees its multiplier increased from the 5x standard up to 10x the standard amount. Furthermore, you stand much more chance of landing the Random Jackpot during the bonus round and additionally, the amount you win if triggered will be greater than if the jackpot is triggered in the base game.
It is during the Free Spins bonus round that you could also trigger the other bonus feature of this slot, which we will explore in the section below.
Other bonus features
If you are lucky enough to land three or more Triangular dice bonus icons on the reels during the Free Spins, then you trigger the Lunar Phase Bonus round. During this bonus round, you roll the dice and get to choose three moon phases from a special chart on screen. You then roll the dice three times and if you can make a match, you will win the stated amount of money from the symbols you matched.
Best feature of the Mystic Wolf slot
Without doubt, the feature that makes the Mystic Wolf slot so playable is the Wild symbol and especially the fact that it comes with a 5x multiplier in the base game and a 10x multiplier during free spins. With the standard symbols and pay outs generally offering only small returns on 3 or 4 symbol wins, you need these Wild symbols to appear to boost these wins considerably and fortunately, they do land relatively frequently on the reels.
The free spins round when the multiplier doubles in value can also offer some sizeable wins when they appear on the reels, but hitting the massive value wins is very difficult. You can however hit plenty of low and medium sized wins which over time, will keep your bankroll topped up nicely if you have played at a sensible level.
What does the Mystic Wolf slot lack?
I think that the slot itself lacks a bit of pace when it comes to the presentation. The Native American sounding soundtrack may emphasize the mystic element of the slot but it doesn't really enhance the wolf part of it. I also feel that the Random Jackpot is a bit of a cop-out. Jackpot implies that it should be a large amount of money that you win but by not stating how much you win, you could well earn just a few times your stake. That's not really on if you land a jackpot, as such it should be marked as a Random Bonus, rather than a Random Jackpot.
Conclusion
Mystic Wolf is a slot that has some very good features and some average ones. There's nothing bad about the slot, it is a very solid game and it certainly has proven to be popular in casinos across the globe, however I feel it doesn't ramp up the excitement levels as some other slots and I feel that some of the bonuses could be better value or better phrased. The free spins round is also potentially lucrative, though the rewards from that round are very mixed and it is difficult to access the secondary bonus available in the free spins round. That said, you can win big and win often on this slot, it is just that also you can lose some money too, especially if you play for too large an amount on each spin.
Ratings
Good Luck!
Next Offer: Funky Chicks