Diamond Strike

When it comes to Diamonds, most people know that the Cullinan diamond was the largest ever found and that its principle stones now form part of the Crown Jewels of Queen Elizabeth II. However, even that huge diamond was put into the shade back in 2014 when it was announced that astronomers had spotted an earth sized star that had a core of diamond weighing in at 10 billion, trillion, trillion carats.

That should be more than enough to make a few rings and brooches and whatnot and it is with that somewhat fantastical discovery that we segue into our review for the Diamond Strike slot, a brand-new game from the talented brains at Pragmatic Play.

Their games usually shine brightly in the pantheon of slot games across the world and we're hopeful that Diamond Strike will be the latest to add some dazzle to online casinos across the world. This is very much a retro-styled game with somewhat simplistic bonus features and a myriad of retro symbols on the reels.

So, is this game a Diamond cut from the rough, or is it not quite as flawless as you would hope? Let's take a closer look and find out.

Overview

• Game: Diamond Strike
• Developer: Pragmatic Play
• Reels: 5
• Pay Lines: 15 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: $0.15
• Maximum Bet: $75.00
• Jackpot: 1,000x
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: Medium

Where can I play the Diamond Strike slot?

Finding a good quality casino that offers the best of Pragmatic Play's offerings is easy now that we do the work for you and we think that you are going to love the fantastic starter offer and the wide choice if slots and casino games available right now at Black Diamond Casino.

The first thing you will need to know is details of the New Player offer and the great news is that it is superb value. Simply for signing up with the casino you will receive 25 Free Spins and then on top of that, when you make your first deposit you will receive a 200% Bonus on top of what you put into your account.

That's not all though as on your second, third and fourth deposits you will also receive a 100% bonus doubling your money each time at a stroke. Then on the fifth deposit with the casino, you will earn another bumper bonus, this time of 175%.

With a massive choice of games to spend your money on including some of the very best slots from the likes of Pragmatic Play and Realtime Gaming, Black Diamond Casino is certainly one establishment that should be top of your list of casinos to join.

Presentation

The presentation of the Diamond Strike slot is simplistic but effective. The main color scheme of blue and black works very well and gives the slot a modern, futuristic feel, but that is at odds with the more retro style that you will see on the reels. Despite this seeming juxtaposition, the slot is none-the-worse for it and it looks very stylish.

The musical accompaniment on the game is also excellent with a 1980s retro feel to the soundtrack that accompanies you as you play. The reel animations are smooth and the symbols vividly colored and easy to discern. All in all, the slot looks simplistic, but very stylish and the team behind it have produced a simple but eye-catching slot.

What's on the reels?

There are a total of seven standard symbols on the reels. The lower value ones are the fruits and these are the lemon, plum, melon and cherries and they each offer the same level of pay outs ranging from a third of your total bet for three on a pay-line to 2.5x your total bet for five on a pay-line. Those are not exactly massive wins and even the higher value symbols still offer small pay outs for three symbols.

Those higher value symbols are a bell and the 7 with the latter being the highest value standard symbol on the reels. They are not the only features however as there are three other symbols in the game, the Wild and the Scatter and the Bonus Game symbol and we'll explore what each of these unlocks in the game in the sections below.

Wild features

The Diamond symbol from the logo of the game is the in game Wild symbol and again this offers standard pay-outs ranging from 1.33x your wager up to 20x your wager if you can land 3, 4 or 5 on a pay-line. However, its real value comes as a substitute as it can be used to substitute for other standard symbols to create winning pay lines on a single spin.

You can land Wild symbols stacked on the reels and when this occurs you can land some multiple pay-line wins which help increase the value of a cumulative win by allowing you to win across additional pay-lines or using additional symbols.  

Free Spins features

The Free Spins logo is easy to identify as it is written across the symbol. When you land three of the Free Spins symbol on the reels then you trigger the Free Spins feature game. The scatter symbol can be found on the first, third and fifth reel in the base game only.

When you land all three scatters on a single spin you are awarded eight Free Spins. During Free Spins, you use a different reel set which sees extra Wild symbols added to all the reels, which of course gives you a much better chance of landing bigger value wins across multiple pay-lines. If you can land three of the Scatters on the reels during free spins, you can re-trigger another eight Free Spins and you can do this potentially an unlimited amount of times.

Other bonus features

The other bonus feature is triggered by landing three of the Golden 7 symbols anywhere across the reels. The Golden 7 can be used as a standard 7 in general play too and it offers the same pay-outs as the 7 symbols in the game, but if you can land three of the Golden 7 symbols you trigger the Jackpot Bonus Game.

In this game, you are given a screen with 12 diamonds on it. Simply select from the diamonds on the screen and when you do, each will reveal one of the four jackpots available in the game, Mini, Minor, Major or Mega. Once you have revealed three of the same jackpot by selecting the diamonds, then you will win that jackpot.

The four jackpots offer you a prize based on a multiple of your total bet and they are:

• Mini - 10x your total bet
• Minor - 30x your total bet
• Major - 100x your total bet
• Mega - 1000x your total bet

Best feature of the Diamond Strike slot

This is a slot which I feel shows its better features in the two main bonus games. The Jackpot Bonus Game is a welcome addition to the slot and offers you a chance of a 1,000x your stake top prize, which is a decent amount, especially if you are playing at the higher levels. However, just triggering the bonus will see you land at least 10x your total bet which is a decent win.

The Free Spins bonus with the extra Wilds is a good feature, but it is somewhat volatile and pay-out values can be mixed. However it is this bonus which will likely see you land more consistently better value wins on the slot.

What does the Diamond Strike slot lack?

The main issue I have with the Diamond Strike slot is not so much what it lacks, but rather that when it comes to the pay outs you win on the slot, they are all rather low, especially in the base game. Most of the wins you land on this slot will not be as much as what you wager and that means you are still losing money even on winning spins. That is fine if you can hit medium value wins to top your account up often but that is difficult on this slot unless you can land the free spins bonus round or better still the Jackpot Bonus Game.

I feel that the low value payments on these slots really do detract from what could have otherwise been a really enjoyable game. In the end, you do feel like you a paying a hefty premium for what is otherwise some standard retro-styled gaming.

Conclusion

Diamond Strike is a nicely presented slot with some decent features, but the main issue I have with it is the low value wins. I think they are too penalizing and I feel that as a result, a player doesn't feel like they get really good value for money from the game most of the time. That changes if you can trigger the bonus features as they have the potential to be lucrative but for the most part the base game is a bit of a disappointment and that is a shame as the potential was there for this to be a great retro slot.

Ratings

• Presentation: 14 / 20 - There's nothing wrong at all with the presentation of the Diamond Strike slot. The music is somewhat cheery and had me thinking back to the 1980s and given this is a retro slot, that fitted nicely. The graphics are bright and colorful and the blue and black backdrop for the slot is very eye-catching. However, it doesn't really grab you in the way some more modern slots do and it isn't as dynamic or spectacular as other games you can find today.
• Game-play: 12 / 20 - In truth, as a retro slot then this is a slot game that is going to focus on spinning the reels and not all the associated bonuses you can find on slot games nowadays. I feel a little harsh marking it down for that but in truth, because there are no added bonuses available in the base game, or beyond the free spins, it does become somewhat repetitive after you have played a few sessions.
• Bonus Features: 14 / 20 - The main bonus features of the slot are the wild symbol (which is self-explanatory in terms of what it does) plus the free spins and bonus rounds. The only innovation here is that when you trigger the Jackpot Bonus you can win one of the four jackpots available, Mini, Minor, Major and Mega which offer wins of up to 1,000x your total stake. This additional game adds a nice level of extra intrigue to the slot and it sits nicely against a free spins bonus which is rather volatile in terms of its pay-out.
• Entertainment Factor: 13 / 20 - I found the Diamond Strike slot a fun game to play initially. I liked that you could increase the number of coins wagered per pay-line to change your wager size easily. The game runs smoothly and the turbo spin option makes it very playable if you only have a short amount of time. Wins are regular but the majority are only small and you do need the larger mid to higher value wins to keep your bankroll topped up. Overall, the game is fun to play and the bonuses do feel rewarding.
• Play Value: 10 / 20 - As a medium variance slot this is always going to be a middle of the road score but I do feel the game is not helped by the rather low pay outs available in the base game. Many of which are not even going to cover your initial bet and this can be frustrating as you win often, but your balance keeps going down.
• Overall 63 / 100 - Diamond Strike isn't quite the gem of a slot that you'd hope for but it is an enjoyable, playable and cheery retro-themed slot that will have players of a certain age happily recounting the similar games they played in their youth. The bonus features are decent and add extra depth to the game but the low value wins are really what will put players off as too many wins are not greater than your initial bet. That's a shame as with slightly improved pay-outs, this could have been a top-quality retro game.

Good Luck!

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