More Game Themes
It is fair to say that the Ways of Fortune slot from Habanero, released back at the end of July, is going to have to work hard to establish itself in what is a massively popular market for Asian-themed games.
We know that players from that part of the world love their slots and the good news is that they certainly have plenty of games to pick from when it comes to celebrating their culture and their beliefs.
The Ways of Fortune slot does start off on a good foot in that it has an unusual 3-3-4-4-4 real set up and on each spin, the top symbols on the third to fifth reels will always display the same symbol, though what that symbol is changes from spin to spin (and it can include the Wild symbol).
Add to that a massive 576 ways to win across the reels and you have a game that can offer you the potential for some sizeable wins, chiefly when you combine multiple winning lines on a single spin and a 125,000 coin jackpot is certainly going to help make the game appeal to players too.
So how does the Ways of Fortune slot shape up? Let's take a closer look and find out.
Overview
Where can I play the Ways of Fortune slot?
If you want to play the Ways of Fortune slot and are looking for a top quality casino at which to enjoy it then look no further than the great deal available at Spartan Slots. As a new customer, simply for signing up with the casino you will receive, without any deposit required, a fantastic 25 Free Spins which you can use at the casino to see if you like what you play.
If and when you do, you can then qualify for a second bonus. This is a 200% First Deposit bonus, which will treble the amount of money you have to play with in an instant. That's not all though as you can then take further 100% deposit bonuses on your second, third and fourth deposit, while your fifth deposit qualifies for a huge 175% deposit bonus.
This is a fantastic value offer and means you can trial Spartan Slots completely free of charge before you decide to deposit. You can't lose, so why not sign up today to try out any of the fantastic games available at the online, mobile-friendly casino.
Presentation
The first thing that you note about the Ways of Fortune slot is that its reel set up is unusual in that it is a 3-3-4-4-4 reel machine. On the third to fifth reels, the top symbols will always spin themselves and will always display the same symbol as each other in that position. This can include the Wild symbol, which could lead to some sizeable wins.
On top of this the slot has a nice backdrop, a typical Asian garden setting with waterfalls and shrubs, plus a dragon ornament of some form. The reels sit in the center with the controls at the foot of the reels. The sound is also authentically Asian and is rather peaceful, which mirrors the look of the slot nicely, but which in truth does get a little dull after a while.
What's on the reels?
The lower value symbols on the reels are the four playing card symbols, the Diamond, Club, Spade and Heart. Their values increase in that order, with 1 coin wins available for 3 symbols for each, up to a maximum of 15 coins for 5 of the Heart symbols across the reels.
There are also four higher value symbols in play and these offer wins ranging from 2 coins up to 80 coins. They include a sword, a helmet, a green dragon and another grey colored dragon statue with its paw on a blue orb.
Alongside these symbols there are the main bonus symbols, the Wild and Scatter.
Wild features
The rather stern looking animated Chinese gentleman is the Wild symbol and this can substitute for any of the low or higher value symbols on the reels to help create additional pay line wins. You can also win a jackpot of 100 coins if you land five of the Wilds across the reels in any position. The more Wilds you land on the reels, the greater your chance of landing a better value win, especially if they are located on the first couple of reels or the top three symbols on each of the third, fourth and fifth reels.
Free Spins features
Land three, four or five of the horse Scatter symbols on the reels to trigger the bonus game. The number of Scatters landed will determine whether you receive 10, 15 or 20 Free Spins in the bonus.
Somewhat disappointingly, there are no additional bonuses during Free Spins, no multipliers or extra Wilds to try and make the bonus a better value one for the player. Also, landing the triggering scatters also does not trigger any coin win, which is another disappointing aspect of the game as most games at least offer some form of cash win for a Scatter trigger.
Other bonus features
The other bonus feature pertains to the extra position on the third, fourth and fifth reels. These reels are four symbols high but the first symbol on each reel will always spin and show the same symbol across all three reels. If you can then match this with the same symbol on the first two reels, or with some Wilds, then some big wins are possible. However, the real frustration with this feature is that it rarely triggers often enough to make any real difference to the game.
Best feature of the Ways of Fortune slot
While the addition of those extra symbols on the third to fifth reels, and the fact they always spin to the same symbol as each other, promises some big action, in truth they rarely end up with you seeing a decent win, which is a shame as that means it is the Free Spins bonus which is the best aspect of the slot and not the thing which differentiates the Ways of Fortune slot from the other games available on a similar theme.
What does the Ways of Fortune slot lack?
The main problem with the Ways of Fortune is that too many of the wins are lower value wins that don't even cover your bet, added to that there are then a limited number of bonus features, both of which are derivative of the vast majority of slots and which don't add any extra content or variability to the game-play. Even the additional three symbols at the top of the 3rd, 4th and 5th reels don't add as much as you would hope.
Conclusion
Ways of Fortune is a slot that could have hit the bullseye in so many ways. However, unfortunately Habanero opted to bring out a somewhat unusually designed slot and then play it safe by adding only the simplest of bonus features, Free Spins and Wilds. The game promises so much more when you load it up and while it is a fun lower variance slot to play, it could have been so much more with just a little extra planning and care in the delivery of the game.
Ratings
Good Luck!
Next Offer: Scuba Fishing