This year has already seen its fair share of online casino games from Yggdrasil. Well, on April 5, 2021, the company, in partnership with Bang Bang Games, introduced another video slot – Ancient Eclipse. But apart from utilizing Yggdrasil’s innovative GATI technology, what else makes this game so unique?
First of all, Ancient Eclipse is available on a 5x4 grid, just like most Yggdrasil slots. However, the mysterious Mayan-style temple gives it a refreshing look and feel that might remind you of NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest. The game offers up to 50 paylines and features many unique deities, idols, and wild creatures like the tiger, crocodile, and eagle. The colorful symbols are carved on stone tablets’ sides, offering an Aztec-style layout.
Meanwhile, the two ancient god carvings are the premium standard symbols. The red gemstone eye deity tops the payouts giving players 5x, 3x, or 1.3x their initial stake if they land 5, 4, or 3 on the reels. The gold sun symbol is the wild and substitutes any standard symbol when it lands. It delivers payouts of up to 10x the initial stake. The feathered headdress represents the scatter symbol, which can only appear in the three middle reels. Overall, there is a lot here for smartphone, tablet, or desktop players.
When playing both the bonus and base game, your primary objective is to get as many Sun Frames as possible to activate the wilds. Here is how it goes; whenever a moon icon lands on the payline, a Sun Frame replaces it. If another moon symbol lands on a Sun Frame, the Eclipse feature activates. In return, all Sun Frames convert into wilds, which can give out multiple wins. Remember that the frames are removed from the base game after using them.
Also, the Locked Frames Free Spins feature activates after landing three feathered headdresses on the same spin. Want to know the reward? 12 free spins! It doesn’t stop there, though, because any wild icon available on the previous spin offers a Sun Frame at the beginning of every bonus spin. After the Sun Frame activates, it remains that way throughout the free spins feature. Plus, players get a bonus spin if they land a moon icon but fail to activate the Eclipse feature.
For starters, Ancient Eclipse is a medium volatility slot with a 1 in 3.4 hit frequency. Now that’s pretty average if you like a challenge. Also, you don’t have to wait for long to lay your hands on a win. As for the RTP, this mobile casino game performs reasonably well, with a 96.53% payback percentage.
Quickly moving onto the bet size, players can spin with a mere $0.20. If you’re loaded enough, you can place a maximum bet of $100. With the 4,595x multiplier on the firing line, it means bolder players can walk away with a maximum of $459,500. All in all, Ancient Eclipse’s RTP and volatility are pretty similar to other online slots from the developer.
Does this brand-new video slot live up to the billing? It depends on how you look at it. For example, big spenders will find the 4595x multiplier too little, whereas those on the budget wouldn’t have any qualms with the $0.20 minimum bet. Either way, both players would settle for the Free Spins with a Sticky Sun Frame feature which takes you closer to grabbing a big prize. In short, it’s an excellent addition to Yggdrasil’s ever-growing game portfolio.