It’s been about a year and a half since Relax Gaming and the Casinogrounds community collaborated on Iron Bank, a game packed to the gills with features and streaming allusions like “Printing” as money started flowing in. Now, in a follow-up studio/community collaboration named Beast Mode, we’re ready for more. The two games share certain similarities. They share several characteristics, including a pastel color scheme, anthropomorphic creatures, and a wealth of detail. But Beast Mode is in a league of its own, so let’s compare the two.
In the hazy late 1980s and early 1990s, when being “cool” meant everything, having a lot of muscle was a certain way to get instant street cred. The audio is pure vintage wave, which is so trendy right now, and the images have an East Coast vs. West Coast feel, thanks to the LA references. The sound effects and animations that play when symbols are removed from the reels after a winning combination are formed add to the package’s overall pleasantness. The concept is equally as original as Iron Bank’s, and the overwhelming sense of joy and happiness is impossible not to catch.
All of Beast Mode’s extra games, as well as the main game itself, take place on the same 6×4 game board and include the same 4,096 chances to win as the main game. As may be expected from a game with ties to Casinogrounds, Beast Mode is extremely risky and offers a theoretical RTP of 96.32%, up to 97% if you purchase any of the game’s additional features.
The cascading victory mechanic is a major contributor to Beast Mode’s engaging gameplay. When at least three of a kind fall from the left side of the board to the right, the player wins. After then, fresh symbols drop into the empty spaces, and the cycle continues until no more wins emerge. Skateboards, kettlebells, dumbbells, ghetto blasters, and lions are the highest-paying icons, followed by graffiti-style 10-A card ranks (1x the stake for 6 of a type) and 10-A card ranks. If you get six of the higher-paying symbols in a row, you’ll receive a payout of 2.5 times to 25 times your wager. Wild necklaces with bling appear on reels 2-6 and can be used in lieu of any other symbol, including bonus game icons.
Wild Mode: Slot Bonus Rounds
In addition to cascades, the main game also has a Random Mystery Spin feature and three different bonus rounds. Hold on to your hats, because there are a lot of options to explore.
Whirl of Unknown Destiny
The main game’s Random surprise Spins feature can go off at any time, guaranteeing the appearance of at least one surprise icon. Mystery symbols always show the same symbol type and survive each cascade, remaining visible until they are transformed into a new symbol. This will keep happening as long as you keep getting victories with any sign, barring wins with only the mystery symbol.
Bonus Turns
When 3 or 4 bonus symbols fall in a row during a cascade, you win free games. If you get 3 bonus symbols, you’ll spin a wheel with 50/50 odds for improved free spins, but if you land on a skull segment, you’ll lose your free spins. If a player gets 4 scatters and the bonus round begins, they automatically win the more advanced version of the game. The next step is for players to select one of the three available choices. Free games can be retriggered in any of these games by hitting a +1, +2, or +3 Spins symbol.
Free Games with Mysterious Symbols
In its base form, this one provides the player with 6 bonus spins. Any landed mystery symbols will immediately descend to the lowest accessible place and remain there for the duration of the feature. During each cascade or spin, a different random symbol is revealed by the mystery symbols. If you get a bomb symbol on the center four reels, you’ll get an extra row of space and an extra three free spins.
Free Games with a Multiplier Ladder
In the base game, players get access to 8 free spins with a multiplier of x1. The multiplier goes up by one level after each win or between spins. Additional free spins are granted at certain places on the meter. In this round, a multiplier of up to x500 is available.
Free Games with Expanding Wilds
Seven free spins are awarded initially, with a win multiplier of x1 (upgradable to x10) and wild symbols expanding downwards upon landing. Furthermore, the global win multiplier is increased by one for every wild symbol in view.
Money for Spins
The extra purchase button allows players to skip the preamble and go right to the action. This option costs 80 times the wager and takes the player straight to the screen where they can choose between three bonuses for their free spins.
Slot Judgment in Beast Mode
If developed by a less skilled team, Beast Mode might have easily wallowed in its own oddity. The game differs from Iron Bank in certain ways, yet it has similar visuals, tone, and set of features. Even while potential has taken a hit in comparison, on the whole, Beast Mode is a larger and substantially better game. Beast Mode is comparable to other modes in terms of potential rewards and packs in a lot of exciting moments.
These times will most likely occur during a bonus round. With three options, one may play about to find one they like best, or one can simply select at random. There was no standout option because each has its own set of advantages. The only major catch is the gamble feature, which frequently resulted in streaks of unsuccessful tries. It’s not a big deal during demos, but it may be disastrous on stage. Although it is recommended for gamers who enjoy a challenge, it is not required. When it hits 25,000x the bet, Beast Mode stops printing (excuse the pun) but is still “printing” according to most people’s standards.
Beast Mode was an exciting slot that was enjoyable right away and got even better with time. The decision to use animals instead of human protagonists was a good one, as it upped the game’s whimsical element and kept Beast Mode from seeming like a slot machine adaptation of the movie Pain & Gain. This, along with the period detail, makes the film more enjoyable than Iron Bank, and if you close your eyes, you can almost imagine yourself rollerblading along Santa Monica at sunset, past palm trees and Lamborghinis, on your way to a workout at Muscle Beach while being followed by a lion.