When a business has hit upon a winning formula, it must be extraordinarily tempting to rebundle it somehow in an attempt to beat out further success. So it has proved to be with software provider Pragmatic Play and Gates of Olympus, which has re-emerged with varying degrees of divergence in games like Sword of Ares, Gates of Gatot Kaca, and now an Ancient American-themed version called Gates of Aztec. Apart from a change of window dressing and a bonus buy, Gates of Aztec is a straight clone of the original, meaning the same stats, features, and winning potential.
As mentioned, the outer part has changed, so instead of looking at Zeus in Olympus, users get to join a warrior in a Central American-inspired scene instead. Since there are loads of Aztec slots floating around, many players will be well acquainted with the drill; step pyramids, elaborately carved masonry, creative interpretations of the natural world, and so on. Gates of Aztec doesn't take its subject matter to brand new unseen heights, but it certainly won't hurt your eyes for looking, either. Like the rest of the conversion, the audio-visuals get the job done and pretty much stop there.
>Digging beneath the surface now like a busy mole, we come across Gates of Aztec's statistical information. For starters, whether you prefer betting on single spins at 20 p/c to $/€125 a go, engaging the Ante Bet, or buying free spins, the return to player value is the same in all instances, maxing out at 96.5%. The same goes for volatility, which with a 5 out of 5 rating means it's high, while any device may be used to get the Gates of Aztec experience.
Played on a 6-column, 5-row game grid, Gates of Aztec utilises a scatter pays method for forming wins. Something of a Pragmatic Play speciality; wins are created when at least 8 identical symbols land anywhere on the game board. Wins trigger the tumble feature, which removes all relevant symbols, replacing them with symbols from above. Tumbles end when no new wins appear. Hitting a scatter win consisting of 8-9 matching symbols triggers a payout of 0.25 to 10 times the bet, whereas the payout for a 12+ scatter win is 2 to 50 times the bet. Ten to Ace royals make up the low pays, four Aztec-inspired objects are the highs, and the game does not feature wilds at any stage.
>Gates of Aztec might not have wilds, but it does have multiplier symbols which are one of the main contributors to this group of slots' success. Green, blue, purple, or reddy orange gem symbols may land on any of the 6 reels, possessing a random multiplier value of x2 to x500. At the end of a tumble sequence, the values of all multiplier symbols in view are added together and applied to the total win before being awarded.
Hitting 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols in the base game awards a payout of 3x, 5x, or 100x the bet, respectively, plus 15 free spins. While free spins are active, when multiplier symbols hit and the spin has a win, the multiplier value is added to a total multiplier. For the duration of the free spins round, when a winning scatter lands and a multiplier symbol is also in view, the total multiplier plus the new multiplier value(s) is applied to the win. The bonus round can be retriggered by landing 3 or more scatter symbols which awards +5 additional free spins.
Activating the Ante Bet increases the base bet by 25%, which doubles the chance of triggering free spins. Also, hitting the Buy Free Spins button gives players the option to buy the free spins round for the cost of 100 times the stake. As mentioned, the RTP stays the same no matter how Gates of Aztec is played.
>Pragmatic Play has repeatedly proven a dab hand when it comes to using the power of multipliers in its games, as evidenced by slots like Sugar Rush, Fruit Party 2, and of course, Gates of Olympus. Not only does a game like Gates of Aztec let the studio showcase its multiplicative chops, but also the team's interest in scatter-paying slots, which is another area Pragmatic Play excels at. Bringing both of these components together in Gates of Olympus clearly must have found success, thereby leading to a number of closely, in some cases very closely, related follow-up slots.
Gates of Aztec is another one, and while it looks good and functions fine, the novelty has kind of waned. That's not to say Gates of Aztec can't be as thrilling as its predecessor, but it was all a bit predictable. If the studio had expanded on the gameplay (not just including a bonus buy), Gates of Aztec might have generated more excitement when we went in for the viewing. Then again, perhaps some fans of the series will be happier knowing Pragmatic Play has left the formula alone, letting the proven features shine in a new setting. Gates of Aztec is as capable as ever of stacking multipliers in tumble sequences and free spins to possibly get pulses racing. Winning potential has remained the same, too, with a 5,000x the bet win cap in place. Perhaps loosening that number might have added to Gates of Aztec's appeal, in spite of being produced as a PokerStars exclusive.
Maybe using a more imaginative theme might have helped, too, though fair dues to Pragmatic Play for marching into less well-trod territory when it made Gates of Gatot Kaca. All up, Gates of Aztec is pretty predictable, but it shouldn't disappoint players looking for a different setting to get the Gates of Olympus experience in. Any predictions on where the Gates are going to end up next?
Play for real money
