Pragmatic Play's mysterious clairvoyant makes a return appearance in Madame Destiny Megaways, an upgrade of an earlier 5x3 slot released in 2018. Obviously, there’s been a Megaways overhaul, but several feature changes went along with it. Interestingly, a bigger grid and altered features have not equated to as high a potential as you might think in a Megaways slot. However, big numbers are only a part of the puzzle, so let's delve into the spectral world of Madame Destiny Megaways to see how it fares.
Visually, the two games are close, though the larger Megaways powered grid alters the picture. So does the addition of new betting options located on the left-hand side of the screen. The rest is pretty similar, meaning leafless trees in the moonlight, surrounding a burgundy coloured slot plonked on the back of a carriage where Madame Destiny plies her trade. Graphically, matters have improved; there is a bit more definition, and everything is a little crisper than before. Not a whole lot of time has passed since the original dropped, yet the environment is a touch spookier, making this Madame Destiny a more tempting proposal to spin.
Part of that is due to Megaways of course, where 6 reels make up the principle grid, while a 4 symbol bonus reel runs along the top horizontally. Pragmatic has adjusted the settings, so a larger number of win ways are possible than normal. Reel 1 and 6 holds up to 7 symbols, reels 2-5 can hold 8 (including the top reel) equating to 200,704 ways to win at full stretch. Tumbles have been included too, so Megaways fans get the best of what the engine has to offer.
Madame Destiny Megaways reads palms on any device, allowing a wide range of stakes from 20 p/c to $/€125 per spin. The stats are respectable across the board, if you find the default version to play that is, starting with a base default RTP of 96.56%, rising to 96.67% if the two betting options are activated. Volatility is high, rated 5 out of 5 by the studio, and wait time for free spins can be lengthy, making the bonus buy option a tempting one indeed, more so if you've had a positive experience with them.
Tumbles make an appearance after every win which occurs when three or more matching symbols land left to right from reel one. An exception is the top paying owl. This one is worth a prize when just two land, or up to 20x the bet for six of a kind. Following this wise yet angry looking bird are cats, potions, candles, tarot cards, worth 1.25x to 20x for a line of six. Making space at the bottom of the table are 10-A royals. Playing a more supportive role than usual is Madame Destiny as the wild. She can land anywhere except the first reel, and when used as part of a win, she doubles its value.
Helping players possibly brighten up their destiny are several bonus features. These are a tumble wins system, free spins, as well as an ante bet option to increase the chances of triggering the bonus game, or, a straight out bonus buy.
The tumble system (or otherwise referred to as cascades) is pretty standard for this type of slot, available in both the main game and during free spins. How it works is whenever a winning combination forms, it is removed from the reels leaving a bunch of blank spaces. Symbols then tumble down into the gaps, possibly leading to repeat wins. Tumbles roll on until no new wins line-up.
A swirling crystal ball is the scatter which awards free spins and a cash prize - 3, 4, 5, or 6 of them is worth a payout of 5x, 10x, 20x, or 100x your stake, as well as gaining entrance to free spins. There is no set number of free spins when triggering the feature. Instead, players are presented with a Wheel of Fortune divided into two rings – the inner displays free spins, while the outer has multipliers.
The wheel spins once to award a number of free spins and a multiplier up to x25 multiplier. The multiplier applies to all wins and does not increment after cascade wins as in other Megaways games. Free spins can be retriggered though when 3 or more scatter land - without limit. On retriggers, the Wheel of Fortune spins again to select a random number of spins and a multiplier.
With such tantalising multiplier action available during the bonus game, some will appreciate the inclusion of a bonus buy feature, where available of course. It costs 100x the bet to activate, and doing so not only fast tracks free spins, but it also raises RTP as mentioned above.
Alternately, players can increase their chances of organically winning free spins by engaging the Ante Bet feature, increasing the stake by 25%. Doing so doubles the chance of triggering the feature by adding additional scatters to the reels.
If you're ever after a mental problem to exercise your neurons, pondering why developers pick certain slots for Megaways upgrades can be a puzzler. Massive hits like Gonzo's Quest are obvious, yet slots like Madame Destiny less so. Whatever the reason, the resulting game is decent, perhaps better than you might initially suspect - whether you believe in an afterlife or think what we see is the extent of reality. There's a fairly attractive look, a bit of a vibe, but mainly it's those free spins with their set multiplier that makes it. Score a decent multiplier, and free spins can be quite a thrill ride indeed.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Madame Destiny Megaways is its max potential. Players are used to seeing eye-watering figures dangled before a Pragmatic Play game to draw them in, though how achievable some are is up for debate. There might be a metaphyseal theme, but Madame Destiny Megaway’s max win is a decidedly down to earth 5,000x the bet. Strange, because an x25 multiplier mixed with an x2 wild is capable of some serious damage. Ah well, Madame Destiny moves in mysterious ways.
Despite possible concerns over potential, Madame Destiny Megaways turned out to be ok, although several elements lets it down such as the decision to remove the feature used in the original that unveils the pay symbol on a bonus spin. Moreover, a Megaways slot without a progressive win multiplier is a bit of a turn off, it must be said.
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