Orion, the huntsman, is a famous constellation that can be viewed from anywhere on Earth. Orion is so easily visible that people have been gazing at it while sitting around campfires for the past 32–38,000 years. This is shown by the discovery of an ivory carving of Orion from the historical period in the Ach valley of West Germany. People from all across the world, not only Europe, have left records with Orion. Online slot machine developer ELK Studios has released a game called Stars of Orion, featuring the galaxy huntsman. This game combines the gravity concept from ELK with X-iter modes, cluster victories, and a Magic Meter, among other features.
Back on Earth as Orion shines brightly above, ELK has set their game among standing monoliths topped with lintel stones and the like, in a Stonehenge-esque setting. The type of area that sees a swarm of visitors on special occasions like the solstices, when people go to certain spots to see the sun rise or set. So, did the local rulers use these locations as heavenly stone calendars, complex burial mounds, religious temples, or as symbols of their authority? We probably won’t find out for sure. The likes of Stonehenge now attract in millions of curious onlookers who may safely gawk from a distance.
Stars of Orion is a highly volatile slot game that can be played from 20 pence per spin up to £/€100 per spin on any device. The action takes place in a grid with 6 columns and 8 symbols in each. Stars of Orion is the first game in the gravitation series to award prizes for linked clusters of at least five matching symbols. This allows for moves on the grid that were previously impossible in games of gravity. When you win, you may expect the avalanche process to kick in and the Magic Meter to fill up. Last but not least, we’ll talk about the 95.0% RTP, which is a technicality but nevertheless important.
The Stars of Orion insignia, like those in IO, seem a little out of place. Some characteristics of these people make them stand out in a way that isn’t always positive. Anyway, the lower-paying symbols are four-colored orbs, while the higher-paying symbols are birds, wolves, deer, and 7s. When 15 or more identical symbols form a cluster, the payout increases from 35x to 200x the initial wager. Also, wilds can appear anywhere to replace any pay sign, and a cluster of wilds is worth as much as the maximum premium if it forms.
Slot Functions for “Stars of Orion”
Avalanches, Super Symbols, the Magic Meter, Magic features, two bonus games, and five X-iter modes are just some of the many amenities available in Stars of Orion.
Avalanches
The avalanche function activates the gravity mechanism, which then removes each winning cluster off the board. Additional clusters may emerge as new symbols fall down into empty spaces to the left or right. When no further successes occur, the avalanche stops.
Marvelous Symbols
A Super Symbol can be any symbol that pays out normally. They’re the ones with the blue cases around their lenses. If a winning cluster containing a Super Symbol also contains another winning cluster, then all of the winning symbols will be transformed into the highest valued symbol type in the winning cluster.
Invisible Measurement Device
Avalanches are triggered when the Magic Meter on the right side of the game grid fills up with winning symbols. Multipliers of wins, ranging from 2x to 64x, and other Magic characteristics, such as:
To form winning clusters, Symbol Swap will switch neighboring symbols.
Extra win with three wild symbols in the shape of Orion’s belt.
Extra drop with Orion’s club of six wild symbols.
Extra win with 8 wild symbols in the shape of Orion’s shield.
The Orion constellation is represented by 13 wild symbols in this extra-drop game.
Drops for Free
When you get 3 of the bonus symbols, you get 10 free spins. The Magic Meter’s progress is saved between spins in free drops. There is a possibility that bonus symbols will appear surrounded by a bright red border. These are the ultimate bonus signs. If all of the bonus symbols that activate the bonus round are super symbols, the super bonus round is activated, and the player receives 10 free drops during which the chance of a super symbol occurring is increased.
A Mode X-iter
Players may purchase access to one of five play modes via the X-iter menu.
A round of play with a guaranteed winning combination can be purchased for 5 times the stake using the “Guaranteed Win” option.
For 10 times your wager, you can play a round with a higher frequency of Super Symbols.
Pay for one round of play and receive three more Symbol Swap opportunities. When an avalanche of victories reaches a certain mass, swaps are triggered.
You may purchase a bonus round with three bonus symbols for 100 times your wager.
Three Super Bonus symbols must be present in a single game round purchased in order to activate the Super Bonus feature.
Orion’s Belt: A Conviction on the Slot
Unlike other gravity-based games, Stars of Orion didn’t immediately capture us and refuse to let go. There was a semblance of strangeness about it. Perhaps it was a response to the seeming dissonance between the Druidic overtones and the symbols used. Stars of Orion is one of the best gravity games available, proving that we shouldn’t judge a book (or a slot machine) by its cover. ELK has added a number of pleasant upgrades to the game.
To begin, the usual dynamic has been flipped by the introduction of cluster payments rather than means to win. The odds of ending up with a group of epic symbols in the grid’s latter columns that don’t link up with anything, no matter how many symbols fall, are reduced, but this doesn’t guarantee more wins. It’s more fair, if that’s the appropriate term, in my opinion. This modification to clusters comes as a nice surprise if you haven’t studied the rules of the game in advance.
Stars of Orion may not seem as innovative as its predecessor, Bompers, due to its use of a charge meter to accumulate winning symbols. It’s not devoid of originality or appeal. For one, Super Symbols are helpful when they combine several low-value clusters into a single, high-value monster. The other elements, such as the symbol swaps, the Orion drops with the extra wilds, the Magic Meter, and everything else, all work hand in hand with the clusters. Of course, you can’t expect pyrotechnics on every sip. When it clicks, however, Stars of Orion operates like a finely oiled machine, bringing together its many components to great effect. Stars of Orion also shines brighter than its brothers in this regard, since it offers a maximum win of 10,000x the bet, which is double that of the other three games.
After the intergalactic antics of Bompers, the gravity range returns to its cosmic roots in Stars of Orion. Even if the additional features provide a fun new dimension and the game generally improves upon previous entries in the series, the lower RTP slightly limits the attractiveness.
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