Almighty Aztec slot: Don't get Cortez with your pants down and play it today!

Developed by one of Microgaming's newest partner development companies, Spin Play Games, the Almighty Aztec slot takes us back to the period of history when the Aztec civilisation ruled across vast swathes of central America.

Of course, we all know that eventually a number of explorers led by the Spaniard Cortez turned up and things didn't turn out to well in the end for the poor Aztecs who were wiped out by a combination of the superior weaponry of the invaders, as well as the dangerous infections that they had brought with them.

Even so, the Aztec civilisation is a remarkable and interesting slice through history and Spin Play Games have done a nice job bringing that time to life in their new 5x3 reel slot that features 10 win both ways pay lines and medium variance gaming. With bets starting at just 0.10 per spin, but able to be increased up to a massive 500.00 per spin, it is also a slot which can be played by every player, whether you are a smaller stakes gamer or a higher roller.

So what other treasures lie within the Almighty Aztec slot and is it a game that you should be in search of playing? We decided to dust off our explorers' garb and head off into the deep Mexican jungle to find out for ourselves.

Overview

• Game: Almighty Aztec
• Developer: Spin Play Games (for Microgaming)
• Reels: 5x3
• Pay Lines: 10 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 0.10
• Maximum Bet: 500.00
• Jackpot: 50x
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: Medium

Presentation

The presentation of the Almighty Aztec slot is perhaps best described as a cross between lushly verdant and in your face vivid. Part of the backdrop is of the central American jungle where the Aztec civilisation once ruled but also their god Quetzalcoatl is just to the left of the reels and this rather fierce looking dragon creature is decorated in a range of bright colours including aquamarine, yellow and orange. The god also plays a key role in the game as we will explain later.

The five reels are located in the centre of the screen and they are not transparent which means you cannot see as much of the backdrop as you would perhaps have liked. The main controls are to the right of the reels, but the bet selector is in the bottom left corner of the main screen. The main thing to note though about the slot is that although it is just 10 pay lines, it is a win both ways slot which means you can win from left to right and right to left across the reels.

There is a rather gentle musical accompaniment that plays as you spin which is nicely done and fits the theme of the slot well. Overall, the presentation is bright and cheerful and does make you want to try a few spins of the game.

Some players, though not all, may be able to access a Buy Feature option on the screen, where you can trigger 5 Free Spins at a cost of 50x the total bet. However in some parts of the world, this feature may be disabled due to local gambling laws and restrictions.

Where to play Almighty Aztec slot?

You can play the Almighty Aztec slot at any of the Mega Moolah casinos on the Where to Play page, Country page, or Bonus page.

What is on the reels?

When it comes to symbols on the reels, there are a total of eight standard symbols in the base game. These start with the four lower value symbols, which are the four different coloured gemstones. All four of these symbols pay the same amounts which range from 0.5x your bet up to 2.5x your bet for five across a pay line.

The four higher value symbols are all based on some aspect of Aztec life and they start with the stone tablet with an engraving on and go through to a colourful parakeet, a golden snake charm and lastly the Aztec warrior. Wins on these symbols range from 1x your bet up to 50x your bet.

There are two other symbols on the reels, the Scatter and Wild symbols, which trigger a couple of the bonus features of the slot as we will explore below.

Wild features

The Aztec Temple is the Wild symbol on the reels and it appears on the middle three reels only. However, when it lands it will expand to cover the reel in full and of course, when it does it can trigger wins on a number of pay lines. The more Wilds you land, then the more chance you have of triggering a better value win.

However, unlike some 10 pay line, win both ways games with Expanding Wilds, this symbol does not trigger a Free Respin of the other reels, it simply pays out (or not) on the initial spin and then the game continues as normal.

The second Wild bonus is linked to the god Quetzalcoatl who is stationed to the left of the reels. On any random spin, the god can elect to fly across the reels and drop up to three Expanding Wilds on the middle three reels. When he does, this can obviously lead to some good value wins, although on other occasions no win may result, or you may just land a small win.

Free Spins features

The Aztec tile or shield is the Scatter symbol in the game and it can appear on any of the five reels. If you land three, four or five of these symbols on the reels, then you will trigger a Free Spins game of five, eight or twelve Free Spins respectively.

The other big bonus to note in your Free Spins bonus round is that if you land an Expanding Wild at any point in the game, then the Wild will be held in place in full on the reel for the remaining Free Spins round, and of course if you can land multiple of these Wilds across the middle three reels, then this can result in some sizeable wins.

Best feature of the Almighty Aztec slot

For me, I think the win both ways across the reels aspect of the Almighty Aztec slot is the most engaging of all the features of the game. Sure the Free Spins can provide some good value wins, as can the Expanding Wilds and the Quetzalcoatl bonus when triggered, but I feel that the game would not work anywhere near as well without the ability to win both ways across the reels.

Conclusion

Although this is a pretty safe slot from Spin Play Studios, they have put together a nice looking, sounding and playing game. The win both ways system will always get a thumbs up from me and it works well in this game. My one gripe, is perhaps a lack of Free Respin with the Expanding Wilds, but the Quetzalcoatl bonus and the Free Spins round do tend to diminish the impact of their absence a great deal. This is a nice medium variance slot and a great start to the company's partnership with Microgaming.