Break Away Lucky Wilds slot's Smashing Wilds feature is bigger and bolder!

It is fair to say that Microgaming have been poring over what to do with their popular sporting stars series of slots in recent times. We have already seen a couple of new games released in addition to the standard slots that were released a few years back, with Break Away Jackpots released just a couple of months ago.

Well the Ice-Hockey slot is back once again, once again with a trio of jackpot prizes, but with some new bonus features in the new Break Away Lucky Wilds slot.

This is a game aimed squarely at Canada and central and northern European countries where ice hockey is often the most popular sport. So what does this particular game have to offer that is radically different to the two other games in the Break Away series? We decided to take a closer look and find out and remember to check out our real cash play of the slot to see how it plays for a few spins too.

Overview

• Game: Break Away Lucky Wilds
• Developer: Microgaming
• Reels: 5x5
• Pay Lines: 88 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 0.88
• Maximum Bet: 8.80
• Jackpot: 11,363x
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No but there are three fixed Jackpots
• Volatility: High

Presentation

The presentation for all the sporting stars series of slots has been pretty standard across the range and even into the new releases that have added to the series and the Break Away Lucky Wilds slot doesn't change that formula. The reels are central on the screen and are in a 5x5 format. The main controls are on the right and the three fixed jackpots are shown on the left. They are the Minor, Major and Grand jackpot prizes of 10x, 100x and 3850x your total bet.

The slot has a rather unusual 88 pay lines in play across the reels, which means for a minimum bet of 0.88, so not the cheapest game to play. Symbols used on the reels echo those found in the other two Break Away slots and of course, these symbols can be stacked up to two high, which increases the chances of multiple pay line wins.

With sound effects and music as you play, the game does capture the atmosphere of an ice hockey game nicely, although the announcer urging you to spin while you have a break in play does get on your nerves a little. Rolling Reels is in play in the base game and Free Spins, but in Free Spins it also comes with a multiplier trail.

What is on the reels?

There are nine standard symbols on the reels in the base game of Break Away Lucky Wilds. Wins start at a ridiculously small 0.02 per line for a minimum bet (which is 0.88 remember) but the point of these games is that you win across multiple lines and that can increase the value of the wins. Even so, you need to hit five symbols to be assured of landing a profit which is partly why this game is so highly volatile.

Symbols include an ice smoothing machine, ice skates, a keepers mask, an ice rink and a selection of ice hockey players and officials. The highest you can win in the base game (at a minimum bet of 0.88) is 6.66, which is not the largest amount. However, with Rolling Reels in play, it does mean you can win several times from a single spin and that is one way that you can increase the amount won on a typical spin.

Fortunately there are also a number of different bonus features that can trigger which do offer you a better chance of some success in the game when landed.

Wild features

The Break Away Wild symbols are super stacked on the middle three reels in the base game and they can substitute for all Wilds except for Scatter symbols. Unfortunately, you don't land Wilds on the first reel in the game so you can't win by landing them across all reels.

There is also a Smashing Wild bonus feature which can trigger at random in the base game and which will see Hockey players appear to turn reel 2, 3 or 4 completely Wild to land you a guaranteed win. The reel will stay Wild for the next few rolls until you land a win.

Free Spins features

Land three or more of the hockey puck Scatter symbols and you will trigger the Free Spins bonus round. Here you get to play one of three different Free Spins bonus games and regardless of which one you pick, you will also have a Multiplier Trail in action during any Rolling Reels wins during the Free Spins bonus.

You have to unlock each bonus game by triggering Free Spins a set number of times. The first game features 18 Free Spins with a multiplier trail of 1x to 8x and Wild Stacks grow by one every spin. The second game triggers after 5 Free Spins unlocks and sees 12 Free Spins but with a 2x multiplier and a multiplier trail bonus of up to 18x and Wild Stacks grow by 2 per spin. Finally, after 10 Free Spins unlocks, you get the 6 Free Spins bonus with a guaranteed 3x multiplier and the chance to unlock a multiplier trail win of up to 28x and Wild Stacks grow by three on every spin.

You also have the chance to trigger a Jackpot prize win once you have completed a spin of the reels. During the game Wild symbols are collected after every spin and the more you collect in a spin, the higher chance you have of triggering one of the three jackpot prizes. The jackpot can be won in both the base game and also in Free Spins.

Best feature of the Break Away Lucky Wilds slot

For me, while the Free Spins rounds are very enticing and can be lucrative, it is the Wild stacks in the base game and Free Spins that make this game for me. Without them, this would be an incredibly difficult slot to get any enjoyment from, but there is a real sense of achievement when you hit one of these wins and it triggers more Rolling Reels spins.

Conclusion

Break Away Lucky Wilds offers some new additions to the Break Away series of games and it is a nice slot, however it is not a game for microstakes players given its relatively high low bet amount of 0.88. That said, there is a good chance to win some big prizes if you can get lucky on the slot and it is crammed full with bonus features. Why not try it for yourself to see how it plays?