The Legend of Shangri-La: Cluster Pays Slot Review
The Legend of Shangri-La: Cluster Pays is another video slot machine with an Asian aesthetic from NetEnt that was released on August 2, 2017. This game offers a number of different interesting features so read our review to be prepared for this exciting money ride.
The Legend of Shangri-La: Cluster Pays Video Review
The Legend of Shangri-La: Cluster Pays General Characteristics
This slot's volatility is somewhere in the middle so it will suit players who don’t like to see huge swings in their bankrolls on their way to those greatly paying Free Spins rounds. There are 6 reels, 5 rows, and, most importantly, no lines because this is a Cluster Pays slot, more about it will be said in the next section. Payout or Return to Player is set to 96,59% which is in the range of average numbers we are used to. Hit Frequency of 20,46% allows us to get a winning combination almost every fifth spin, however those wins most of the time will be not very big. The betting range is quite versatile, it can be anywhere from 0.1 EUR up to 200 EUR, and with the Maximum Win Multiplier of x1000, it is potentially possible to win up to 200,000 EUR. There are 7 main symbols plus Scatter Symbol, and Mystery Symbol. That is it for the main characteristics, let’s dive into bonus features.
The Legend of Shangri-La: Cluster Pays Bonus Features
Cluster Pays
If two symbols are side by side, either horizontally or vertically, they are considered to be part of the same cluster. The winning criteria for a cluster is the appearance of 9 or more of the same symbol.
Substitution Symbol. The Substitution Symbol changes into the neighboring symbol that produces the best potential cluster payout.
Guru Symbols
There are two locations that are both represented by these three symbols. While they do cover 2 positions normally, they only cover 1 during Sticky Re-Spins and when modified by Substitution Symbols.
Random Substitutions. The Random Substitutions feature activates when at least two identical clusters emerge in the main game. When this feature is activated, at least one more Substitution Symbol will be added to the reels, and it will be put adjacent to the clusters that are already there. Up until a victory condition is met, further Substitution symbols will be added to the board in a manner that is completely arbitrary.
Sticky Re-Spins
The Sticky Re-Spins feature is triggered when at least two identical clusters occur anywhere on the reels but do not form a winning combination. Whenever the Sticky Re-Spins feature is activated, the feature symbols remain fixed in place while the other symbols are respun. The reels' symbols rotate synchronously but separately. As long as additional feature symbols appear on the reels, this will keep happening.
Free Spins
Three or more Free Spin symbols on the reels activate Free Spins in the main game. Three Free Spins symbols provide five additional spins; four give six; five give seven; and six give eight. During the Free Spins bonus round, Substitution Symbols may appear anywhere on the reels at any time but will be removed after each spin. A choice will be made at random about which two Substitution symbols appear on the reels initially. After each spin, anything from two to six more Substitution symbols will be placed on the reels, while all the remaining symbols stay until they are removed or become a part of the winning combination. Before each spin, anything from one to four Substitution symbols will be randomly removed from the reels. Number of Free Spins may be increased by one extra spin if the win amount of the Free Spin round is less than 10 times the initial wager.
Our Experience In The Legend of Shangri-La: Cluster Pays
If you've never played an oriental-themed video game before, you'll immediately be drawn in by the game's catchy music and bright, cartoony visuals. There are tons of other slot machines out there that are quite similar to this one, but we're curious as to whether or not this one is profitable enough to deserve our time. We deposited 200 Euros, set our stake to 1 Euro, and spun the reels for the first 100 spins of our adventure. After just around 35 spins, we were able to activate the first bonus round, however, the payout was only x14.5 of our stake, leaving us fifteen euros in the hole. The next hundred spins yielded no bonus rounds, but the last spins resulted in a mega win of 37EUR, leaving us with another drop of 25 EUR of our balance. The Sticky Re-Spins we were given seemed to be quite helpful in maintaining our composure. After the next hundred spins, our bank balance was 151 EUR, but we were determined to hit the bonus game at least once. After another hundred spins brought us no closer to our goal, we were still down 96 euros from the initial amount. There was still no bonus round in the next 150 spins, but we managed to hit a juicy Re-Spin with Monkey Gurus that paid us 40 dollars. It took us approximately 400 spins to almost entirely exhaust our bankroll when we eventually reached the bonus round, it gave us 127EUR and after that, we stopped the game with mixed emotions. You can't rely on this slot’s Hit Frequency alone to keep you alive until the bonus rounds, which have so far proven difficult to activate. We can't say for sure whether it's worthwhile, but it would be great for players if they had a little greater chance of catching at least three scatters. You may give it a go if you're feeling lucky, but if not, stick to something you know pays well, likeSakura Fortune 2.
