Gonzo’s Quest VR Slot Review

Since their founding in 1996, NetEnt has consistently been one of the leading online casino slots providers in the world. They’ve often done this through a combination of great, attractive games and a sense of innovation that has allowed them to stay at the front of the industry. They have offered big rewards, unique gaming styles linked to licensed properties, and adaptations, such as quickly staying on top of the latest technical innovations to move from their early Java software to modern HTML5 and touchscreen mobile platforms.

The latest innovation from the company is the Gonzo’s Quest VR video slot, an upcoming release that is set to become the first of the company’s casino slot machines to be offered in a virtual reality format. The base game isn’t particularly new, but it is one of the top games in the developer’s illustrious history, making it an ideal choice for this new format. That should give players a firm grounding as they try to explore this brand new way to enjoy online casinos, which can be a bit disorienting at first but ultimately ramps up the immersion factor to levels never before seen.

Taking in Every Angle

While the final version of Gonzo’s Quest VR by NetEnt hasn’t been released at the time of this writing, we have seen the previews that were shown at various conferences earlier in 2017. As you would expect, this version of the game takes most of the same thematic cues at the original, staying true to what players know about the world of this title. You’ll be pitted at the gates of an ancient city, with an impressive pyramid just beyond the walls, all of which stands out from the tropical forest that surrounds this small remnant of civilization. The iconic animal and mask symbols are carved into blocks of stone, creating a set of reels that also serve as a sort of gate in front of the city.

So what makes the VR version so special? Well, if you’ve ever played around with a virtual reality headset before, you know that the joy comes from moving your head around and seeing the 360-degree world you can explore. While you can’t walk around in this game, you can certainly look everything you want, from the treetops and blue skies above you to the imposing forest behind you, filled with crawling bugs and bountiful shrubbery. Both Gonzo himself and an animated parrot move around in order to bring more life to the setting, and the pay table is helpfully included to your left: just turn your head and look at it, no searching for menus required.

Cracking the Wall

The Gonzo’s Quest VR video slot works much in the same way as the original version. This is a five reel game with 20 paylines, in which players can collect payouts by matching symbols from left to right on their win lines. For smaller wins, you can match a variety of animal carvings, while various masks serve as the high-paying symbols. These are easy to distinguish thanks to the fact that each one is a different color and distinctive design, so there should be no confusion while watching the results of each spin come in.

The key gameplay element to this game is the avalanche feature. This cascading reels format will cause winning symbols to disappear after your earnings have been paid out, allowing new icons to fall from above to fill in the gaps. When this occurs, gamblers can get paid a second time if new winning lines are created. This will continue to occur until you have a board with no payouts available. As an added bonus, you’ll get an increasing multiplier each time this occurs; after the initial spin pays out at the normal rate, the next “avalanche” will offer a 2x multiplier, followed by 3x on the next and 5x on all future wins.

Free Falling

There are two special symbols to watch out for while you play Gonzo’s Quest VR. The first of these is the question mark, which serves as a substitute. These wild symbols can fill in for any normal icon in order to complete winning paylines, and will disappear after each win just like other blocks. You’ll also want to look out for the Free Fall symbol, which is easy to spot because of its sparkling golden look. Complete a payline with three or more in a row of these, and you’ll earn yourself 10 free spins (known as free falls on this machine).

These free falls play out like normal spins, but are a bit more lucrative. This is due to the fact that all earnings are tripled. This bonus applies to all of the multipliers in the game, so later avalanches now have the potential to pay out as much as 15x a normal spin. It’s also possible to retrigger this feature, earning yourself even more bonus spins. In addition, the virtual reality version of the game appears to have added a gamble feature that gives you the option of trying to double your earnings after a winning spin.

A Virtual Must Play

Gonzo’s Quest has always been one of the classic slots in the NetEnt library, and we’re happy to see it become the company’s first attempt at a VR game at online gambling sites. With gameplay that has carried over almost identically from the original creation, we’re sure that players will have a good time revisiting this theme in a world that feels like it exists all around them. We’ll be curious to see what users think of the final version, and how the WebVR experience will compare to the native apps on modern headsets, but all indications are that this will be a great time for those who can enjoy it.

If you’re not familiar with how this game plays, you don’t have to wait for the virtual reality version to come out to get a handle on what to expect. Both play for free and real money online slots versions of Gonzo’s quest are already wildly available, and since the gameplay is very similar to the VR machine, you can get a pretty good idea of whether or not this title is worth your time right now.