Dragon’s Temple Slot Review

IGT don’t quite release the volume of new slot games that they once did. That doesn’t mean in any way that they are not the dominant force of old, it’s simply that are very much favouring quality over quantity. Even a quick play on the new Dragon’s Temple slot shows how much that strategy is paying off, this is one of the best Asian themed slot games we’ve seen in a very long time.

Though the game landed in the bricks and mortar casinos without much fanfare, IGT are clearly aiming at a big online following for it. They’ve optimised it for no download casinos, with full compatibility for Android and iOS devices. We’ve tried it on everything from a tablet to an iPhone and it’s stunning on all screen sizes.

Of course, Asian imagery and especially dragons, is hardly a new theme. But, it’s a popular one and there’s plenty of slot players looking to see if these dragons are fire breathing monsters or lucky companions. The answer may turn out to be a little of both, whilst the game is definitely entertaining, the variance is on the high side, there could well be some burnt fingers for those seeking the treasure at the heart of the Dragon’s Temple.

Theme

IGT list the game as being related to the popular 100 Panda’s slot. Aside from the Asian theme and the general style, they are doing themselves an injustice with that statement as visually and audibly Dragon’s Temple is exceptional in comparison to that game. The background is a deep red overlay of a sunset eastern mountainside, with lush woodland and a traditional building. The reel frame is full of golds and mild beiges, all the things you would expect from a slot in this genre.

The pay icons are exactly what you might presume but again, they are incredibly well drawn, even the playing card symbols which act as low pay icons are done in an elegant calligraphy style which fits well with the scroll-like background of the reels. All the higher pay icons, from Koi Carp to lucky Chinese game chips, have their own individual 3D animations when they complete a pay-line. This has a lot of impact in the land based version of the slot as IGT have built a specific ‘true 3D cabinet’ for it.

A particular highlight of the video work is the way the dragon wilds behave on the screen flying out and upwards to form expanded wilds around temple columns. In all honesty, the entertainment value is needed, as this is a high variance game and it gets very streaky. A big investment in the fun side was a smart move by IGT or many players may have moved off the game very quickly to something a little gentler.

Gameplay & Features

There are 50 lines on the Dragons Temple slot and, you can’t adjust them. For those who prefer the 243 ways to win format, with the way the wilds work on this game, it would have been impossible to do, as we shall see. Bet range is decent, you can play from just 0.01 credit a line, with multipliers on offer each time you up the value, both high and low stakes players are eligible to take a shot at a big win here.

The hit ratio is moderately good, but you need to bear in mind that encompasses both the base game and the free spins round as an average. As a result, the base game is actually rather sparse, with the greatest area of potential in the bonus feature. This is triggered by the yin yang scatter symbols frequently used by IGT on their Asian slots.

When the spins round opens up, it’s prefaced by a selection screen, here you can choose to have 15 free games with reel 3 wild, 10 with reels 2 and 4 wild or 5 with reels 1, 3 and 5 wild! There’s also a mystery option which could, in theory give you the max spins with the maximum wild reels. You don’t need to be a slot gaming strategy genius to see the win potential here. With 3 reels wild it’s harder NOT to hit a big win than it is to hit one. The 5 spins option seems to regularly land between 100x and 300x the starting bet, small wonder then that the base game feels a little barren.

We can only imagine how massive a 15 spins game with 3 wild reels is. It’s important to remember that the remaining two reels can also turn wild within the spins game if a dragon symbols lands, which is massive. This is the only bonus available on the online slot right now, it’s only been released to one online casino exclusively to begin with and that precludes a progressive network jackpot being in play, though the land based version does have one courtesy of three zodiac symbols. Collect all three and one of three jackpots will be yours!

Summary

Currently the game is only available at Genting Casino online, though, that’s not a bad thing as it’s one of the largest and best known UK casinos. Over time we should see it elsewhere and land based players won’t have to wait at all – it’s already on the Vegas floors.

Careful bankroll management is definitely a must on Dragon’s Temple despite a top RTP of 96%. That said, if you want a chance to hit really hot streaks, these fiery dragons are most certainly the right companions. You will find more often than not though, that you will be forced to forgive them when they run cool.