ABOUT GREAT BEAR
IGT has released dozens of slots over the past few years, but Great Bear seems unlike the majority of their games, at least theme-wise. Regarding its layout and volatility, it joins a long list of medium-volatility IGT slots played on five reels such as Nordic Heroes, Golden Egypt, or King of Macedonia.
IGT strives to maintain and improve both the visual and gameplay qualities of every new slot they present at UK slot sites. Great Bear is in no way a revolutionizing slot, nor does it come with any game-changing mechanics or features. Still, it nonetheless has great entertainment value and can be a good learning experience for those who want to move on to higher-risk games.
Nevertheless, the game’s betting range indicates that Great Bear is also trying to bring in high-rollers with a maximum total bet per spin of $4,000. The minimum players can bet per hand is £0.40. But the maximum payout punters can hope to reach with Great Bear is just x2,500 the amount of the stake.
THEMES, SYMBOLS AND PAYTABLE
Great Bear is a game inspired by the natural world and the wild denizens of the forest. The setting is a foggy and mysterious forest, while the symbols range from fish to wolves to the eponymous Great Bear Wild.
Great Bear has 8 different animal symbols shown as nailed to a mossy tree on the left-hand side. In order from least to most valuable, the symbols include a trout, a mouse, a rabbit, a raccoon, an owl, an eagle, a lynx, a wolf, and the Bear Wild. The bonus scatter icon is represented by a bear’s paw.
When you open the game, at the top, click the ‘Paytable’ or ‘Game Rules’ buttons to see how much each symbol pays.
RTP, VARIANCE AND PAYOUTS
Great Bear is a medium variance game and, as such, provides steadier payouts when playing for longer spells. Steadier, as in, you are likely to win more often than with high volatility slots, yet less often, but with bigger wins than low-variance games.
Volatility is a gauge for measuring a slot’s frequency of generating paying combinations, as well as the size of those wins. On the other hand, RTP (return to player) percentage indicates the house edge and how much of a player’s wagers will be returned after gambling over a certain period of time. The Great Bear RTP is a theoretical 96.7%, meaning, in theory, the game will return £96.7 for every £100 wagered.
But the payouts – both their frequency and size – will ultimately also depend on a lot of other factors. With persistence and a bit of luck, you can scoop a maximum win of x2,500 the wager.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
Great Bear is as simple a slot to learn as they come, with every key game function arranged orderly at the bottom of the screen. A few buttons at the top allow you to toggle the sound effects, access the game’s rulebook, and see how some of its features work. There are only a handful of bonus features, but they significantly add to the game’s payout value. These include the Symbol Climb and the Gift of the Great Bear features, alongside the Great Bear Multiplier Feature and Great Bear Bonus.
GREAT BEAR PAYOUTS
Great Bear pays for a combo of at least three matching icons from the leftmost to the rightmost reel. The regular animal symbols pay anywhere between 0.25x and 2x the sum wagered.
At least 3 scatters activate the Great Bear Bonus, which will be discussed next. The Great Bear Multiplier feature provides wild multipliers which can upgrade to increase your win by up to 10x.
GREAT BEAR – GREAT BEAR BONUS
The Great Bear Bonus triggers the slot’s free spins bonus. Three bear paw scatters on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th reels in base game award 5 gratis spins. Each spin guarantees a win, and you can spin until you win, which will decrease the number of guaranteed free spins by one until you win all 5 spins.
The Symbol Climb Feature, which upgrades every matching winning symbol to the next highest-value symbol, is available in the Great Bear Bonus.
OUR VERDICT
Great Bear is overall more than just a satisfactory game. It may initially seem quite ordinary but, like many slots, it offers more than it initially seems. Upgrading symbols, free spins that guarantee a win, and an always-attainable x2,500 max. win make Great Bear a must-try.
If you liked this game, you could check some of IGT’s other slots inspired by woodland creatures based on similar game mechanics. These include Wolf Run and Wolf Run Megajackpots, Wolf Ridge, Siberian Storm, and more.
