ALL ABOUT BEAT THE BEAST: QUETZALCOATL’S TRIAL SLOT
It may look like someone sat on the keyboard and defined the latest title in Thunderkick’s Beat the Beast series but Quetzalcoatl is in fact the name of a mythic Aztec deity, a feathered serpent who was the god of wind and patron of priests. He is perhaps a little less scary than the Sphinx, Cerberus and Kraken who came before him, but still provides a fitting adversary for any slots player willing to take on this high variance game. When Thunderkick announced that they were creating a series of volatile games earlier in 2020 we were pretty excited to see what they could come up with. After all, this is the studio that brought us Pink Elephants, Flame Busters and other classics. As it turns out, the Beat the Beast series has been a little underwhelming, with top payouts that are modest in comparison to competitor games and simple, if enjoyable gameplay. Quetzalcoatl’s trial follows the same pattern, with a strong graphical interface, and all the action focused on the free spins round with 5 levels to complete, where collecting special wilds transforms the paytable in favour of bigger payouts. Let’s find out more.
GAME SET-UP, SYMBOLS AND GRAPHICS
As ever with Thunderkick, the artwork is strong here, with an Aztec temple scene providing a backdrop to the 5×3 reel set. There’s a sort of mystical orange and neon lighting which gives a good atmosphere to the game. On the reels you’ll find low value cards, 10 through to Ace, and premiums that are standard Aztec symbols. There is a crown, a statue, an axe, a cup, and a serpent’s head. The serpent is the highest value at 250x for five on a payline. There is also a Quetzalcoatl Emblem which is a fine-looking gold pattern which plays the role of Wild and Scatter simultaneously. It’s important therefore for increasing wins in the base game and triggering the bonus round.
QUETZALCOATL’S TRIAL SLOT RTP, VARIANCE AND PAYOUTS
Like all others in the Beat the Beast series, Quetzalcoatl’s Trial is a high variance game, so it’s going to be tough to crack. It has a top payout of 5,555x and play starts from 10p per spin. The RTP is a standard 96.16% which is normal for Thunderkick games. Loading up, choose your stake with care as this one can burn through your bankroll quickly before it pays out, and don’t expect too many regular win sequences, they will more than likely be few and far between, though of course, when they arrive, they can be big.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
This game is all about the free spins. In the base game you just need to land 2 or more identical premiums or 3 or more identical low value symbols on a payline to trigger a win. Three or more Scatters sets you up for the free spins round. That gets you 10 spins, as well as a 2, 20 or 200x win.
There are 5 levels to the bonus round. To progress to a new level you’ll need to collect 5 special green wild symbols to fill up the Wild Meters at the top of the reelset. When you do, all instances of the lowest value symbol in the paytable transform into higher value ones, increasing the odds of bigger wins. If you progress far enough to complete all the wild meters then all instances of mid value symbols become the top paying symbol.
NOTE: when you complete a level, 2 spins are added to your total. And if you land 3 or more scatters during the bonus round, then 10 spins are added.
OUR VERDICT
So, Quetzalcoatl’s Trial is a fairly decent slot with a solid bonus round and a modest potential. The issue for us here is that it feels very much like the others in the Beat the Beast series and doesn’t pack any new punches that might spring a surprise on us. It’s a shame because the idea of a series of high variance slots got us pretty excited when it was first announced. If you’ve played the others you’ll probably want to give it a few spins so you’ve played the set, but for us, we’re moving on pretty quickly.
