Aztec Expedition Thundershots Slot Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Aztec Expedition Thundershots Review

Aztec Expedition is the second release in the flashy Thundershots slot series by Playtech, and here we're taken on a bone-thrilling adventure to the jungles of South America to uncover hidden secrets of the once-great civilization.

Aztec Expedition Thundershots - Slot Outlook

The first thing that catches the eye when loading the game is its top-notch design and lovely cartoonish graphics that are extremely pleasing to the eye. Compared to its predecessor Chili Eruption Thundershots, it's a step-up quality for sure, and we have to pay the Playtech design team credits for nailing the visuals. Anyway, abundant in gems and jungle inhabitants, the 5x4 reel set dominates the view here, and the actions take place across 30 pay lines. Behind it, the backdrop showcases a massive golden Aztec temple surrounded by somewhat of a magical aura. Bet you're curious to know what treasures it's hiding.

Aztec Expedition Thundershots Slot - Reel Screen

Playable on any device from $0.1 to $450 per spin, the Aztec Expedition Thundershots slot is powered by a medium volatile math model and is likely to appeal to the mainstream audience. Well, the return rate isn't impressive being beneath the average level at 95.5%, though, the hit rate seems OK so wins should occur fairly often. Speaking of wins, payouts of up to 5,000x the stake on a single spin are possible, and that's quite decent for a mid-variance title.

As we head over to the paytable, we see 9 regular symbols that are split into two categories, namely highs and lows.

The latter lot is made up of four gems of different shapes and colors, while higher-value symbols include in ascending order frogs, snakes, compasses, panthers, and a jolly conquistador. All symbols in Aztec Expedition Thundershots pay from left to right when at least 3 symbols land adjacently on a single win line, and 5-of-a-kind premium wins are worth from 7x to 20x of the bet. There's also a Wild symbol included that substitutes for any other regular symbol and pays up to 50x the stake for a full line win.

Aztec Expedition Thundershots - Bonus Features

The Aztec Expedition slot comes packed with outstanding features and extras, and aside from the trademarked Thundershots bonus game, there are numerous exciting features to be found. Anyway, let's start walking you through the core mechanics available both in the base game and Free Spins.

Aztec Expedition Thundershots Slot - Sticky WildsCentral to the gameplay is the Cascading Wins feature that allows you to score multiple winning combos on a single spin. The feature removes all winning symbols from the grid whenever you score a win, and new symbols tumble down to fill vacant positions.

Unlike regular symbols, Wilds don't get removed from the grid during the cascades, which is similar to how the Unbreakable Wilds feature from the Gonzo's Quest Megaways slot works, though, here they have 3 lives and fade from the grid after the third tumble.

The Gates of Destiny feature is your gateway to the four bonus games, and it's triggered whenever 3 Scatter symbols appear on reels 2, 3, and 4 simultaneously during the base game. Once triggered, players will proceed to a Bonus Wheel, and depending on how many gems players land in the winning segment, they are awarded the following features:

• 1 gem - Awards the Free Spins bonus.
• 3 gems - Awards the Treasure Run bonus.
• 5 gems - Awards the Temple of Gods bonus.
• 6 gems - Awards the Thundershots bonus.

Aztec Expedition Thundershots Slot - Gates of Destiny Bonus Wheel

1️⃣ Players receive 12 spins to start on triggering the Free Spins bonus, which operates in a similar way as the base game. The big difference is that all Wild symbols possess 5 lives instead of 3, though, it can boost your chances of winning big greatly. The feature can also be expanded, and players will get +1 additional spin for each Scatter they land during the Free Games.

2️⃣ In the Treasure Run feature, the conquistador runs across the screen attempting to escape from a boulder, and as he runs, a Pick a Chest feature is awarded randomly once in a while. Players will be offered to pick one out of the three treasure chests to reveal either a Cash Prize, Obstacles that slow down the conquistador, or a Bonus that speeds him up. The bonus game continues until the boulder rolls over the conquistador.

3️⃣ Players can win one of the three fixed jackpots during the Temple of Gods feature. These include Bronze, Silver, and Gold jackpot prizes, which award 500x, 1,000x, and 5,000x respectively. You start by picking and revealing pyramid blocks and move up the ladder by revealing gold coins and revealing 5 gold coins awards the Gold Jackpot.

In the same way, 3 bronze and 4 silver coins award corresponding jackpot prizes.

4️⃣ During the Thundershots bonus, players a taken to a new kind of Bonus Wheel, where cash prizes, extra spins, and enhanced versions of Free Spins and Treasure Run features are on offer. Landing the pointer on the feature segment will award the respective feature that will be played after the Thundershots bonus game, and landing the pointer on the same segment once again will increase the Multiplier you play the feature with by +1. On top of that, if the pointer landed on multiple feature segments during Thundershots, those will be played in succession.

Aztec Expedition Thundershots - Slot Verdict

With so many exciting and rewarding features onboard, the adventure to the temple of Aztec is promising to be highly enjoyable. Not only the features laid down here are fun, but each of them can also help you rack up some significant wins. Paired with fancy visuals and a relatively well-balanced math model, it's surely going to make it to the top of players' favorite, at least in the niche of Aztec-themed slots.

Pros

• Sticky Wilds and Cascades in the base game
• Four different bonus features
• High-end graphics

Cons

• Lower than the average RTP of 95.5%