Panda Strike

Panda Strike Review

Renowned for its entertaining slots, Prague-based online casino game provider Endorphina has introduced Panda Strike, a medium-high volatility game with a 5x4 grid and 40 paylines that are always active. It offers a fairly stable RTP ranging from 96% to 96.07% in the base game, which can drop to 84% when using the Gamble feature, as well as a still respectable maximum multiplier of x2,000. Before each spin, you can choose a bet ranging from €0.40 to €160 per spin.

As in other slots, in Panda Strike, everything revolves around symbols and paylines. To win, you need to form a combination of three or more identical icons. Any such combination starts from the leftmost reel and must match any of the 40 patterns listed in the paytable. The more valuable the symbol in the combo, the bigger your win.

Panda Strike Slot - Reels Screen

Panda Strike features many card symbols that form low-paying combinations (from 9 to Ace). You will also see (but less often) more valuable symbols on the reels, such as Fan, Drum, Ninja Star, and Dragon, which can provide combinations with a multiplier of up to x6.25. To make the action in the game window more fun and potentially profitable, Endorphina has added a Scatter that triggers free spin rounds and a Wild that can carry an extra multiplier of up to x3.

Panda Strike Features

Simply spinning the reels to form combos can get boring to some seasoned pros. And this is despite the availability of unique Wilds in the base game. That's why Endorphina has added several bonus features to the game.

Wilds

If you see a panda in a fighting stance, you're in luck because it's a Wild that can replace regular symbols (except Scatters). It also carries an extra x2 or x3 multiplier that applies if the Wild is part of a winning combination. After participating in a combo, the Wild spreads across the entire surface of the reel, further increasing your chances of forming a winning sequence in the next round. In some cases (randomly), the Wild can also spread horizontally, but without affecting the far right and far left reels.

Gamble Feature

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of a game round (even though you won) in the base game, you have a chance to improve your multiplier. Activate this feature and you get an opportunity to guess the color of a face-down card. If successful, your prize will double. Although the chances of guessing the card correctly are close to 50%, the provider has stated that the RTP in this part of the game drops to 84%, so don't use it too often.

Free Spins Bonus Game

Just land three or more Yin Yang symbols anywhere on the game grid, and you’ll hit this bonus. Here, you get a global multiplier with a value starting at x1, depending on the number of Scatters that triggered the bonus. The number of free spins also depends on the number of Scatters and can be 7, 11, 16, or 28, respectively. For example, if you are lucky enough to land 5 Scatters at once, you will receive 28 free spins with a x5 global multiplier that increases the winning potential of each combo received during the free spins.

You will not see any new Scatters during the bonus game, and this means that retriggers are not possible here. However, Wilds continue to work at full capacity, bringing x2 or x3 extra multipliers for winning sequences. Having a fairly high global multiplier, you can get a very nice prize.

Panda Strike Slot - Free Spins

Bonus Pop

If you don't want to wait for at least three Scatters to appear, just use this feature. It costs 53 times your bet and triggers free spins instantly. You can get either an increased number of free spins or an improved global multiplier. Keep in mind that the RTP decreases slightly (to 95%) when the Bonus Pop feature is active.

Theme & Graphics

Clearly fans of Chinese folklore, Endorphina presents us with fighting pandas living in an area with bamboo forests, pagodas, and misty mountains. Although 2D graphics dominate here, the game is still pleasing to the eye, especially thanks to its colorful, dynamic animations. So, you will see Wilds with fiery flashes and Scatters glowing in the yin-yang style, emphasizing the effectiveness of the bonus features. The background music combines flutes and gongs, and it intensifies as the action on the game grid develops. Using cross-platform HTML5 technology, the Panda Strike game works well on modern mobile devices.

Panda Strike Free Play

You can try this and many other online slots for free right here at SlotCatalog. We already have the Panda Strike demo game available, where you are given bonus funds so you don't have to spend your own on bets. Enjoy the Panda Strike free play version to check out the Wilds and free spins round without risking anything.

Pros and Cons of the Panda Strike Slot

Our Verdict

Endorphina always skillfully balances classic templates and fresh ideas, so we weren't surprised to see 5 reels and 4 horizontal lines. In the base game, you shouldn't expect too high payouts, but Wilds with x2-x3 multipliers save the day a little, as they can increase the total prize. There is also a Gamble feature that allows you to double your prize in the base game, but the drop in RTP to 84% doesn't seem very fair.

We had to make quite a few spins before we ended up in the free spins round. That is, Scatters appear quite rarely here, which is disappointing. The bonus purchase button in front of your eyes hints that it will be used often, especially by impatient players and high rollers. But it's worth it because the grid gradually fills up with Wilds. First, the Wilds themselves have extra multipliers. Secondly, you also have a global multiplier that is used during all free spins. So, we quite often saw x50-x80 total multipliers during the bonus game.

What we didn't like was the inability to restart the FS bonus, as there are no Scatters during free spins. In addition, the maximum multiplier of x2,000 makes us wish for something better, as we are dealing with a medium-high volatility slot machine. Otherwise, Panda Strike is a good option for medium-length sessions, where a lot depends on whether you are lucky enough to get free spins or not.