Bandit Megaways

Bandit Megaways Review

Bandit Megaways is one of the most recently announced new slot games from the online gambling industry giant Pragmatic Play. The title's official debut is scheduled for the first days of April, and it's a sequel to a popular theme series by the provider. The Western is about to offer advanced gameplay and popular features, including random multipliers and free spins.

Pragmatic Play is an iGaming supplier that stands behind some of the slot mega-hits in the last decade. The company is exploiting, at the same time, all online gambling verticals, including live dealer gaming. Pragmatic Play powers the PAM Platform and the legendary tournaments Drops & Wins.

Bandit Megaways is an interesting game because it follows the success of Gates of Olympus - a scatter-pay slot with unique mechanics. However, for this machine, Pragmatic Play has selected a Megaways engine licensed by the patent holder BTG. The grid comes with the most popular layout of 6 vertical and 1 horizontal reels.

The top row spins indulgently from right to left and always delivers 4 symbols. The side vertical reels 1 and 6 can have from 2 to 7 symbol positions, while reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 - up to 6 symbols, except the one from the top horizontal row. Payouts are always counted from left to right, starting from the leftmost column.

The payout mechanic can generate up to 117,649 ways to win, and it's enhanced with a Tumble feature. Tumbles activate when one or more winning combinations occur. Symbols are evaluated and removed from the grid, while the rest fall down to fill out the gaps, and new ones come from above. Thus, Bandit Megaways can pay multiple winnings per single spin. Tumbles will continue for as long as new winning combinations form.

Bandit Megaways Slot - Game Screen

Bandit Megaways features 6 high-valued outlaws and 5 low-valued poker symbols. These crooks have mastered the art of killing and carry deadly weapons, but you'll recognize each more easily by the background colors. Thus, the yellow pistoleer stands on top of the payout pyramid with rewards from 0.75x to 7.50x the bet for 3 to 6 of a kind.

The blue old-timer pays from 0.50x to 2.50x, the pink lady killer - from 0.40x to 2x, the orange gunslinger - from 0.30x to 1.50x, while the green and red bandits award from 0.20x to 1x the bet each. Aces and Kings pay between 0.10x to 0.80x, and Queens, Jacks, and 10s - from 0.05x to 0.50x the bet.

Bandit Megaways lacks wild symbols in all stages of the play, but is packed with powerful scatters that can trigger the bonus. The betting range is wide, as usual for the studios, and accommodates all types of players - €0.20 up to €240 per spin. The technical features include Autoplay, Quickspin, Turbo Mode, Battery Saver, and Sound settings.

Bandit Megaways comes with an adjustable RTP, and ideally, you'll play the 96.55% version. Due to the high levels of volatility, the alternative rates of 95.55% and 94.56% are better to be avoided. The Hit Frequency rate is slightly lower for a Megaways slot - 25.77% or 1 in 3.88 spins on average. The max win is 5,000x the bet or up to €1.2 million, theoretically.

Bandit Megaways Features

Bandit Megaways won't surprise you with any innovative special features, mechanics, or bonus minigames. Pragmatic Play has put all of its chips on proven elements in this game to limit negative feedback. However, while that may attract rookies, seasoned gamblers may feel a bit bored. Here is what to expect while spinning the reels besides the sporadic tumbles.

Multiplier Feature

Dynamite is a Multiplier Symbol, and it may appear on any position during the base game and free spins. There could be more than one in view, and extra Dynamites may appear during tumbles. Symbols carry win multipliers from 2x to 500x and hold on to their position until the end of the tumbling sequence.

In case at least one winning combination has been formed, all Multiplier symbols activate and add their values to a pot. It will then be applied to the total payout from the respective spin. Although the largest multipliers are rare, they can cause a huge winning that may break the slot win cap. If so, the max win of 5,000x will be paid, and the session will be terminated.

Free Spins Bonus

Scatters activate the Free Spins bonus and can retrigger if they land in enough numbers. You'll get 15, 20, or 25 free spins if you land 4, 5, or 6 scatters at the same time during the base game. During the bonus, 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters will add 15, 20, 25, or 30 extra free rounds to the remaining balance.

Free Spins is played with a persistent bonus multiplier or Total Multiplier. During any round if one or more Multiplier symbols hit and the spin results in a win, it will be increased by the multiplier values sum. It will then be added to the Total Multiplier. On the next successful spin, the total payout will be increased by the sum of the landed multipliers and the Global Multiplier together.

Buy Free Spins

Bonus Buy is part of the Bandit Megaways slot, although it might be disabled in certain regions due to regulatory restrictions. The tool provides access to 2 options at the prices displayed below. If you purchase one of them, you'll receive 4, 5, or 6 scatters on the following spin.

Free Spins - 100x the bet - buy 15, 20, or 25 free spins. Super Free Spins - 500x the bet - buy 15, 20, or 25 free spins with Multiplier Symbol values of a minimum 10x.

Theme & Graphics

Bandit Megaways possess the Wild Wild West vibe of other Western slots directed by Pragmatic Play. It comes with fine artwork and crystal clear graphics, which is not really surprising. The audio and animation effects are rather generic but still of a high level compared to other slot suppliers relying fully on AI technology.

A tall and broody gunslinger stays on the right side of the grid and shoots at something from time to time. Perhaps that is how the engine adds Multiplier Symbols on the grid, as they magically appear on consecutive spins, although not every time. The woodwork is a leading element, and I must admit that I like it.

The action takes place in a town probably in the middle of nowhere and moves in a saloon during the bonus spins. The premium visual quality and advanced mechanics come with a certain price. If you use an older device, you might experience some delays and other minor issues due to the size of the game. Bandit Megaways is a mobile-friendly slot because of the implemented HTML5 technology.

Pros And Cons Of Bandit Megaways Slot

Our Verdict

Bandit Megaways provides a hybrid gameplay to those who enjoy Megaways and Pay Anywhere mechanics. Those who seek innovation will most probably be disappointed, but Pragmatic releases several games per month, and it's not possible for every title to be a blockbuster. But Bandit Megaways has its positives!

The Multiplier symbols combined with multiple tumbling payouts and a bonus minigame with a persistent Multiplier are brilliant. On the flip side, not every bonus payout will be affected by the Total Multiplier, which is a common weakness among these types of slots. The lack of wild symbols and high volatility can be frustrating, too.

A closer look at the technical information provided by the studio reveals interesting facts. First, the max win, which is relatively low for a Megaways slot machine, comes with a nice drop probability - 1 in 992,851 spins. Well, at least compared to other slots by the provider. However, the Free Spins triggering frequency is absurd - 1 in 426.21 spins on average!

Then again, you shouldn't write off Bandit Megaways quickly, but try a few alternatives first. I have prepared 2 fantastic titles with similar mechanics - Big Bucks Bandits and Desperados Wild Megaways. Both games have much to offer, and the studios behind their release, Reel Play and Inspired Gaming, have excellent reputations. As usual, you can find all demo versions for free at SlotCatalog and exclusive casino bonuses!