In the Zone

In the Zone Review

ELK Studios is known for its unusual slot machines based on enticing themes and packed with attractive visuals and features. In the Zone is a different type of spinning game with a nod to the past but also a reminder of current trends. If Modern Classic slots are close to your heartbeat, you must not miss the rest of this review!

ELK Studios has more than 120 online slots in its repertoire and several amazing series. Fans of the provider surely have explored the Nitropolis world, the Gold series, and the amazing adventures of Pirots. In the Zone is much simpler, but thanks to the developer's inventive BigWays mechanic, it is full of flair.

For a starter, you'll see some sort of an old-fashioned spinning machine with 3 reels that can have 2, 3, or 6 symbol positions. Combinations determine from 8 to 44 connected ways, which is far more generous than the vintage 3-reelers with 5 paylines. The technical equipment is also up to par, and you can use Autoplay, Quickplay, X-iter, and a number of other features.

ELK Studios has also added a plethora of special symbols and grid modifiers, active during the base game and bonus minigame. You can win additional payouts via player-favorites, like Nudging Wilds, multipliers, respins, and synched reels. In the Zone turns out to be excitingly dynamic for its size!

In the Zone Slot - Game Screen

In the Zone uses connecting ways to pay rewards for landing identical symbols on all 3 reels. At its core, the game is a fruity spinner, so the classic gambling symbols are not particularly surprising. Diamonds lead the way with 25x, followed by Crowns, Big Sevens, and BARs, which pay 10x, 7.50x, and 5x the bet, respectively.

Bells will add 2.50x to your bankroll, and the juicy fruits complete the Paytable - watermelons (1.75x), oranges (1.50x), lemons (1.25x), and cherries (1x). The wild symbol substitutes for all regulars listed so far and comes with special powers that can be a game-changer.

The In the Zone RTP rate is 94%, while the levels of volatility are high - nothing new for ELK Studios fans. Sadly, the combination lowers the game potential, especially with a Hit Frequency rate as low as 16.30%. However, all these numbers do not correspond with the gameplay which I experienced during my test session.

In the Zone performed a lot better than I expected, and I urge you to give it a few demo spins. Bets range as usual from €0.20 to €100 per spin, and you can use 12 stake levels in total. The max win is capped at 2,500x the bet or up to a cashout cap of €250,000.

In the Zone Features

Despite its relatively small playing area, In the Zone is packed with a huge number of grid modifiers that can activate on any spin. In the following lines, I will introduce each one, and you can also test some of them risk-free via the Buy Feature panel. ELK Studios has added a bonus game as well, in its distinguished style!

Grid Modifiers

In the Zone is enhanced with several classic modifiers - multipliers, nudging reels, synched reels, and respins. Although none of them is actually something new on the board, the presence of all is quite encouraging. Keep in mind that more than one feature may activate per spin, and they are more frequent during the bonus game.

• Nudging Wilds - all wild symbols have the power to stop the clock and activate special respins. Each one will cause a nudge of its reel down by one position until it falls off the grid. During these respins, payouts will pile up!
• Respin Feature - a modifier that activates on a non-winning spin where 2 of the reels show the same symbols. They will be held, and the 3rd reel will respin for a second winning chance.
• Random Multipliers - a multiplier can be added on any reel position at the start of any spin. If a winning way goes through a multiplier, it will be increased. Multipliers are persistent on locked or nudging reels.
• Linked Spin - this is a reel synchronizing feature that locks on 2 or 3 reels, which will display the same symbols when stopped. Linked Spin can be followed by a Respin trigger.

Bonus Game

Scatters on all reels at the same time activate the Free Spins bonus and award 5 initial wager-free rounds. The minigame starts with x1 Global Multiplier, which increases by +1 for each consecutive free spin. Each scatter during the bonus adds an extra free spin to the remaining balance. The active win multiplier increases all payouts during the respective round and combines with any potential individual multipliers.

X-iter Bonus Buy

X-iter is the Bonus Buy panel of ELK Studios slots, and it usually provides at least several bet boosters and bonus purchasing options. Each one comes at a certain price, as you can see below. Keep in mind that the X-iter features do not guarantee wins that will exceed your investment, so use them with caution!

• Bonus Hunt - 3x the bet - more than triple the chance to activate Bonus Game.
• Multiplier Mania - 10x the bet - at least one multiplier per reel is guaranteed to hit.
• Linked Spin - 25x the bet - a guaranteed Linked Spin feature.
• Bonus Game - 100x the bet - a guaranteed entry to the bonus and 5 free spins.
• Super Spin - 250x the bet - a spin with reels 1 and 3 are fully covered with Diamond symbols.

Theme & Graphics

In the Zone is different from most slots released by ELK Studios in the last 3-4 years. It's much simpler and not so sophisticated in terms of audio and visuals. A brassy slot machine stands in what seems to be an empty room and features nothing spectacular. I find it creative the way free spins and multipliers are displayed during the bonus game.

Other than that, In the Zone is hard to impress! The Classic theme is enhanced with some modern twists but remains lower than the provider's capacity. That's why I'm confident the provider experiments with its fanbase. I'm quite certain that the players who were impressed with the latest releases, like Oxygen 2 and Tropicool 4, won't spend much time here. In the Zone is an HTML5 slot, so it’ll run flawlessly on Android and iOS mobiles.

Pros And Cons Of In the Zone Slot

Our Verdict

Overall, In the Zone can offer a lot to those who prefer classic fruity slots but feel exhausted by the retro machines. It comes with nothing too complicated for understanding and a pack of classic features. Then again, there is hardly anything vintage here since every spin can activate a modifier, and the grid is dynamic.

Connected Ways is not a new concept, and many high-tiered providers have adopted it with different success. Bigways covers all angles and provides maximum options in front of players. However, the low RTP rate and high volatility will leave most of the spins empty, and that will certainly tip the scales.

If we go back a bit, let's say in 2019 and 2020, we'll find classic-themed slots by the provider that might be up to par. Win Win boasts milder volatility and an RTP of 96.16%. It's a 3x3 reeler with 17 betways and amazing multipliers. The feature set also includes a Locked Reels Respins feature and unlimited free spins. All that is garnished with a top payout of 5,000x!

Hit It Hard is closer to retro one-handed bandits with multicolored Sevens and BARs on the reels. There are only 5 paylines here, but also wild multipliers, wild respins, and a bonus with numerous creative grid modifiers. And to bring us even more back in time, I'll leave Knockout Diamonds here. These slots are definitely worth the spin, but In the Zone brings the action to another level, despite all the shortcomings which have not prevented the studio from occupying the top of the charts so far.