Lucky Phoenix Megaways

Lucky Phoenix Megaways Review

Lucky Phoenix Megaways comes from Pragmatic Play and runs on the Megaways system developed by Big Time Gaming. You never quite know how big the grid will be before a spin stops. There are six reels, but the number of symbols on them keeps changing, with 117,649 ways to win available at the upper end.

The dragon is the best symbol to land. A pig, frog, fish and turtle come next, while the familiar 10, J, Q, K and A are worth less. Wins begin on the first reel and need to carry across at least three reels next to each other. I found it easy enough to see what had paid, even on the busier spins.

Lucky Phoenix Megaways - Reels Screen

Any winning symbols are taken off the reels rather than staying there for the next spin. The gaps are filled again and, if something else connects, you get another win. It can keep going like this several times. A Wild showing up during one of these runs can make a big difference. Its multiplier isn't fixed and may be anything from 1x to 40x when the Wild forms part of a win.

You can start with a 0.20 bet and take it up to 100 per spin. RTP is 98%, which caught my eye given the high volatility, while the biggest possible payout is 5,000x your stake.

Most of my attention, though, went to the Free Spins and the different choices you get before they start. Three Bonus symbols get you there, but then you have a decision to make. Six spins is the shortest option and 25 is the longest, with several choices between the two. Generally, taking fewer spins means playing them with a stronger multiplier. Mystery is there as well and simply makes the choice for you.

You can also pay 20% more per spin with Ante Bet. It doubles the chance of getting the Free Spins round, which is useful if that's the part of the game you're interested in. There's a 100x Bonus Buy too where the option is available.

Pragmatic Play went with an Asian theme for the game. Blue covers much of the background, gold surrounds the reels, and the animals fit into the theme without making the screen difficult to read. Music plays quietly behind the spins. I barely noticed it most of the time, although wins and features come with more obvious sound effects.

Lucky Phoenix Megaways Features

If you've played the original Lucky Phoenix, you'll recognise the Asian setting, but not all that much of the gameplay. Lucky Phoenix Megaways moves over to changing reels and cascades, and Wilds now bring their own multipliers. There's still a choice to make when Free Spins start, although the options work differently here.

Cascading Reels

With the Cascading Reels feature, every win clears the symbols involved from the screen. New ones drop into those spaces and can form another combination, all within the same spin. Another win clears another set, and it only stops when nothing else connects.

Some spins are over almost immediately. Others can run through a few cascades, particularly when there's plenty of room on the reels.

Multiplier Wilds

A Wild can stand in for any of the normal paying symbols. It also arrives with a multiplier, which can be anything from 1x to 40x.

That number isn't automatically added to your payout. The Wild needs to be part of the winning combination first. I had a few larger multipliers land in useless positions, which is always a bit painful to watch.

Free Spins

Lucky Phoenix Megaways - Free Spins Win Screen

Three Bonus symbols get you into Free Spins. What I like here is that the game doesn't simply decide how many spins you receive. You pick the setup yourself, and there are quite a few to choose from:

• 6 Free Spins - 15x, 30x or 40x
• 10 Free Spins - 10x, 15x or 30x
• 13 Free Spins - 8x, 10x or 15x
• 15 Free Spins - 5x, 8x or 10x
• 20 Free Spins - 3x, 5x or 8x
• 25 Free Spins - 2x, 3x or 5x
• Mystery: leaves the choice to the game

Six spins with 40x attached sounds great, but it's over quickly if the reels don't cooperate. I preferred looking somewhere around the middle of the list. You lose some multiplier power, but there's more time for a decent run of cascades.

Bonus symbols can show up again during the round. Land three or more and you'll receive another batch of spins, equal to your original selection. So, the option you choose at the beginning matters if you manage to hit a retrigger.

Ante Bet

You can turn on Ante Bet if you want to increase the chance of reaching Free Spins. It doubles that chance, but each spin costs 20% more while the option is active.

It's worth remembering that you're paying the extra amount on every spin, whether the Bonus symbols appear or not.

Bonus Buy

There's a quicker route to Free Spins in versions of the game where Bonus Buy is available. The price is 100x your bet.

After paying, you go straight to the bonus and make the same choice between spins and multipliers. Nothing else about the Free Spins round changes just because you've bought your way in.

Theme & Graphics

Blue and gold set the tone in Lucky Phoenix Megaways, with a phoenix watching over the reels. The animal symbols are nicely drawn, especially the dragon, and there's enough detail without the screen becoming messy. Sound is quite restrained most of the time. Personally, I didn't mind that, as the cascades already bring plenty of movement.

Lucky Phoenix Megaways Free Play

I spent some time with the Lucky Phoenix Megaways demo on SlotCatalog before digging into the features. It runs on virtual credits, and you don't need an account to start. Lucky Phoenix Megaways free play is also handy if you want to try the different bonus choices for yourself.

Pros And Cons Of Lucky Phoenix Megaways Slot

There are a few things I liked here, particularly the Free Spins choices and high RTP. The 5,000x cap and high volatility are worth keeping in mind, though.

Our Verdict

Lucky Phoenix Megaways worked best for me once the cascades and Wild multipliers started coming together. The base game can have its slower moments, which isn't surprising given the high volatility, but a Wild carrying a bigger multiplier can quickly change a spin.

The Free Spins setup is probably my favourite part. Having a choice before Free Spins start made the bonus more fun for me. Sometimes I'd rather take more spins, other times the larger multiplier is hard to pass up. The 98% RTP is excellent, though I expected a little more than a 5,000x cap from this type of game.

I enjoyed Lucky Phoenix Megaways most when the reels opened up and a few cascades followed each other. Some stretches were slower than others, especially when the cascades didn't go anywhere. You can play the Lucky Phoenix Megaways demo on SlotCatalog and get a better idea of the pace yourself.