Marlin Masters

Marlin Masters Review

When it comes to fishing slot games, two names dominate the niche - Fishin’ Frenzy and Big Bass Bonanza. Makeovers pop up from time to time trying to grab a piece of the success, but few ever manage to stand up to the mastodons. Now, Hacksaw Gaming throws its hat into the ring with Marlin Masters, a slot machine that doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel but instead introduces a few tweaks to the familiar formula. Will it be a worthy contender or just another fish in the pond? Let’s see.

The actions of the Marlin Masters online slot take place across a 5-reel, 4-row layout, where there are 14 fixed ways to win. To score one, you need to land at least 3 matching symbols adjacently starting from the leftmost reel, and 5-of-a-kind winning combos are worth from 2x to 10x your bet. In order to spin the reels, wagers of at least €0.1 are required, up to €100.

Marlin Masters Slot - Base Game

Marlin Masters is powered by a medium-to-high volatile math model, which is rated by Hacksaw Gaming 3 out of 5. It comes with four RTP settings in mind, namely 96.24%, 94.39%, 92.35%, and 88.35%, so be sure to look through the rules before making a deposit at a real casino. Wins occur at a rate of 29.7%, which is roughly every 3 to 4 spins, and the maximum you can get is 7,500x the stake.

Marlin Masters Features

Having played fishing slots before, you should be aware of what’s going on in Marlin Masters. It’s all about landing fish and fisherman symbols together to snatch extra payouts, but there are also some tricks of its own. Below is a detailed breakdown.

Lootlines

Fun fact: if you thought marlin is another name for swordfish, it’s not. Despite all the resemblance, these are two different fish and they are not even related. Another fun fact: the black marlin is the fastest fish in the world, being able to reach speeds of up to 130km/h! They are also the highest-paying fish in the Marlin Masters slot. Marlin symbols are cash symbols - they display random bet multiplier values, from 1x to 1,000x. They are available on any reel at any stage.

Catch Them All!

The values on marlin symbols are collected wherever they form a winning combo - when at least 3 instances land adjacently on the reels from left to right. Another way to collect these values is much more familiar - should a fisherman land along with one or more marlin in view, the collect feature is activated and all values present on the reels are gathered. If you land more than one fisherman, all values are collected separately for each fisherman symbol. Only one fisherman can land per reel.

And here’s the twist. Fishermen land with a random multiplier attached to them, which is then applied to all collected marlin symbol values. The possible multipliers range from 1x to 20x.

Marlin Masters Slot - Free Spins

Reel It In!

Landing 3 Scatter symbols simultaneously on a base spin activates 10 free spins. Once in, a Marlin Progress Bar appears, which increases by one step whenever one fisherman appears. For every four fishermen collected, you get an upgrade:

• Upgrade 1 - awards +10 free spins and guarantees all fishermen will have a multiplier of at least 2x.
• Upgrade 2 - awards +10 free spins and guarantees all fishermen will have a multiplier of at least 4x.
• Upgrade 3 - awards +10 free spins and guarantees all fishermen will have a multiplier of at least 10x.

Off The Hook!

This one requires 4 Scatter symbols to be triggered, and it operates in a similar way but offers more powerful upgrades. Plus, you get 15 initial free spins instead, and from the very beginning, all fishermen possess a multiplier of at least 2x. The upgrades are the following:

• Upgrade 1 - awards +15 free spins and guarantees all fishermen will have a multiplier of at least 4x.
• Upgrade 2 - awards +15 free spins and guarantees all fishermen will have a multiplier of at least 10x.
• Upgrade 3 - awards +15 free spins and guarantees all fishermen will have a multiplier of at least 15x.

Plenty of Fish In The Sea

Triggered with 5 Scatters, this type of Marlin Masters free spins bonus offers 10 spins and has no upgrades. The thing is at least one fisherman is guaranteed on every spin, and they have a multiplier of at least 5x.

Bonus Buy

In true Hacksaw Gaming fashion, Marlin Masters comes with a bunch of bonus buys and bonus bets, allowing you to take advantage of in-game features without the grind. They are:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins - each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger the bonus game. Costs 3x your bet per spin, has very high volatility and a 96.31% RTP.
• Fishy FeatureSpins - each spin guarantees at least 1 fisherman and 2 marlin symbols. Costs 50x your bet per spin, has high volatility and a 96.25% RTP.
• Reel It In! - instant access to the bonus. Costs 65x your bet, has medium volatility and a 96.27% RTP.
• Off The Hook! - instant access to the bonus. Costs 3x your bet per spin, has high volatility and a 96.30% RTP.

Theme & Graphics

The Marlin Masters slot takes players on a classic fishing adventure, offering a serene backdrop of open waters with the reels set on a boat. Yeah, it strands from Hacksaw Gaming's usual quirky formula - no animated characters pop up alongside the reels. Still, Hacksaw's execution is top-notch as always. The visuals are crisp and vibrant, perfectly capturing the chill vibes of a fishing trip.

Pros And Cons Of Marlin Masters Slot

Our Verdict

As a standalone release, Marlin Masters is an alright game. It’s a nice fishing-themed slot with Hacksaw Gaming's usual high-quality execution. But, if you've played Fishin’ Frenzy or Big Bass Bonanza, this one might feel more like a sibling rather than something new. It doesn't bring a lot of fresh ideas to the table, to say the least.

If you’ve ever thought the fisherman symbols in Fishin’ Frenzy or Big Bass Bonanza were elusive, you haven’t seen anything yet. Turns out they are actually not compared to Hacksaw Gaming’s creation. Maybe I’m cursed or whatever, but it felt like they were some mythical creatures. In around 200 base spins, we barely caught two, and even after 20 bonus buys, I managed to land just five! fishermen in total. FYI, I was playing the 96% RTP version.

Marlin symbols are much more frequent, but they also rarely produce winning combinations on their own, often landing scattered across non-adjacent reels and due to the fact there are only 14 win lines. On paper, the medium-to-high volatility might seem forgiving, but trust me - this thing is brutal. Just like real fishing, Marlin Masters will test your patience.

And is it worth it? Well, that depends. Marlin Masters has its moments. The fisherman multipliers can deliver massive rewards, given you manage to actually land those. If you’re up to the challenge and willing to brave the sea, yeah, give it a try. For those seeking a fresh take on fishing slots, Marlin Masters might not satisfy, however.