Wukong

Wukong (Croco Gaming) Review

Sun Wukong or the Monkey King is the mythological figure chosen by Croco Gaming for the provider’s newest action-packed game. Well, at least one of the new titles since the studio has been quite active in recent months. Wukong was officially introduced in the last week of January, and this review is based on it!

Croco Gaming is a rather new iGaming developer, but it shows a tremendous desire to find a place in such a competitive industry. Wukong follows the lead of Arcane Portals with Cluster Pays mechanics and cascading reels. The grid, however, is smaller - 6x5, instead of the 7x7 standard set by pioneering studios.

Wukong comes with milder volatility and an RTP rate more similar to Starshine Princess 1000, another of the provider's more recent releases. Here, we see significant attention to detail in artwork, designs, and special features. Cascades are virtually unlimited and activate whenever one or more winning clusters are formed.

Five or more symbols of a kind can create such formations, but they must be connected vertically, horizontally, or both ways. Clusters disappear, making space for new symbols to fall in from above, but the installments of participating symbols across the grid are also removed. Thus, theoretically, the chance of new clusters is higher.

The Wukong payout system is advanced and also includes several special symbols, Magic Stones, and a bonus minigame in several modes. Croco Gaming uses an API similar to some top slot providers, such as Hacksaw Gaming. As a result, players will recognize comparable interface layout, tech tools, including advanced Autoplay and Quickspin, as well as bet boosters and Bonus Buy modes.

Wukong Slot - Game Screen

Wukong comes with a grid made of stone tiles displaying either powerful hieroglyphs (low), or powerful stone masks (high). There are 7 payout tiers according to the number of symbols forming clusters. Each hieroglyph pays from 0.10x to 15x the bet, and these are the combinations you'll spot more often.

Gray Masks and Blue Masks award between 0.30x and 25x, Red Masks and Green Masks pay from 0.50x to 50x, while Yellow Masks award between 1x and 100x the bet. The wild symbol may land anywhere and substitute for all regular figures, but it must be connected to a cluster. Those wilds that are not, remain in view through cascades.

Wukong provides 26 bet levels and players can stake from €0.20 to €100 per spin. The game is characterized by medium levels of volatility and comes with an RTP rate of 95.98%. Sadly, that is below the usual average, although just slightly below. Therefore, playing with a proven and strict betting strategy is recommended. The Wukong max win is excellent - 10,000x the bet.

Wukong Features

Similar to other Croco Gaming slots, Wukong has a complicated gameplay based on myths and legends. Several special symbols may land and award spectacular prizes to keep you in action until scatters summon the Free Spins bonus. In any case, spins are dynamic, and boredom is not likely to occur! Here is a more detailed overview:

Magic Stones & Energy Orbs

Grid positions of winning clusters are highlighted with a golden glow when the symbols involved disappear. This turns them into Magic Stones, which are reset at the end of the base game cascading sequence if not activated. Sun Wukong's mighty weapon Ruyi Bang activates the Magic Stones if it's in view on the reels.

Each glowing position reveals either a Bronze Orb, Silver Orb, Golden Orb, Jade Pendant, or Gourd Bottle. These special items possess significant rewarding potential, as you'll find out below. Orbs carry cash prizes of:

• Bronze Orb - 0.20x, 0.50x, 1x, 2x, 3x, and 4x the bet;
• Silver Orb - 5x, 10x, 15x, and 20x the bet;
• Gold Orb - 25x, 50x, 100x, 250x, and 500x the bet.

Jade Pendants activate multipliers ofx2, x3, x4, x5, or x10. They are applicable on all Orb and Gourd Bottle values in view. More than one Jade Pendant may appear after the Magic Stones activation. If so, the multiplication starts from the leftmost symbol to the right.

Gourd Bottles act as Cash Collects and get the cash values of all Orbs and other Gourd Bottles in view. They store them, and the Magic Stones reactivate, displaying new values. This process continues until no new symbols are in view. All rewards are then summed up, multiplied by the selected bet, and awarded.

PANSI CAVE Bonus

If you spot 3 legendary scatters on the grid, the PANSI CAVE minigame will activate with 8 initial free spins. During the bonus, Magic Stones remain on the grid between rounds until they are activated. Landing 2 or 3 legendary scatters award 2 and 4 extra free spins, respectively.

If you land 4 scatters, the Huaguo Mountain bonus will activate at the end of the current spin. The new mode will continue with the remaining free spins plus 4 extra rounds added on top.

Huaguo Mountain Bonus

If you activate the Huaguo Mountain minigame by landing 4 legendary scatters in the base game, the bonus will start with 12 initial free spins. During the mode, Magic Stones do not disappear even if they are activated via Ruyi Bang. Rewards are collected, and the symbol positions remain glowing. Scatters can add extra free spins - 3 or 4 symbols add 2 or 4 rounds.

Flaming Mountain Bonus

This highest-tier bonus mode activates only with 5 legendary scatters during the main game. It starts with 12 free spins, and 3 or 4 scatters can bring 2 or 4 extra rounds, like in the other bonus modes. Magic Stones remain on the grid for the whole duration of Flaming Mountain, but the Ruyi Bang is guaranteed to land on every spin as well.

Buy Bonus

The Bonus Buy panel provides bonus purchasing options and Special Spins through which modifiers are guaranteed. Each option comes with a price, as shown below, and a specific RTP rate. Keep in mind that the Bonus Buy features might be subject to regulatory restrictions in certain regions.

• Bonus Boost Special Spins - 3x the bet - 4x the chance of triggering a bonus minigame (96.30% RTP);
• Ruyi Bang Special Spins - 50x the bet - Ruyi Bang symbol is guaranteed on every spin (96.34% RTP);
• PANSI CAVE Buy Bonus - 100x the bet - activate the PANSI Cave bonus mode (96.22% RTP);
• Huaguo Mountain Buy Bonus - 250x the bet - activate the Huaguo Mountain bonus mode (96.62% RTP).

Theme & Graphics

Wukong utilizes a Mythical theme from Chinese culture based on a literary and religious character. It's part of the Journey to the West novel by Wu Cheng'en published in the 16th Century. Through the years, numerous video game creatures and movie producers have used the character for their products.

In the Wukong slot, fans will recognize the distinguished moves and laugh of the Monkey King while collecting prizes. In general, the game features moments and designs from the novel and impresses with majestic animation effects and crystal-clear graphics. The audio and visual quality of Wukong ranks to the highest tier, undoubtedly boosted by AI technology.

Wukong is compatible with all devices, browsers, and operating systems due to HTML5 optimization. However, the slot is relatively heavy, and you'll need a more powerful device to enjoy the visual effects to the fullest. Moreover, you'll need a stable and high-speed Internet connection, otherwise, it won't be worth it.

Pros And Cons Of Wukong Slot

Our Verdict

Wukong by Croco Gaming is quite spectacular in terms of audio, visuals, and special features. It'll quickly draw the attention of players who enjoy themes based on Chinese mythology. The beneficial volatility and Bonus Buy options add value to the core bonuses and modifiers. The max win of 10,000x is also at the higher tier for the provider, although not the highest.

Until now, Sun Wukong by Playtech was the highest-rated online slot inspired by the Monkey King legend. Compared visually, it lags significantly but can't be otherwise considering the 9-year gap. Black Wukong by CQ9Gaming is closer, especially in terms of audio, win cap, and mechanics (243 ways to win). Still, Wukong by Croco Gaming is superior, in my opinion.

In fact, the only flaw that deserves further consideration is the RTP rate of 95.98%. However, it jumps up to 96.62% via the Bonus Buy features. Furthermore, the provider is working on that, and the next slot in line, Golden Year, excites with a rate of 97.02% and a Cluster Pays engine. There is nothing else for me to say but to remind you that a free Wukong demo is already available on SlotCatalog.