Lordi Reel Monsters

Lordi Reel Monsters: Slot Overview

Calling all you grid slot playing metalheads out there, here's an 'Arockalypse' of a branded slot based on another group to join Play'n GOs rock line up – Lordi. You'll definitely know if you've seen these guys before. Getting their big breakthrough with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" (external Youtube link, have a listen) at the 2006 Eurovision song contest of all places, Lordi exploded on the continent like a sort of Finnish Slipknot. Sporting get-ups redolent of zombified Klingons; the Eurovision stage was torn asunder like never before. It wasn't going to be easy to bottle Lordi's unique brand of rock 'n roll, so let's see how the resulting slot Lordi Reel Monsters has managed.

Well, it looks pretty spooky; that's a good start, like Transylvania on a particularly dark and misty night, and the comic book style visuals serve the theme well. A pointy roofed chateau sits ominously in the background behind gnarled leafless trees and a 7x7 sized game grid. On one side stands Mr Lordi, aka Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, the band's lead singer; on the other side is the all-important charge meter, which is responsible for injecting features. Even if you're not really into the band so much, the visuals are fun, theatrical, a bit of a laugh, with an extra dollop of metal thrown into the mix. As always, with these slots, turn the volume down if you're ears are sensitive, or crank it up like they're designed to be played for the optimal Lordi effect.

On the xylophone of grid slots, Lordi Reel Monsters sits around the middle of the range in regard to its math model. It's not the most volatile monster Play'n GO has released, due to a 6 out of 10 (medium), rating. The RTP varies as it can do from Play'n GO, so be on the lookout for the 96.2% version if you're after the most generous. From there, RTP can drop down into the 80s, jurisdiction dependent. Most betting tastes are catered for as stakes vary from 10 p/c to $/€100, while the ear-splitting mayhem can be sampled on a mobile, tablet, or desktop device.

Lordi's chain reaction of features begins with a humble cluster win. Clusters require at least five matching symbols land in adjacent positions, which gets removed and replaced with new symbols from above. This cascading win mechanic carries on going until no new cluster hits. Five symbolic looking tokens make up the lower value tiles, while five characters are the high pays – Mana, Hiisi, Amen, Hella, and Mr Lordi. Entry-level 5 symbol clusters are worth 0.1 to 2.5 times the stake, going as high as 10 to 250x the bet for 15+ sized clusters. Horned, glowing-eyed skull icons are wild, helping create clusters by substituting for any normal pay symbol.

Lordi Reel Monsters: Slot Features

As mentioned, cluster wins are the key to unlocking Lordi Reel Monsters' features. Every winning symbol counts as +1 charge in the Monster Charger, which has two levels. When 15 charges have been collected, a Monster is released, and when 40 charges are achieved, a free spin is triggered.

Monsters

When cascades end, and there are 15 or more charges on the Monster Charger, a random Monster modifier activities:

• Mr Lordi – adds 5 to 8 wild symbols to the grid.
• Hella – destroys all symbols in view except for wilds and 1 or 2 chosen symbol types.
• Amen – upgrades 2 to 5 symbol types to different symbol types.
• Hiisi – selects a symbol to build up a winning cluster.
• Mana – turns one symbol type into wilds.

Free Spin

When 40 charges are collected, one free spin is awarded. Yes, that is spin in the singular, but players can pick one of two choices:

• Reel Monsters applies a multiplier to all wins starting at x1 and increasing by +1 on each winning cascade - also, two Monsters are guaranteed.
• Better Hate Than Never is the second option. On this spin, winning wilds are collected, and three Monsters are guaranteed. After the Monsters have done their thing, wilds are added back to the grid, in batches of 5-10 at a time. Wins are evaluated, and more wilds are added until all have been used up.

Lordi Reel Monsters: Slot Verdict

As their blistering performance at Eurovision showed, Lordi is a band that's out there rocking, in their own uniquely heavy way. It makes the group ideal for use in Play'n GO's steadily growing rock range of slots. The studio has done the crossover well, too, not taking things too seriously but not turning the band into a cheap caricature either. Deftly skating the middle ground, Lordi Reel Monsters is one of those games built for the heavy metal grid slot player firmly in mind and delivers bags of entertainment for them.

The only real criticism is the gameplay is a tad rote and follows Play'n GO's standard template of collecting wins, firing off features when certain levels are met, climaxing in a free spin when the meter is filled. Though really, this feels like ivory tower nit-picking compared to what Lordi Reel Monsters has to offer. Besides, if innovation is an absolute must, there are others in Play'n GO's rock series which could happily fit the bill. Something like Testament, for example, would be a good alternative with its full rider of features. However, even if Lordi Reel Monsters' gameplay isn't as avant-garde as the group itself, it's still as dependable as a pet dog leaping on your lap for a pat. Winning more than one free spin might have been nice, but hey, 40 charges isn't a mammoth task, so players get a potentially quick turnaround time for the next trigger. As to payouts, the game comes with a max win figure of 4,000x, which is fairly decent for this style of grid slot.

Lordi Reel Monsters' came across as a rock slot in a similar vein to Twisted Sister. It might not be the most volatile or as potentially rewarding as others, yet it's a great looking game which captures the band's attitude, thereby giving fans an opportunity to sit down and soak up some Lordi, along with a bunch of proven grid slot features.