Review of “The Elf Wars” RTG Video Slot
For those of you who enjoy “Return of the Rudolph,” you can’t help but notice how similar it is to the new video slot that just rolled out at Real Time Gaming casinos called, The Elf Wars. Think of The Elf Wars as a new and improved version of “Return of the Rudolph,” with the new twist of an added feature guarantee. For those who are unfamiliar with the idea of the “feature guarantee,” it basically ensures that one of the four bonus features offered in the game will be triggered within a given number of spins. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? Well, it is and it is not. The “feature guarantee” costs extra per spin, and the larger the bet, the larger the amount of the “feature guarantee.” Along with this feature, comes the ability to use the “Instant trigger option,” which allows you to try to trigger the “feature guarantee” at any time during play. Your chances are slim of triggering the bonus yourself if you just started playing, but your chances improve dramatically the more you spin without receiving a bonus round. Also, the “feature guarantee” does not guarantee an excellent bonus round, but no video slot will do that anyway. I tried this game at
The minimum bet for The Elf Wars, is .50 cents, plus .10 cents per spin for the “feature guarantee.” The maximum bet is a whopping $250.00, with a “feature guarantee” cost of $50.00 per spin. That’s right; $300.00 per spin is the maximum bet. Any brave clickers out there willing to give that a go? Not me, that’s for sure!
The game symbols include two substitute symbols, Santa and Rudolph, two scatter symbols, the Good Elves and the Bad Elves. There are four bonus features and here is a general breakdown of how each one works:
The “Re-Spin Feature” is triggered when two or more scattered Good Elves, or two or more scattered Bad Elves, appear left to Right on the first two reels. In either case, this will trigger one re-spin. The reels with a triggering scatter are held while the other reels re-spin once, and at that point pays are awarded.
A “Pick Feature” is triggered when three or more scattered Good Elves appear anywhere after a Good Elves re-spin, or if more scattered Bad Elves appear anywhere after a Bad Elves re-spin during a normal game. At this point, the player gets to choose one of the scatters, and is awarded one of two “good” features. The “Santa Strikes Back!” feature, or “Jackpot Spins” Feature is awarded.
During the “Santa Strikes Back” bonus round, seven free spins are triggered at one times the bet, and during the feature, Good Elves and North Pole symbols have a background Candy Cane which lights up the star at the top of the reels when it appears. Lighting all five stars will reset the number of free games remaining to seven, and increase the free games prize multiplier by 1 times the bet for every reset back to seven games. Stars remain lit until a reset occurs, or the feature ends. The feature can reset up to 9 times, providing seven spins at a maximum of ten times the bet. After this happens, the feature automatically ends. Also, Rudolph and “bad” Elves do not appear during “good” feature games.
The Elf Wars also has two “bad” features, which honestly do not seem all that bad at all! Both features are triggered by the “bad” elves, and the player will be awarded either the “Rudolph’s Revenge!” feature, or the “Rudolph’s Rampage!” feature.
If the “Rudolph’s Revenge” feature is triggered, seven free games are awarded. Prizes during each free game are multiplied by two, plus the number of Rudolphs’ appearing on the screen. Scattered Bad Elves act as additional Rudolph substitutes if four or five scatters trigger the feature. During “Bad Feature” free games, Rudolph may appear on reel three, and if all three Rudolph’s appear, the symbol will expand and triple all prizes of a winning combination. All free games are played at the bet of the triggering game, and Santa and Good Elves symbols do not appear during Bad Feature free games.
The Rudolph’s Rampage” feature takes place in Santa’s Toy Factory. The player gets to select from eight locations in the factory to try to find three missing elves. The less picks it takes to find all three elves, the more free games are awarded. If three Elves are found right away, fifty free spins are awarded. If three Elves are found in four picks, 25 spins are awarded. Five picks results in twenty spins, six picks in 15 spins, seven picks 10 spins and 8 picks will result in five spins. Also, during this feature, if an Elf is found with a red present, scattered Bad Elf symbols will act as additional Rudolph substitutes during free games. An Elf with a blue present quadruples the prizes during free games, and a green present will cause Rudolph to expand on reel 3 during all free games. Nice!
As you can see, there is so much to experience in “The Elf Wars,” and the game is fun, exciting and pretty much everything you can hope for in a video slot. The bonuses are unique, and the potential payouts are huge. Also, like all RTG games, “The Elf Wars” has a random jackpot that can trigger at any time during the game.
Please remember that this review represents my opinion and in no way predicts the future experience of any player. Please be sure to read the terms and conditions of any bonuses that you are offered, and check in with support if you have any questions. Good luck playing “The Elf Wars!” I hope you have a really big win!
