Amazing Link Apollo Slot
Microgaming has unveiled the second release in its Greek-inspired slot series and this time the focus is on one of the sons of Zeus, Apollo.
As a result of a collaborative effort with partnered studio SpinPlay Games, Amazing Link Apollo launches with several interesting features, which play out across a standard 5×3 reel layout. There are several fixed jackpots up for grabs along with a choice-based free spins feature, which includes new potential upgrades not present in the series’ first instalment.
You can check out the game’s key features below to gain a brief understanding of what’s on offer before diving into our full Amazing Link Apollo slot review.
- Reels: 5
- Rows: 3
- Paylines: 20
- RTP: 96.40%
- Volatility: Medium – High
- Max Win: 5,000x
- Features: Fixed Jackpots, Free Spins with Amazing Reels, Wilds
Amazing Link Apollo Features
With Amazing Link Apollo, Microgaming has opted for a streamlined approach to its features as the gameplay centres around 2 core bonuses. Whilst that may appear to be a rather sparse offering compared to other modern slot releases, the potential prizes available within each more than make up for the potential lack of variety.
Amazing Link Feature
You’ll need to land 6 or more Amazing symbols anywhere on the reels to trigger the Amazing Link feature – they’re easily identified as they look like shining golden discs with cash values attached to them. Upon activation, all triggering symbols lock into place and you’ll receive 3 respins.
Each additional Amazing symbol that lands during the feature also locks into position and resets your respin counter to 3. You also have an opportunity to land fixed jackpots on each respin – Mini, Minor and Major prizes are worth 20x, 50x or 500x your stake, respectively. The bonus round ends when either the respin counter reaches zero or each reel position contains an Amazing symbol. If the latter condition occurs you’ll also receive the Mega prize and a 5,000x payout!
Wild Symbol
Stacked Apollo Wild symbols can substitute for all regular paytable symbols to help you create winning combinations. These can land on each of the 5 reels and are also considered the game’s highest paying symbol, with each instance of 5 of a kind being worth 10x your total stake.
Scatter Symbol
Land 3 Golden Temple Scatter symbols to unlock the free spins on Amazing Link Apollo – these can only land on reels 1, 3 and 5 and must appear during a single spin.
Amazing Link Apollo Free Spins and Bonus
If you’re fortunate enough to trigger the free spins bonus, you’ll be presented with a choice. There are 3 options to decide between, each of which offers a different combination of free spins and Amazing Reels. However, you must trigger the feature multiple times to unlock the higher tiers. When fully upgraded, your options will appear as follows:
- Tier 1: 8 free spins with 1 Amazing Reel
- Tier 2: 5 free spins with 2 Amazing Reels
- Tier 3: 3 free spins with 3 Amazing Reels
It’s worth noting that the volatility of each feature increases with the more Amazing Reels you opt for. You may have more Amazing Reels but you’ll have fewer spins to achieve any payouts.
So, what are Amazing Reels you ask? Well, they’re special reels that only contain Wild and Amazing symbols. Therefore, the more Amazing reels you have, the better the chance you have of landing winning combinations via wild substitutions and of also triggering the Amazing Link feature within the free spins bonus.
Finally, any additional Scatter symbols that land during the feature will award +1 free spin and, more importantly, convert the respective reel into an Amazing Reel.
Amazing Link Apollo Theme and Symbols
From a thematic standpoint, Amazing Link Apollo doesn’t bring any novel ideas to the table but the overall aesthetic remains true to its Greek inspiration. The reels boast the crisp HD visuals Microgaming has long been renowned for and the accompanying audio adds a subtle layer of anticipation to each spin.
As for the symbols themselves, a classic combination of standard royals make up the lower end of the paytable, whilst a befitting selection of vases, lyres, carts and horses denote much more valuable wins. The Apollo Wild is the game’s premium symbol, offering prizes of 1.5x, 5x and 10x your stake for 3, 4 or 5 of a kind, respectively.
Amazing Link Apollo RTP and Volatility
Microgaming’s new online slot clocks in at a medium-high volatility rating, with a favourable 96.40% RTP backing up the overall math model. The combination of these elements should result in the gameplay delivering frequent wins but larger payouts may be harder to come by.
How To Play Amazing Link Apollo
One major plus is that Amazing Link Apollo is an extremely simple game to play. Regular slot players will instantly recognise the 5-reel, 3-row and 20 payline set up, which awards wins whenever 3 or more matching symbols appear starting from the leftmost reel.
You can make quick adjustments to your stake by clicking the chip icon in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Once open, you can use the + and – options to select between the £0.20 minimum bet and the £50 maximum bet, along with plenty of preset values in between.
Slotsia’s Review
Overall, Amazing Link Apollo appears to be a solid addition to Microgaming’s slot portfolio. It has several intriguing features and the inclusion of fixed jackpots is always likely to attract new players. That being said, the thematic choice and its execution does seem somewhat uninspired, as if the provider had to meet a quota and yet another Greek-themed slot was the first thing that came to mind.
Nevertheless, despite the game’s potential aesthetic weaknesses, we still believe it’s worth playing. The math model lends itself to players seeing consistent returns without there being too much risk to their bankroll. Plus, any time there’s a 5,000x jackpot up for grabs during a bonus feature it always adds that extra bit of excitement to each trigger.
Pros and cons
Great RTP – 96.40%
Multiple features & jackpots
Great range of stakes
Solid win potential – 5,000x
Lack of unique gameplay elements
Tired theme