How’d you like a trip to the Old West, a place of legend and folklore in American history? Pragmatic Play invites you to experience the Wild West Gold Megaways™ world of gunslingers, cowboys and buffaloes, and to make your stay sweeter, the Megaways™ engine is present, coupled by sticky wilds, bonus games and more!
Western-themed video slots are undisputed classics at online casinos. Between NetEnt’s memorable Dead or Alive series and Relax Gaming’s Money Train, it is no secret that players adore their Wild West, vintage saloons, country music, spiky boots and cowboy hats.
Software providers constantly race to harness the potential of the western theme in new and creative ways – and Pragmatic Play is perhaps the most vivid example of that. The supplier’s portfolio contains iconic titles tackling the Old West, such as Cowboys Gold, Black Gold, Bounty Gold and, of course, Wild West Gold.
The latter was expectedly well received back in 2020, due to its high-quality visuals and attractive win potential, which is why Pragmatic Play decided to bring us the Megaways™ version, only two years later. The game is set to be launched officially for real money on the 30th of May 2022, and the demo version is already out.
Wild West Gold Megaways™ has all the hallmarks of a worthwhile addition to the ”Gold” series. It will boast some crowd-pleasing features, such as bonus buy, Ante Bet, free spins and wild substitutions! Join us for more details in our Wild West Gold Megaways™ slot review!
Graphics & Sounds: 95%
Payout: 90%
Bonus Features: 95%
Popularity: 90%
Originality: 90%
Overall score: 92%
Wild West Gold Megaways™ brings us a few key changes compared to the original Wild West Gold – these refer to maximum payout, soundtrack, design & visuals and, of course, bonus features.
Perhaps the most notable upgrade is the introduction of the Megaways™ slots mechanic, thanks to a licensing deal with Big Time Gaming. This allows fans of the previous launch to enjoy a flexible payline and symbol configuration, as opposed to the static one from before.
Unfortunately, Wild West Gold Megaways™ offers a lower RTP score of 96.44%, compared to the previous game’s 96.51%.
However, don’t let that discourage you, as the positives don’t end here! Whilst the original only had one free spins feature, Wild West Gold Megaways™ has no less than 3 bonus features, which we’ll detail for you in the next lines.
Multiplier wilds play a key role in Wild West Gold Megaways™ as they help you achieve higher-value wins in both the base game and the bonus features. This is an interesting change that replaces the cascading reels mechanic we usually see in our Megaways™ slots list.
Wild symbols only appear on reels 2,3,4 and 5, and they substitute all regular symbols, except for the scatter. The real catch is that they’re also accompanied by random win multipliers of 2x, 3x and 5x. And, if more than one wild symbol is involved in a winning combination, the multiplier values combine and increase.
Triggering free spins is possible the old-fashioned way in this Pragmatic Play western gem, so no big changes occur here. You need to match at least 3 Scatter symbols to trigger the feature and you’ll be rewarded with both a cash prize and a fixed number of free spins:
The slot’s Scatter symbol is the image of a canyon at sunset. In addition, the Wild symbol, which is shaped like a sheriff’s badge, also shines through the course of this feature.
During free spins, Wild symbols become sticky, meaning they stay on the reels until the round ends – the same multiplier value of 2x, 3x or 5x is also kept. Wild symbols will change in size, as the number of symbols on the reels increases, thanks to the Megaways™ engine.
Moreover, if, during the Free Spins feature, you also get Gold Star symbols (or overlay scatters) to land, you’ll receive even more spins:
When you first open the game window, you’ll see an Ante Bet option on the left side of the screen, below the Bonus Buy feature. If you activate the Ante Bet, you’ll have to pay 25% on top of your original bet – this will double your chances of landing extra scatter symbols and triggering free spins.
However, do keep in mind that using the Ante Bet will slightly lower the slot’s RTP score from 96.44% to 96.41%. Furthermore, when you use the Ante Bet, the Buy Free Spins option will be deactivated – these features can only be used separately.
Because of the slot’s 5/5 rating on Pragmatic Play’s volatility scale, triggering free spins organically may be a daunting and time-consuming task.
To give players more flexibility, the developer included a Bonus Buy feature, which enables you to purchase direct access to the Free Spins bonus round and skip the base game entirely.
For a cost of 100x your stake, on your next spin, 3,4,5 or 6 scatter symbols will land randomly, which will award the corresponding free spins. When you buy the bonus, you’ll benefit from the best RTP score of 96.45%.
Remember that your access to this feature is dependent on your jurisdiction and local gambling laws. The bonus buy option is prohibited to players in the UK, but legal in most European countries like Malta and Romania.
Wild West Gold Megaways™ comes in different RTP versions, depending on your region and the online casino you play at. Its standard RTP is 96.44%, but lower scores of 95.35% and 94.32% are also possible. Always double-check before you start playing so you get the best odds!
Interacting with certain features, such as Ante Bet and Bonus Buy, respectively, will also alter the RTP score, but not by a notable percentage.
The slot has a very high level of volatility/variance, the maximum possible rating on Pragmatic Play’s scale. Because of this, you can trigger big wins over a longer game session, but you must manage your bankroll wisely, and of course, stay patient.
Wild West Gold Megaways™ offers a top payout of 5,000x your stake. This win is capped, meaning that once you acquire it, the current game session and any remaining bonus features will get forfeited.
In monetary terms, you can expect to gain between $1,000 – $500,000, depending on the size of your bet.
A welcome change that we must applaud Pragmatic Play for is the betting range of this title. Normally, Megaways™ slots tend to have low, even restrictive stakes, which they make up for through the total payout and other in-game features.
Wild West Gold Megaways™, on the other hand, manages to please both newbies and high-rollers, with a super broad betting range of $0.2 (min) – $100 (max).
Straight off the bat, Wild West Gold Megaways™ greets us with a richer, more melodious soundtrack; banjo riffs blend with bar noises and gunshots, perfectly recreating the Old West atmosphere.
It’s a far cry from the funky, playful tune of the previous launch, but it’s a welcome change. And not only does it give the game a more serious vibe, it’s also very-well produced.
The layout is adjusted to accommodate the 6 dynamic reels. However, in terms of character design, no significant changes appear – the saloon is bustling with the same cowboys and cowgirls, with western-themed symbols sprinkled throughout, such as gold coins or guns.
If you’ve been playing Pragmatic Play slots for a while, you probably know the supplier never neglects mobile users and releases its games across multiple verticals.
Similar to Western Gold Megaways™, Wild West Gold Megaways™ will also be available on desktop devices, smartphones and tablets with Android/iOS. You can have a first look and try the game for free, right here on this page!
Whilst the previous game used a fixed layout of reels and paylines (5 reels, 3 rows and 40 paylines), Wild West Gold Megaways™ uses a flexible configuration, as provided by the Megaways™ engine.
All wins are paid from left to right only – you need to match at least 3 symbols on adjacent reels to trigger a winning combination.
On the top-right corner of the game window, you’ll see the current number of Megaways™, which changes on every spin, ranging from 64-117,649. On each reel there can be 2-7 special symbols.
To set your stakes, you can use the ”+” and ”-” symbols. Both the coin and cash value are displayed. Use the two arrows on the bottom-right side of the screen to spin manually or opt for the ”Autoplay” option.
A fantastic choice from Pragmatic Play is the increased number of autospins on offer – between 10 and 1,000 are available, as opposed to other games that cap this number at only 100.
Two additional game modes are offered: Quick Spin (starts the spins as soon as you open the game window) and Turbo Games (the spins are faster).
Can we truly strike gold (no pun intended!) with this latest Pragmatic Play launch? Here’s our balanced verdict:
Pros
Cons
If we were to judge Wild West Gold Megaways™ solely as a sequel to the 2020 Wild West Gold, we’d definitely give it a top rating, as the provider improved significantly with the addition of a buy pass, an ante bet and a much darker and engaging soundtrack.
However, the decreased maximum payout from 6,750x to the current 5,000x is a drawback to consider. The same goes for the lack of cascading reels in the base game – a feature Megaways™ slots enthusiasts were probably eagerly expecting!
Provider | Blueprint Gaming |
RTP | 96.03% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | 117,649 Megaways™ |
Provider | Blueprint |
RTP | 96.55% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | Up to 117,649 |
Provider | Blueprint |
RTP | 97.00% |
Volatility | Medium/High |
Number of ways | 470,596 |
Provider | Big Time Gaming |
RTP | 96.5% |
Volatility | Medium to High |
Number of ways | 117,649 |
Provider | Blueprint |
RTP | 96.01% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | 15,625 |
Provider | ReelPlay |
RTP | 96.18% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | Unlimited |
Provider | Big Time Gaming |
RTP | 96.54% |
Volatility | Medium/High |
Number of ways | N/A |
Wild West Gold Megaways™ comes with multiple RTP scores, depending on which features you use and your jurisdiction. 96.44% is the standard, but some casinos have lower scores of up to 94.32%. Buying the bonus will give you the best RTP score possible (96.45%).
You can try Wild West Gold Megaways™ for free right here, on our page. You don’t need to sign up for an account – just use the launcher and start your Western adventure!
Pragmatic Play has a collection of slots based on riches, jewels & bounty, with the word ”gold” typically included in the title. Many of them are also Western-themed, so the following are worth checking out if you’re a fan of the genre: Bounty Gold, Mustang Gold, Cowboys Gold, Wild West Gold and the newest one, Wild West Gold Megaways™.
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Megaways™ is a registered trademark of Big Time Gaming Pty LTD
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