Ah, the 90s. The good old days. The dawn of the tech era feels a million miles from the world today. Playstations were in the process of conquering every home across the country, while the Internet, mobile and social media were still something of a space age pipe dream.
Lara Croft is one of the iconic fictional figures of the 90s, and of the history of video games. Her daredevil ways saw her fixed as a role model for kids, teenagers and tech-heads alike, as she ran, jumped and crouched her way to glory.
One of the defining video games series of all time, the Tomb Raider franchise still holds a special place in the hearts of millions worldwide. Today, the concept has been licensed across countless other games, including this fantastic slot from Microgaming – Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword.
Tomb Raider in Slot Form?
If you enjoyed the video game, you’ll definitely enjoy this slot. Even if Lara Croft was never really your bag (are you kidding?), there’s still plenty to get excited about with this slot. Firstly, it’s a Microgaming title, so you know from the outset that it’s going to be good. The RTP percentage of 95.22% puts it within the top tier of all slots in terms of payouts, so you won’t find yourself shovelling cash with no payback.
This is a 5 reels, 30 paylines slot with a main game jackpot of 7,500 coins. There are also up to 25 free spins to be won along the way, which come with a multiplier of up to 5x – not bad once they get going. Spins run from a minimum of 0.01 to 200 coins per spin, so there’s scope to choose your own budget, depending on your bankroll.
There are tons of features built into the game which can help scoop up some big wins. My personal favourite is the Rolling Reels – when combined with free spins, these have been very good to me.
If you’re expecting a game that’s exactly like the original video games, you won’t find that here. But if you’re looking to play a real money slot with decent payouts, good bonus games and plenty of free spins to keep you going, Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword is well worth checking out further.
Symbols To Keep An Eye On
The main game symbols are a mixture of Lara Croft in various poses, plus symbols you’ll recognise from the original game. These are mixed in with the usual high card symbols, which do look slightly dated compared to other games. But you won’t be bothering too much about that if you trigger enough wilds and scatters along the way.
Wild Symbol: Lara Croft is the wild symbol, and five of her appearing across your reels is your trigger for the in-game jackpot. When she’s not helping you win the top prize, Lara acts as a wild to complete any winning paylines, subbing in for anything except the scatter symbol.
Scatter Symbol: The Excalibur Key symbol is the game’s scatter, and 3 to 5 of these on the reels triggers the free spins bonus. The main feature here is the Rolling Reels, which cascade to fill the reels with new symbols whenever you complete a payline during the free spins routine. There’s a multiplier attached too, which increases from 2x to a maximum of 5x, depending on consecutive wins.
Bonuses & Jackpots: up to 25 Free Spins and Global Adventure Mode
The bonus rounds truly make this game stand out. The Super Mode feature drops onto your reels at random, and has the effect of giving you 5 free spins, plus a plethora of new wilds that stick in place on your reels for the duration of the bonus round.
The Passport symbol which appears from time to time can trigger the Global Adventure Bonus, when it appears in the central icon space across five of your reels. This starts a bonus round that can be a little convoluted, with Lara swinging across the screen in search of fragments of the eponymous sword.
I’ve seen this bonus round giving decent payouts, with cash prizes, additional multipliers, and even the additional Shootout Bonus round if the reels fall in your favour. The Global Adventure Bonus can be worth up to 450x your average stake too, so it’s not a bad paying round when it turns up in your game.
The Shootout Bonus is a pick and win-style bonus round, where you’re presented with 15 discs. Guess the higher value, and you could be walking away with the instant cash win. Plus, the animations in this round as Lara Croft tackles her opponent are pretty entertaining for the pure Tomb Raider fans among us.
The Verdict
Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword is an entertaining slot, and it’s a game I’ve found myself coming back to time and time again. On the plus side, the jackpot is decent, and the payout percentage of over 95% means it doesn’t feel too tricky to win on any given spin. The graphics are an improvement on the original Tomb Raider slot, and it’s a game that will definitely please anyone who is a fan of Lara Croft.
There are a few downsides – the fact that free spins are not retriggerable, and the lowish payouts per spin are factors to take into consideration. However, when you consider all the additional features, especially the Rolling Reels and the bonus rounds, there is plenty of money to be won with this slot.
Tomb Raider — Secret of the Sword bonus games wins
Check out Tomb Raider: Secret of the Sword for yourself – if you’re a fan of Tomb Raider, this is sure to be right up your street.
Slot features | Bonus Game Progressive Wild Symbol Autoplay Option Multiplier Free Spins |