Playtech takes yet another virtual trip to Asia in Fortune Lions. This one is a 5 reel, 20 payline video slot which comes with a bonus round that awards 8 re-spins with stacked wilds locked in place on reels 2 and 4. Stakes start from 20p per spin.
As we’ve come to expect from Playtech, the design in this Chinese-themed game is nicely done. Shades of the traditional lucky colour red dominate the screen. The reels are set against a backdrop of a traditional palace and cherry blossom trees and are set within a pagoda style building.
Symbols include stylised A to 9 playing cards alongside gold pots, gold tags and an emerald statue. The pot of gold coins is by far the most rewarding of the standard symbols. You’ll pocket 5, 100, 500 or 5,000 coins if you land 2, 3, 4 or 5 in a line. There’s also a scatter – land 3, 4 or 5 of the red doors and you’ll win a payout equal to 3, 10 or 100 times your total bet.
Finally, there’s the lion statue which is by far the game’s most important symbol. This is the wild. When it lands anywhere on reels 2 or 4, it will expand and turn the whole of that reel wild. If you manage to land the wild on reels 2 and 4 on the same spin you’ll trigger the game’s Shi Shi Respins feature.
Here you’ll be awarded 8 re-spins – the stacked wilds on reels 2 and 4 will remain locked in place and reels 1, 3 and 5 will spin again. I’ve had wins of over 760 times my stake overall!
The action in Fortune Lions is pretty simple, especially in the base game – the wild lion statues really spring into life during the re-spins though and can deliver some fine results.
The design in Fortune Lions is just what we’ve come to expect. It’s not quite up there with the likes of ELK Studios and Thunderkick but’s certainly above average. The visuals are nice and clear and the Asian-style backing track is a nice accompaniment to the action. As far as volatility goes, we’d put this game just north of medium. The key to unlocking the big wins comes via the re-spins feature. Expect some lengthy spells between hits though.
Asia is 1 of Playtech’s usual hunting grounds – in Fortune Lions, they’ve come up with another entertaining slot game. It’s not the most complex game you’ll see in terms of gameplay but land those stacked wilds though and some top action is on offer. I also recommend you take a look at The Great Ming Empire – if it’s respins you’re after, Age of the Gods God of Storms is worth trying.
