Extensive Review: Opal Fruits Slot by Big Time Gaming
Released in 2020, Opal Fruits is a visually stunning and highly engaging slot developed by Big Time Gaming (BTG), the creators of some of the most innovative slots in the industry. Known for their creative use of mechanics, BTG brought a fresh and vibrant twist to the classic fruit slot genre with Opal Fruits, combining nostalgic fruit symbols with modern, high-tech features and the iconic Megaways engine.
While the game’s theme might appear straightforward, featuring precious stones and fruits, it’s anything but basic. The slot includes a variety of exciting mechanics like re-spins, cascading reels, and multiplying Wilds, which heighten the excitement and create the potential for massive payouts. Designed to appeal to both casual players and high rollers, Opal Fruits offers dynamic and rewarding gameplay.
In this comprehensive review, we’ll dive into the theme, mechanics, symbols, features, and payout potential of Opal Fruits, exploring all the reasons why it stands out in the crowded online slot market.
Theme and Visual Design
The first thing that stands out about Opal Fruits is its beautiful design and striking visual elements. While it follows a familiar fruit-themed slot layout, the game is elevated by the incorporation of gems, sparkling opals, and a shimmering cosmic aesthetic.
Visuals:
- The slot’s backdrop is a cosmic-like environment, with purple and blue nebulae and glittering stars filling the background. This space-age aesthetic adds an extra layer of visual excitement, making the game feel like a blend of classic fruit slots and modern sci-fi themes.
- The reels themselves are framed by a metallic, futuristic border, and the symbols—ranging from plums, cherries, grapes, and oranges to wild opals—are rendered in a rich, almost 3D style, giving them a sense of depth and radiance.
- The opals themselves are used as symbols and are central to the game’s theme, with a strong emphasis on color and texture. The symbols glimmer as they fall on the reels, adding a tactile appeal.
- Overall, the design is sleek, modern, and visually appealing, offering an engaging environment that stands out from the typical fruit-based slot.
Animations and Sound Design:
- The animations in Opal Fruits are smooth and polished. When winning combinations land, the game celebrates with dazzling effects, where fruits and gems are illuminated, and cascading animations occur.
- When you hit a big win, explosive effects appear on the screen, while the cascading symbols further increase the sense of excitement and anticipation.
- The soundtrack is energetic and upbeat, with a funky, groovy beat that complements the game’s vibrant and dynamic visuals. There are also additional sound effects triggered when features are activated or wins are achieved, keeping the atmosphere lively.
- Overall, the audio and visual design work harmoniously, providing a truly immersive experience.
Game Mechanics and Layout
Opal Fruits is built on Big Time Gaming’s Megaways mechanic, meaning the game offers a variable number of ways to win on every spin. This flexible and dynamic system ensures that the game remains exciting and unpredictable with every round.
Megaways Mechanic:
- The Megaways system means that Opal Fruits has 6 reels with between 2 to 7 symbols per reel, generating a possible 117,649 ways to win. This dynamic system leads to constantly shifting reels, with the number of ways to win changing every time you spin.
- This ever-changing layout ensures that each spin is unique and adds a thrilling sense of unpredictability. The potential for massive payouts is high, especially when you land multiple matching symbols on adjacent reels.
Cascading Reels:
- A signature feature in many Megaways slots is the cascading reels mechanic, and Opal Fruits is no exception. In the cascading feature, winning combinations disappear from the reels, allowing new symbols to fall in from above. This can result in multiple wins on a single spin as new combinations are formed.
- The cascading nature adds another layer of excitement, as each win can potentially lead to more wins, further increasing the potential payout.
Reels and Symbol Layout:
- The 6-reel grid in Opal Fruits can show anywhere between 2 to 7 symbols per reel, with each reel varying in size during every spin. This variable number of symbols per reel ensures that every spin is different, providing a fresh experience each time.
- The reels are set against a dark cosmic background, and the interface is clean, with clearly visible symbols, bet options, and the payline details on the side.
Symbols and Payouts
The symbols in Opal Fruits are designed to match the game’s fruit-and-gem theme, with both traditional fruity symbols and opal-themed icons, adding a sense of luxury to the game.
Low-Value Symbols:
- The lower-value symbols are represented by classic fruit icons: cherries, plums, oranges, and grapes. These are designed in a jewel-like style, with vibrant colors that tie in with the game’s opal theme.
- While these symbols are less valuable on their own, they still form the foundation of many smaller wins, appearing frequently on the reels.
High-Value Symbols:
- The higher-value symbols are more thematic, consisting of:
- Opals: These are the premium symbols and are central to the game’s theme. They are also key to triggering the Wilds and multipliers.
- Diamond-like Gems: These symbols contribute to bigger payouts and are integral in forming large win combinations.
- These symbols offer significantly larger payouts when landing in a matching sequence across the reels.
Wild Symbol:
- The Wild symbol in Opal Fruits is represented by a radiant opal gemstone. This Wild can substitute for any standard symbol, helping form winning combinations.
- Wilds also have an added function, as they contribute to increasing the multipliers during both base game and bonus rounds.
Scatter Symbol:
- The scatter symbol is represented by a shimmering, glowing gem. Landing 4 or more scatter symbols on the reels will trigger the game’s free spins feature, which is where the highest potential wins lie.
- The more scatter symbols you land, the better the rewards, as they directly impact the number of free spins awarded.
Bonus Features
The bonus features in Opal Fruits are where the game truly shines. There are multiple ways to win big, particularly through the free spins round and the added multipliers.
Free Spins Feature:
- The free spins feature is triggered when 4 or more scatter symbols appear anywhere on the reels. This bonus feature is where players can unlock the most significant payouts.
- Players can receive up to 15 free spins, and during the free spins round, a progressive multiplier is applied to all wins. This multiplier starts at 1x but increases as wins continue, giving you the chance to land huge payouts.
- The more you win during the free spins, the higher the multiplier climbs. This can result in massive potential wins if you land a series of cascading wins.
Multiplying Wilds:
- One of the standout features of Opal Fruits is the wild multipliers. Wilds not only substitute for other symbols to form winning combinations but can also carry multipliers that increase with each consecutive win.
- This means that wilds can significantly amplify the payout potential, especially when they appear in combination with the free spins feature.
Cascading Wins:
- The cascading reels feature is a core part of the gameplay, allowing symbols involved in winning combinations to disappear and make way for new symbols. This can trigger additional wins without needing to spin again, which is a key factor in increasing your overall payout potential.
Bonus Buy Feature (Where Available):
- In regions where the Bonus Buy feature is available, players can purchase direct access to the free spins feature. This allows players to skip the base game and dive straight into the potentially lucrative free spins round.
Volatility and RTP
Opal Fruits is classified as a high-volatility slot, meaning that while the potential for large payouts exists, they may not happen frequently. Players can expect longer periods without wins, but the big payouts are significant when they hit, especially during free spins.
RTP (Return to Player):
- The RTP for Opal Fruits is around 96.75%, which is a solid return for a high-volatility game. Given its potential for big payouts, especially during the free spins round, the RTP reflects a fair theoretical return over time.
Strengths of Opal Fruits
- Innovative Megaways System: The 117,649 Megaways system ensures that every spin offers a unique configuration, with ample opportunities for wins.
- Exciting Bonus Features: The combination of free spins, multiplying wilds, and cascading reels make for an engaging and high-potential gaming experience.
- High Payout Potential: The multiplying wilds and progressive **multiplier
** in free spins provide substantial opportunities for large wins, making the game ideal for thrill-seeking players. 4. Visually Stunning: The cosmic, gem-and-fruit theme is fresh and visually captivating, offering a clean, modern look that is both attractive and immersive.
Potential Drawbacks
- High Volatility: While the payout potential is high, the high volatility means players may experience extended periods of losses, especially in the base game.
- Feature Reliance: Much of the excitement and reward comes from triggering the free spins or cascading wins, which means that the base game may feel a bit flat for some players if these features don’t activate.
- Bonus Buy Availability: The Bonus Buy feature isn’t available in all regions, which may be a drawback for players who prefer to skip the base game and go straight to the action.
Conclusion
Opal Fruits by Big Time Gaming is a visually captivating and highly engaging slot that successfully merges the classic fruit theme with modern mechanics. The incorporation of Megaways, cascading reels, and multiplying wilds creates a dynamic and rewarding experience, while the high RTP and potential for significant payouts make it an appealing choice for players who enjoy high volatility and large rewards.
With its exciting bonus features, colorful design, and high-energy gameplay, Opal Fruits stands out as one of the more enjoyable and rewarding slots in BTG’s portfolio. If you enjoy slots with high potential rewards, dynamic mechanics, and vibrant themes, Opal Fruits is definitely worth a spin!