Deposit Bonus
Free Spins
Supplier
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Paylines
Released
RTP
Max Win
Volatility
Theme
Multipliers
Bonus Buy
Progressive
My first impression of the game was great. However, the looks can be deceiving, so I had to delve deep and explore the futuristic world of Arrival to see what the pokie had to offer.
The overall design reminded me of the 1996 American comedy Mars Attacks!, starring Jack Nicholson. The background scenery is dark, as the pokie takes place in space, with tubes and lights surrounding the grid, creating an engaging contrast.
When it comes to the paytable, I found aptly-themed symbols. Lows include a target aiming at Earth, an alien bomb, a Space Marine badge, a planet, and a flying saucer, while a robot, a big-eyed creature, and a space marine serve as premiums.
The raygun symbol doesn’t pay itself but triggers a feature that awards instant prizes. The girl who needs saving from the extraterrestrials is the Bonus symbol, while the Brain Alien serves as the Scatter. No Wilds, though.
Arrival uses a 5-reel, 3-row grid setup with 30 adjustable paylines. This provides plenty of flexibility when it comes to betting, allowing players to wager as low as $0.01. On the other hand, the maximum amount you can bet per spin is $330.
Lows pay for 3 or more, awarding from 50x to 125x the bet for 5-of-a-kind wins. Premiums award cash prizes even for 2 matching icons, ranging from 150x to 400x the stake for 5 symbols in a winning formation.
The game’s volatility is medium, which in practice promises well-balanced payouts. As I soon discovered, the reality was completely different. The RTP of 92.26% is embarrassingly low and is more suitable for a pokie with a progressive jackpot prize.
I sincerely believed that having 3 extra features would be enough to deliver a rewarding experience. Oh, how I was wrong! To give them a fair go, they were well-designed, but they weren’t executed in the right way. Pitty, they could have helped Arrival become a genuine casino hit.
Landing 3 or more ray guns triggers the UFO Click Me feature. This is the moment to click UFOs and claim instant prizes. The feature is played until a collect icon appears. Rayguns don’t pay on their own, and the rewards are relatively small.
Landing 3 or more Brain Alien symbols anywhere on the grid starts the Free Spins round. A flying saucer will turn the reel Wild, and you will receive at least 4 spins. Multipliers could have been a great addition to the round, particularly in terms of potential awards. Since Brain Alien symbols don’t appear during Free Spins, it is not possible to retrigger the round.
To help the space marine save the girl, you must land at least 3 symbols featuring the nerdy-looking blonde. It is another icon that leaves players skint since it produces no payouts.
Once the Bonus Round starts, the goal is to click on the buttons and save the grid from inside a huge bubble. It can be challenging, as you must click on the right ones. If you succeed, you will get a reward, although nothing special. I did expect more of this round, though its fun factor makes up for it.
The first thing everyone will notice when playing Arrival is the high-quality visuals. It looks really nice, even according to today’s standards.
Medium volatility makes the game suitable for a broad audience of players, at least in theory. Wilds Reels appear only during Free Spins and may provide help in claiming more wins, although the feature itself isn’t so generous.
You cannot deny its fun factor, but if you play it to win, you may be disappointed. The Free Spins feature is difficult to trigger. It took me a really long time to do so, and players with a smaller bankroll may not be that lucky.
If you seek bigger payouts, then I suggest looking elsewhere. With a top payout of a meagre 400x the bet, Arrival is not targeting high rollers. Multipliers could have changed all of that, but I guess the aliens got the better of them beforehand. All in all, it is a decent game, but nothing more.
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