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The carnival coming into town always provides plenty of excitement. Circuses are a big part of it but are just part of the entertainment. Travelling carnivals include amusement rides, food vendors, and other games of chance and skill.
I had hoped the pokie would draw inspiration from these elements when selecting its symbols. Instead, the developer chose playing card royals and various circus performers. The ringmaster assumes the role of Wild, while the circus tent is Scatter.
While Playtech has never been a visual powerhouse, its art team can produce excellent results. The pokie features a gorgeous animated backdrop and attractive icons. I do wish the team opted for more theme-appropriate symbols, but it’s hardly the end of the world.
The background image shows the top of the circus tent illuminated by stage lights. It is red most of the time, turning blue during the Free Games feature. During the re-spins, it changes entirely, with curtains being pulled back to reveal a stage lit by bright lights. Attaching backdrop swaps to features is a brilliant decision, helping to simulate the show progressing through several stages.
Big Circus Mega Fire Blaze’s higher-value icons highlight many of our favourite performances. Strongmen, trapeze artists, clowns, and trained animals look great and fit the theme, immersing you in its world.
While the graphics may not be perfect, they’ll still have you gawking in appreciation. My only notable complaint is the playing card royals – everything else exceeded my expectations.
The slot comes with a 5×3 layout and 30 fixed paylines. It also has a medium variance, which works well for both high rollers and casual players. If you prefer more volatile titles, I suggest 3 Clown Monty by Play’n GO.
I found it rather fitting that the most valuable icon is the strongman. He is worth 6x your total stake, followed by the trapeze artist at 4x your wager. The final high-paying symbols are clowns and monkeys, granting up to 3x and 2.5x your total bet.
You can wager anywhere between $0.10 to $500 during one round. It all but ensures players will find a stake that suits their needs.
Big Circus Mega Fire Blaze has an RTP of 95.42%. It’s average among pokies, making it difficult to get excited. Similarly, the 2,328x top prize is a far cry from games that promise jaw-dropping rewards or progressive jackpots. While testing, I managed to snag a win of 320x my total stake. It was not the greatest payout ever but it topped up my budget nicely. I even had extra bucks left over afterwards to cash out.
Playtech wisely decided not to bloat their slot with too many bonus features. Instead, it focused on making the available ones as entertaining as possible.
Land 3 or more Scatters in any position, and you will trigger the Free Games feature. It gives players 5 free spins and adds a 2x multiplier to all Wilds. It is possible to reactivate the bonus feature, and get even more free spins. While it may be a bit too straightforward for some, it was my lucky charm. Most of my substantial rewards came from the Free Games feature.
You need 6 or more target and cannon icons to unlock this bonus feature. Target symbols appear with attached prizes, while cannons remove padlocks. Triggering the feature adds 5 extra rows, each with two padlocks. Destroying the padlock extends the playing area, offering more ways to win. The bonus feature begins with 3 respins, which reset when active symbols land. In addition, respins hide various mini-features activated by special symbols, further boosting your odds.
Also, every respin with the curtains open offers a chance to score the impressive Grand Jackpot of 2,000x the bet. Alternatively, Stars can land in any position and award the Mini, Minor, or Major Jackpot. I didn’t have much luck here, but I found the various mini features these active icons introduced fun.
I can’t say that my time with Big Circus Mega Fire Blaze was all sunshine and rainbows. It had its slow moments and icons that weren’t to my liking. However, the positive sides of this pokie blow any negatives out of the water.
The two bonus features will be familiar to any slot veteran. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Playtech goes for a proven formula and spices it up with new additions. At the same time, the developer opted for a medium variance, giving us more opportunities to enjoy their features. It’s the perfect combination of fun and rewarding that had me hooked for hours.
I am happy to recommend this game to any Kiwis who read this review and find it interesting. It’s the perfect pokie to kick back and relax while providing a fair shot at a substantial reward. Hence, I rate Big Circus Mega Fire Blaze a respectable 8.1 out of 10.
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