Epic Ape

Today, we’re going to take a look at a slot that attempts to encapsulate everything we love about gorillas: and that is Epic Ape.

The title is a little bit played out, but hopefully, the content will be more than worthy of your time.

Game Details

Set in a dense jungle landscape, Epic Ape doesn’t waste any time in setting the scene. While the background views may be gorgeous and bright, the subject matter is simple – these beasts aren’t to be messed with in any way, shape or form.

You can almost feel the humidity coming through the screen like a bolt of lightning as players attempt to match up symbols and work their way all the way through to the namesake ape himself.

The layout is a little bit different to most big slots games out there, taking on a setup of 6×4 reels and rows. It certainly gives the subtle animations time to shine, but the importance of the symbols themselves do suffer as a result.

Oh, and if you’re looking for a slot to keep you busy on every single spin, this is probably going to be up your street with an insane 4,096 ways to win.

RTP & Payouts

You’ve got to try and keep one eye on the RTP of any given slot, if only to try and get a good idea for what sort of experience you’re going to have. Epic Ace is no different, coming in with an RTP of 95.96%. That may not necessarily blow people away but it is slightly above the standard industry average, and on top of that, the slot’s medium-to-high volatility is bound to bring in a few high rollers who want to take up the high risk, high reward stance.

Players can get started on this slot with a pretty simple minimum wager of 0.25, and if you’re feeling particularly fruity, you could take that all the way up to a mouth-watering maximum of 250.

While multiple winning combinations are up for grabs, the actual maximum winnings of 300x your initial stake may be something of a disappointment for some.

Symbols

If you try and focus on the design work of this slot from afar, then there’s a good chance you’ll think it’s too clunky. However, if you really do take in the illustrations and the intricacies involved in making it feel slightly more interactive, you’ll appreciate it a whole lot more. The soundtrack is good but can be viewed as slightly paint by numbers, but in a slot like this, we’re not sure there’s anything wrong with that, as it’s pretty difficult to deviate from the status quo.

Playtech couldn’t avoid going down the stereotypical route of using playcards, though, with A, K, Q, J, 10 and 9 all making an appearance. Beyond that we do have some themed animals with a chameleon, frog, panther and jaguar all leading up to the main event: the ape.

Bonus Game & Jackpot

Bonus features run the risk of being too convoluted or too simplistic, and striking the perfect balance is what could determine the long-term success or failure of a slot.

As you’ve probably already guessed by now, this slot does have a wild – and in this instance, it’s a diamond. It is capable of substituting itself for all other symbols on the board aside from the Free Games scatter, and it appears on all possible reels outside of the first one. The importance of the wild comes into play during the Free Games feature, which can be triggered by acquiring three or more Free Game scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. How many free spins you actually acquire, though, depends entirely on the volume of scatters that you secure.

• Three scatters = eight free spins
• Four scatters = 15 free spins
• Five scatters = 25 free spins
• Six scatters = 100 free spins

During the feature, you will also receive a random multiplier of either 2x, 3x or 5x when the wild is part of any given winning combination. Plus, if two scatters land during a free spin at the same time, you could continue to rack up the free spins.

Sure, the jackpot isn’t progressive, but Epic Ape still has a lot to offer.

Mobile Compatibility

A slot such as this may benefit from standing out more on a desktop, but we tend to find that it doesn’t lag quite as much when it’s on other platforms. That does, of course, mean that it is compatible with all iOS and Android devices – in addition to tablets, too.

It also means you can play this slot on the go as much as you please, but do try and immerse yourself in the adventure whenever you boot it up.

Verdict

Epic Ape may fall just short when it comes to offering out massive winnings, but that isn’t the only factor behind a successful slot. There are plenty of ways to win, the design work is great, and Playtech has clearly put a lot of care into it.

This genre is pretty crowded at the best of times so it’s always going to be hard to stand out, but unique symbols really do help, and EA is quite hit and miss in that department.

We would definitely recommend giving it a go, but from the perspective of an industry leader like Playtech, you’d have to imagine that even they would admit it falls a bit short.

Author

Hi, I'm James

"More than 5 years experience in the online gambling sector and 4 of them working with casinos. I'll share my thoughts relating to what you should be looking for in a casino and whether a site is worth your time and money."

Reviewer since June, 2020