Journey to the West

Anyone who has been around video slots for a while can tell you that certain themes have been used over and over again to the point that they are often the sign of a boring, generic game. It takes a lot to use one of these stock themes to make a slot that stands out, but Pragmatic Play's focus on gameplay and putting their own twist on things allowed them to do just that with the Journey to the West video slot. This game has a cast of fun characters with great graphics and some in-depth features that create a solid overall experience.

Format and Layout

You'll get a pretty solid layout here with five reels, three rows and 25 paylines. Most of the symbols show up stacked most of the time, and that puts players in a position to have gameplay that is largely based on multiple wins on certain spins adding up to more formidable pays than they would otherwise seem. You have the option to bet as many as 10 coins on each of the 25 paylines, but the paylines themselves are locked in and cannot be changed. Coin values start at $0.01 and go up to the $0.50 level, so you only need a minimum bet size of $0.25 per turn, which is easily accessible to all budgets.

Five Free Spin Bonus Features

There are five main symbols in this game including the wild, and they are the focus of the five different variations on the free spins feature. Get three or more of the free spins bonus symbol anywhere on the reels to trigger a set of five free turns. You get to choose between five different symbols, including the wild, to have super stacked on the reels with an alternate reel set. The lower the symbol you choose, however, the higher your multipliers are on your wins. You can get a 5x multiplier with the lowest top-tier symbol or a 1x multiplier with stacked wild symbols. There are three other settings in the middle of this.

In our opinion, we think either the first or last option will likely be best. The stacked wilds could lead to some tremendous payouts, but you don't get a multiplier. On the other hand, the 5x multiplier with the lower paying stacked symbol could lead to plenty of mid-level wins with fewer chances for a massive payout.

Wilds and Top Payouts

The most important symbol in Journey to the West is the wild symbol. It's a green circle with the word "wild" written on it, and it pays a very solid 400x for five of a kind. You'll also have a chance to earn 100x for four of a kind (unless it would make a better five of a kind win). Likewise, you can earn 30x for three or 10x for just two of a kind with these wilds. They are stacked in the regular game, so chances are that you will hit multiple wins if you get wilds on several reels at the same time.

Key Payouts

Aside form the wild wins, you can pick up 100x for five of the gorilla symbol. You'l also have a shot at a 50x payout for five of the man with the crown along with 30x for the smiling pig character. Five of the man with the dark beard and the red background gets players a win worth 25x. All four of these symbols, much like the wild, pay for just two of a kind. This helps to trim down the volatility of this game pretty severely.

Four different Asian symbols show up for the bottom four symbols. They pay out either 15x for five of a kind of two of the symbols or 13x for five of a kind for the other two. They look similar enough to fit the theme, but they're different enough that we can't really imagine players mixing them up by mistake.

In Summary

Journey to the West is an Asian-themed video slot that is based around giving players low-volatility gameplay by creating a high hit-rate environment with a balanced pay table. Some players do not like this style of play and prefer top-heavy payout structures with fewer small and medium wins. However, we believe that the majority of players will enjoy the solid graphics and great gameplay thatcome along with this title, and Pragmatic Play has done a great job in pulilng all of the elements of this slot together to form one cohesive story that's being told in all aspects of the gameplay.

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