Updated
Staff Writer
Zombie fans will love this exciting five-reel x 243 payline video slot from Microgaming. The dark comedy game can be played in either Zombie or Survivor mode and offers players a chilling, cinematic audio-visual experience. Lost Vegas comes with plenty of bonus features and can be played for real money or in free mode on any web-enabled device.
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When you load the game, you'll enter an abandoned casino which has been taken over following the zombie outbreak. The 5x3 reels are located in the centre of the screen, and the game's main controls are found on either side. To the right of the reels, you'll find the spin button. Tapping it will set off the reels.
Above the reels is the game mode button, which changes between Zombies and Survivor mode, offering different bonus features. Directly below the reels is where the game displays your current win, and to the left of this is your total credits. You can adjust how much you want to bet per spin by tapping the bet button to the left of the reels.
Above the bet button is a hamburger menu, which opens up to offer the settings and paytable. Use the settings to adjust the sound, change your bet or activate quick spins. The paytable shows you all available symbols and their values.
The first thing you need to decide before getting stuck into this exciting slot is whether you want to play in Zombie or Survivor mode. Once the mode has been selected, spin the reels and wait for the different features that can strike any time as you play. Note that you can switch between the two modes at any time during the base game.
The paytable varies depending on whether you're playing in Zombies or Survivors mode. However, the low pays remain the same no matter which mode is selected. These are the A-10 playing card symbols, paying between 40 and 60 coins for five of a kind.
In Zombie mode, the high-paying symbols consist of the zombie bride and groom, undead cabaret dancer, zombie doctor and brain-eating tourist. There's also the undead Elvis, who pays out the most. These symbols pay between 100 and 250 coins for five of a kind, depending on their ranking.
Survivors mode features new characters. There's a golfer, a partygoer, a mob enforcer, a Molotov cocktail-wielding woman and a policeman. Payouts for the survivors range between 100 and 250 coins for five of a kind.
The Lost Vegas logo acts as the Wild and substitutes all regular symbols except the scatter to form a winning combination. It also pays out more than any other symbol in the game, rewarding you with 300 coins for five of a kind.
The scatter is represented by the Hazzard logo, and you need to land at least three of them anywhere on the reels simultaneously to trigger either the Survivors or Zombies Free Spin, depending on which mode you selected.
In Lost Vegas, you can land wins by matching symbols along adjacent reels. There aren't any paylines in the game. Instead, there are 243 ways to win on every spin. Provided your combination starts from the left-most reel and includes at least three symbols on adjacent reels, you'll win a payout. The value of your payout depends on the symbols in the combination and your current bet.
The bonus features in Lost Vegas offer big winning potential, with two different bonus rounds and some random bonus effects that can trigger on any spin. Here's what you can expect:
The wild symbol can appear on any reel as you play and will substitute for all other symbols except for the scatter. It helps you form winning combinations by increasing the chance of having matching symbols across adjacent reels.
Land three or more scatters anywhere on the reels to trigger either of the free spins. The bonus round you unlock will depend on which mode you're playing in. During this feature, any time a low-pay symbol lands on the reels, it gets removed. The round keeps going until all of the low-paying symbols have been removed from the game. Every symbol that gets removed adds credit to your total winnings and is awarded upon completion of the free spins round.
During this bonus, any of the zombie symbols will expand to cover a reel and infect it. They'll also transform regular wild symbols into stacked wilds, covering entire reels and boosting winning potential. The round will continue until all five reels are infected. If players manage to achieve the maximum amount of 50 Free Spins, they will receive an additional cash prize.
This bonus feature can trigger during either game mode on a random non-winning spin. During this feature, a night vision scans for Zombies or Survivors and awards cash prizes on all high-value symbols. One scatter symbol appearing during this round will also trigger the Survivor free spins.
On random non-winning spins during either game mode, this feature can activate to payout instant cash rewards. A Zombie hand firmly gripping some cash appears and awards cash prizes.
The maximum payout you can achieve from a single spin is 970,000 coins. Your best chance of hitting this would be during either one of the bonus rounds.
The slot has an RTP rate of 96%, which is pretty much average for online slots. Meanwhile, the volatility is rated as medium, which again means an average payout size and frequency. Still, just because the ratings are average, it doesn't necessarily mean your experience will be.
Higher and lower returns are possible during regular playing sessions, as the ratings are calculated from playing thousands of spins. When I played Lost Vegas, I mostly stuck to the Survivors mode and managed to hit a couple of the bonus features, including the free spins. However, I still ended in a loss after a bad losing streak.
Games Global and Microgaming went all out designing the graphics for this slot, resulting in a fantastic-looking game. All of the characters and zombies look unique, although there's clearly some influence from popular zombie movies and games that have come out over the years. The animations that play on wins and bonus triggers help to add to the Vegas theme, with flashing indicators to help them stand out.
Whilethe graphics are impressive, I was a bit disappointed with the music and sound effects. There's no background music as you play, and the sounds are pretty basic. I was expecting to hear more zombie and casino sound effects, but you can still mute the game if you prefer, so it's not too important.
Lost Vegas is available to spin for real money at online casinos, but did you know you can play for free too? The free demo is available on this page, offering you a chance to test the game out without risking any of your own money. It's a great way to experience features such as Survivor and Zombie free spins plus Blackout Bonus and Zombie Fist of Cash.
Once you've experienced the slot, you can decide whether you want to bite the bullet and play for real money.
Zombies are a hugely popular monster, appearing in countless video games, movies and TV shows. It's hard to say why they're so popular. Perhaps it's because of how gruesome they are, and they force us to confront our own mortality. I've played a lot of zombie slots over the years. Here's a comparison between some of the best:
Lost Vegas is an impressive slot that plays much like a video game. The graphics are outstanding, and the various bonus features offer up some spectacular wins. This may just be Microgaming's biggest release yet! If you love zombies, then you should definitely give this a spin. The dual mode makes for some very different playing experiences, with each mode having a unique bonus feature.
