Wicked Tales Dark Red Slot

Graphics

With a new partnership in tow, Microgaming and Triple Edge Studios have given Little Red Riding Hood the Lara Croft treatment. She’s now older, wears less clothes and wields an axe.

But she also provides a lot more action. Set on the edge of the fictional forest of Ravenmire, a cottage in the background gently spews smoke from its chimney.

The reel case is where it gets interesting as across the 25 paylines it is set up in a 3-3-4-4-4 rows. The Wandering Reels engine that Microgaming used so well in its Halloween slot allows for the potential for jumbo blocks (essentially massive 3x4 symbols) to be present on every spin.

Land a jumbo block with a high-paying game symbol and we are looking at fairytale wins galore. As well as the low paying card symbols, Jack to Ace, we have an assortment of symbols including not-so-little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, a Pendant and the Woodcutter, now Red Riding’s love interest who takes her by the hand to their rose-bedecked cottage when we land the Free Spins game. Ooh-er.

Gameplay

The Wicked Tales: Dark Red slot has one of the easiest to understand dynamic pay tables we are likely to see on a slot. It gives us a clear explanations of the value of all symbols and explains in simple terms how we’re going to gain those winning combinations.

The Wandering Reels feature changes the reel layout from spin to spin and allows for large symbols, taking up almost half the screen. When they do this, it massively helps us land winning combinations. When the free spins come into play thanks to the Full Moon Scatters, it gets even crazier.

When Full Moon Scatters shine across the reels three times or more, the Wolf’s Wheel Bonus activates. A spin-the-wheel feature, we give it a spin and see what prize befalls us. It could be a cash prize and even better if we get the Forest of Fortunes Pick Bonus – after each selection we can add a Multiplier.

The Free Spins give us nine free spins when we land on a high value symbol. Even better, all the high value symbols during the spins are replaced by the symbol we land on the Wolf’s Wheel spin. If we get Red Riding Hood, for instance, she appears all over the reels. Add the Wandering Reels into the fray and we could win 5,000 times our stake on every single spin.

Verdict

Just when we thought the tale of Little Red Riding Hood had been done to death, Microgaming and Triple Edge Studios treat us to another version. This time round, it does away with the granny questionnaires (but watch out for a cameo by the Granny in the Pendant symbol - a nice touch).

Instead, Wicked Tales: Dark Red focuses on big bonuses set against an eerie background. And it works.