25000 Talons

Take a walk on the wild side with 25000 Talons, the online slot from Alchemy Gaming. You’ll be heading to North America to play, and taking your chances among a whole host of the local wildlife. But this is a slot that you’ll really be able to get your claws into, with a top payout of x25,000.

The game is branded as Alchemy Gaming, but it's been produced exclusively for Microgaming as part of a partnership deal in 2019. Alchemy is a relatively new studio, so they don't have a huge catalogue of games just yet. Previous titles have included 10000 Wishes, Goldaur Guardians and Wheel of Wishes. This will be their first foray to North America, but they're following in the footsteps of tried and tested slots such as Buffalo Blitz from Playtech and even Mystic Dreams from their partner Microgaming.  

The game takes place on a 5x3 board which includes ten fixed paylines. Betting is available from 0.10 and rises to a maximum of 20.00, which is still a reasonably modest sum for those hunting down big paydays. Volatility is high, so you'll be out in the wild for a while before starting to see big prizes begin to land on the reels. 

There's a real beauty to the visuals on this slot, with the soundtrack adding to the sense of majesty. As the music rises and falls, you'll feel almost as if you're soaring over the valley in a David Attenborough wildlife documentary; such is the immersive design. With a lush green landscape and steep mountain faces, you'll be plunged into the heart of the North American wilderness - will you survive? 

On the reels, the low pays are the playing card royals, with four of the local animals arriving for the premium pays: eagle, bear, cougar and bison. You'll receive a maximum of x25 for five across a payline.  

Very fittingly for a game all about wildlife, there is a wild included on the reels. This can cover for any of the regular pays to make it easier to match along a payline. 

You’ll have spotted that all of the animals in the high pays are pictured in order of value on the left hand side of the reels. This is known as the Fire Trail.  

The Fire Spins feature triggers randomly and will select one of the animals - also at random - from the Fire Trail to become stacked on the first two reels. The final three reels combine so that only supersized 3x3 symbols can land. Only premium symbols and the wild can land on these last three reels during Fire Spins.  

You could also land a giant Wheel symbol during Fire Spins; this will unlock the Wheel Bonus. You'll receive a single spin on the bonus wheel, where you'll receive a guaranteed bonus. This could be one of four bonus payouts: Mini, Minor, Major or Mega (x20, x75, x1000 and x25,000).  

There are also scatters; if you land three of these, you'll unlock the free spins round. You'll receive between 4 and 12 free spins depending on how many scatters you land and which feature you choose: 

●     Bear - 4-8 free spins

●     Bison - 6-10 free spins

●     Cougar - 8-12 free spins 

The corresponding Fire Trail symbol will also become active, and land stacked on reels 1 and 2. The final three reels will transform into 3x3 mega symbols and only contain premiums, wilds or a level up. 

If the level up symbol lands fully in view, you'll receive a further four free spins, plus the next Fire Trail symbol will activate and also land stacked. Only additional free spins will be awarded once you reach the top of the Fire Trail. 

25000 Talons from Alchemy Gaming is a nice addition to their growing catalogue. True, there's nothing in here that's genuinely innovative, but it's a balanced set of features with a lucrative top prize. Add this to some truly artistic visuals, and it's hard to find fault with this slot.