Maya Mystery Review

The era of the Mayans has been shrouded mystery for generations, with it fascinating people the world over a result. While the final Mayan city fell into the hands of Spanish conquistadors back in 1697, the importance of this era lives on to this very day. Channelling the cities, culture, and daily lives of the Mayan people, Belatra Games has raised the curtain (or should we say tapestry) on the aptly titled Maya Mystery.

Mayan culture and online slots have certainly had an ongoing relationship; with many developers tackling the subject matter before. The problem is that a lot of these games have had mixed results. Attempting to right a wrong, Belatra Games is doing what it can to bring the history of Central America to life on the reels.

Originally, Maya Mystery was a land-based casino unit, but its popularity on casino floors meant that an online casino port was inevitable. But, does this game live up to its predecessor? Does Maya Mystery bring players an entertaining touch of Central American history? The following review reveals all!

Gameplay

Players will find that Maya Mystery is an approachable game, as the stakes per spin range between €10 and €200. After determining your bet, you’ll see that the action unfold over 5 reels and up to 25 paylines. As always, the key is to match up symbols, with the jacks, queens, kings, and aces giving you a taste of what this game can offer. Targeting the big wins of this game means focusing on the statues, pictographs, and the Mayans themselves.

The land-based version of this game was always something of a cult favourite, with the game’s control setup being part of the reason as to why. Maya Mystery stands by these controls, as through a few buttons at the bottom of the screen you can tweak the setup of the game and have the reels spinning.

Features

If you want to unlock the true potential of Maya Mystery – gamble game aside - you need to keep your eyes locked on the game’s special symbols. The first symbol allows you to “ascend” to the top, with the pyramid representing the wild. Find a pyramid symbol on screen and it’ll substitute for any of the normal symbols within the game to ensure that you walk away a winner. Secure two or more of the pyramids symbols and you’ll also be able to grab an instant win, with a 5-pyramid combination handing you €5,000.

From the wilds to the scatters, the Mayan calendar doesn’t signify the end of the world here; instead it represents your ticket to free spins. Accompanying an instant real cash prize, by finding three or more you’ll be credited with 10 plus free spins. Before the free spins round kicks off, a symbol will be pulled from the spinning wheel at random. This symbol will become a potential expanding wild during all free spins, so you can easily wrap up multiple paylines at once. There isn’t a dedicated bonus round in Maya Mystery, but the special symbols and the mysterious power they hold more than makes up for it in our eyes.

Performance

This game is a slightly updated port from the land-based game of the same name, so graphically is it’s a case of as you were. Maya Mystery looks very similar to the original, with this being something of a double-edged sword. The detail of the backdrop and symbols on the reels is great, but the control panel – while simple to navigate – looks rather out of place. Other text used in the game also suffers from the same issue, with the lack of soundtrack not helping matters either.

Where the game does show noticeable improvement is with regards to the animation. No flash and no fuss, the reels of Maya Mystery look the part and spin just the same.

Conclusion

Maya Mystery is a much-loved real money slots game on the casino floors of the world, so it deserved an online casino port. For one, we are glad the game made the jump, because it brings with it a six-figure top prize, along with various potent bonus features. The only gripe we have with Maya Mystery is the look of the game, as while it’s been given a small update, we don’t think that Belatra Games has quite gone far enough. Overall, Maya Mystery is a really solid outing for the developer, even if its slightly patchy appearance does hold it back slightly.

Slot Details

Software: Belatra Games
Game Type: Video Slot
Paylines: 25
Reels: 5
RTP: 95.4%
Special Feature: Gamble Feature, Wild Symbol, Scatter Symbol
Progressive: No
Free Spins: Yes

Published by:
BitStarz, award-winning Bitcoin Casino