Highlander from Microgaming: Slot Review - there can be only one!

Highlander is a classic movie from the 1980s that’s all about a bunch of fighting folk known as the Immortals who enjoy beheading each other with their swords. It was the 1980s after all so movies had a different kind of subtlety back then! This movie was released in 1986 and starred Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod, the titular character who is Immortal and must battle it out with a host of other mysterious Immortals in order to become the last one standing. Although the movie was not a box office hit when it was released, it did gain a cult following and spawned several sequels as well as a television show and an animated series. Let’s see if stellar software studio Microgaming can do the movie justice with their version of this amazing movie.

Highlander has 5 reels with 243 ways to win and comes with Quickening Wilds, Free Spins, and a 2 Scatter feature.

Special Features

The first feature to mention is the Wild symbol and this is illustrated by an image of Connor MacLeod’s sword. Like most Wild symbols, it substitutes for all symbols except for the Scatter to help form winning combinations on the reels.

The Scatter symbol is denoted by an image of the handle of Connor MacLeod’s sword. Keep a close eye on this symbol as it is the highest paying symbol in the game. Manage to land 5 of these symbols on a winning payline and you’ll be raising your sword to the skies with delight with a top payout of 3,000 coins! It's also worth mentioning that if two Scatters appear on screen then they will turn into Wilds to greatly enhance your chances of landing a big payout.

If you land 3 or more Scatters anywhere on the reels then you will trigger the Free Spins bonus game. In this feature, you’ll be awarded 10 Free Spins and taken to a new screen. Free Spins also includes a Quickening Wilds feature. This triggers when lightning hits the screen and turns random symbols into Wilds. Each time Quickening Wilds occurs, an increasing number of Wilds pop up on the reels. Unfortunately, it is not possible to retrigger additional Free Spins.

Theme, Graphics and Sound

The presentation of the game is excellent and what you would expect from acclaimed software developer Microgaming. The slot is set in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland with lots of rocks, thistle, and ominous looking mountains looming in the distance. Symbols are nicely polished images taken straight from the movie and feature the main characters such as Connor MacLeod, Brenda Wyatt, Heather MacLeod, Kurgan, and the standard A- 10 icons. The animations are worth a mention as symbols blink and flash when part of a winning combination with small excerpts from the Highlander movie playing when a character is part of a win on the reels. I also liked how the game transports you from the Highlands of Scotland to modern day New York when you trigger the Free Spins feature.

The music is 1980s rock with lots of electric guitar sounds used. It ties in nicely with the movie theme of the game.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game features 243 ways to win, a really good RTP of 96.23%, and a top maximum payout worth 3,416X your original bet.

Below is a summary taken from the PayOut Table from the game. The amount won for each combination depends on the value of the bet when you spin the reels.

Bet Range: 0.40, 0.80, 1.20, 1.60, 2.00, 2.40, 2.80, 3.20, 3.60, 4.00, 4.40, 4.80, 5.20, 5.60, 6.00, 6.40, 8.00, 8.80, 10.00, 11.20, 12.00, 14.00, 18.00, 22.00, 26.00, 30.00

Based on a bet of 0.40:

• Sword Handle Scatter Symbol: 0.40 for 3X, 4.00 for 4X, 40.00 for 5X
• Highlander Wild Symbol: 0.80 for 3X, 3.00 for 4X, 10.00 for 5X
• Connor MacLeod Present Symbol: 0.50 for 3X, 1.50 for 4X, 5.00 for 5X
• Connor MacLeod Past Symbol: 0.40 for 3X, 1.50 for 4X, 4.00 for 5X
• Kurgan Symbol: 0.40 for 3X, 1.20 for 4X, 2.50 for 5X
• Brenda Wyatt Symbol: 0.30 for 3X, 1.00 for 4X, 2.00 for 5X
• Heather MacLeod Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 1.00 for 4X, 1.50 for 5X
• A Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 0.90 for 5X
• K Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.40 for 4X, 0.80 for 5X
• Q Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.40 for 4X, 0.60 for 5X
• J Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.20 for 4X, 0.60 for 5X
• 10 Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.20 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X

Our Verdict on Highlander

Microgaming produced this slot and I am happy to say that it is a faithful adaptation of a classic 1980s movie. The game features a highly polished presentation and a superb range of bonus features to keep the excitement levels ticking along nicely. It is super easy to play and the standout attraction of the slot is the Free Spins feature. It is quite hard to trigger I’ll admit but the rewards are definitely worth the wait as it offers the chance to land lots of additional Wilds on each Free Spin thanks to the cool Quickening Wilds feature. I found this slot to be of Medium variance so you’ll find that wins are evenly balanced the more you play and it’s worth noting that you can take home a fantastic maximum win up to 3,416X your initial wager on every spin in the game.

Become the last Immortal standing to land a massive fortune in Highlander!