Opal Fruits from Big Time Gaming: Slot Review - explosive gaming fun!

Rocket off into space in this new release from renowned software provider Big Time Gaming! Following on from the huge success of their last release The Final Countdown, this online slot once more invites players to journey into outer space but this time with a nostalgic twist and there’s not a hit 80s song anywhere to be seen! Funnily enough, the name of this game derives from the old name that the candy Starburst used to go by back in the day. A clever nod to the smash-hit NetEnt slot Starburst no doubt! Let’s find out if this slot has what it takes to blast Starburst into another dimension?

Opal Fruits is a 6 reel slot with 5,625 ways to win that includes Win Reactions. Unlimited Free Spins, as well as Unlimited Multipliers.

Special Features

The first feature to discuss is that this game features 6 reels and a gigantic 5,625 ways to win! Unlike other Big Time Gaming slots such as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Bonanza, this game does not feature the mighty Megaways game engine. Instead, it utilises a new system called Triple Reaction which features 2 Extra Reels as opposed to just one. These reels are placed above and below the main reels to display an innovative 3x5x5x5x5x3 layout. In the game, their main job is to add symbols to reels 2, 3, 4, and 5.

When you form a win on the reels in this slot then the winning symbols will be removed and replaced by new symbols from above the reels, which come from the left on the top Extra Reel and from the right on the bottom Extra Reel. This continues until no new winning combinations are formed on the reels.

The Wild symbol in this slot is illustrated by the word ‘Wild’ displayed inside of a multicoloured circle. Like most Wilds, it substitutes for all other symbols apart from the Scatter to help form winning combinations on the reels. It only appears in the Extra Reels. In addition to the main Wild symbol, there is another Wild symbol ‘3X’ which multiplies all wins by 3 when it is part of a win. The neat thing about this extra Wild symbol is that it can combine with other 3X Wilds when appearing on different columns to award some insane cash payouts. For example, it is actually possible to form massive multipliers as high as 1,296X!

The star attraction of this game is the Free Spins bonus game. This can be accessed by spelling out the word ‘FREE’ by landing the appropriate Scatter symbols that display each letter. Once in this feature, you will be awarded 10 Free Spins and a 1X multiplier. The multiplier here will increase after every reaction and landing an extra Scatter will start the multiplier at 5X. For every additional Scatter, the multiplier will increase by 10X. Astonishingly, there are no limits as to how high the multiplier can go and as soon as you reach a multiplier of 10 (i.e. 10X, 20X, 30X, etc) then you will be given 5 Extra Free Spins. Once more, there is no limit as to how many Free Spins you can receive which means in theory you can benefit from infinite Free Spins.

Theme, Graphics and Sound

Graphically speaking, the visuals are top-notch here as the game takes place in front of a galaxy full of twinkling stars and swirling interstellar clouds. It certainly bears quite an uncanny resemblance to Starburst which is probably intentional with the name of the game and all. Symbols in the slot are comprised of an assortment of fruit such as Watermelons, Grapes, Plums, Pears, along with classic A – 9 playing card icons. Each symbol features a wonderful glossy sheen which really makes them stand out that bit more when appearing on the reels. The animations as you might expect are outstanding as symbols hurdle downwards on the reels as other symbols pack the extra reels above and below at the same time. It is particularly satisfying when you land a decent win as the screen will fill up with a whole heap of gold coins. It’s a neat visual touch and really adds to the game.

The music features an 80s inspired synth soundtrack. It is quite poppy and actually compliments the fast-paced gameplay perfectly.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game has 5,625 ways to win, an excellent RTP of 96.75%, and a massive maximum payout worth 36,000X your total 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: 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, 0.50, 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 6.00, 8.00, 10.00, 15.00, 20.00

• Grapes Symbol: 2.00 for 2X, 3.00 for 3X, 4.00 for 4X, 5.00 for 5X, 50.00 for 6X
• Watermelon Symbol: 0.40 for 3X, 0.60 for 4X, 0.70 for 5X, 2.00 for 6X
• Plum Symbol: 0.40 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 0.60 for 5X, 0.90 for 6X
• Pear Symbol: 0.40 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 0.60 for 5X, 0.80 for 6X
• A Symbol: 0.30 for 3X, 0.40 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X, 0.60 for 6X
• K Symbol: 0.30 for 3X, 0.40 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X, 0.60 for 6X
• Q Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 0.30 for 4X, 0.40 for 5X, 0.50 for 6X
• J Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 0.30 for 4X, 0.40 for 5X, 0.50 for 6X
• 10 Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.20 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X, 0.40 for 6X
• 9 Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.20 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X, 0.40 for 6X

Our Verdict on Opal Fruits

Leading software studio Big Time Gaming produced this slot and we are happy to report it is one of their best releases to date! Opal Fruits is a superb looking slot filled with fantastic bonus features and offers a huge slice of nostalgic gaming action to have you spinning those reels again and again. It's great to see that Big Time Gaming do not always need to roll out their MegaWays engine with every release and this slot is a prime example of that. The bonus features are extremely lucrative here with multipliers reaching a potential high of 1,296X in the main game as well as unlimited multipliers/free spins in the highly rewarding Free Spins feature. The top prize for this game is a jaw-dropping 36,000X your wager which can be won on each spin! Variance-wise, this slot is High so make sure to bring plenty of bankroll with you before blasting off into space in this game. For slots with a similar Space theme, check out Crystal Sun and Joker Gems.

Land a galactic-sized fortune on the reels when you play the space-tastic Opal Fruits!