The Heat is On from Microgaming: Slot Review - the cops are closing in!

This game is all about a high-speed chase between some cops and a wily robber. It centres around a cat burglar named Selina complete with catsuit on the run from a very attractive special task force officer named Jean. Selina is clearly inspired by the famous DC character Catwoman, all she is missing is the surname, Kyle! Jean uses the full disposal of the police service as she hunts down Selina with police cars and helicopters buzzing all around the city. Will Selina make it a perfect getaway as the heat closes in on her?

The slot has 5 reels with 45 paylines and comes with features such as Free Spins and Dual Wild symbols.

Special Features

The first feature I encountered while playing this slot is that it features not just one but two Wild symbols! They are of course depicted by the main characters of the game – Jean, and Selina. These symbols substitute for all other symbols but not the Scatter symbol or each other. They are the highest paying symbols in the game and if you manage to land 5 matching Wild symbols on any payline then you will receive a whopping 10,000 coins payout! That is not all as you can also land mixed Wild symbols for some decent payouts too. For example, if you land 5 mixed Wilds on a payline then you will be awarded a nice haul of 5,000 coins.

The Scatter symbol is denoted by a big bank image and if you land 3 or more of these symbols on adjacent reels then you will trigger the Free Spins feature. It goes without saying, the more Scatter symbols you land, the more Free Spins you will be awarded. Landing 3 of these symbols will give you 5 Free Spins and if you manage to land 5 Scatter symbols then you will be given 20 Free Spins. Getting 6 Scatters on reels 2 and 3 will give you 40 Free Spins but if you land 7 of these symbols then you will hit the motherload with a whopping 80 Free Spins! A pleasing aspect of this feature is that you can retrigger Free Spins and it is possible to get up to 160 of them!

Theme, Graphics and Sound

The graphics are very colourful and feature a nice comic-book style. The backdrop of the game is some blurred imagery of buildings which is a nice touch as it ties in well with the high-speed chase theme of the game. Symbols consist of the robber, the police woman, a police car, a bomb, a helicopter, a bank and a suitcase full of gold. They move sleekly along the reels and the animations are excellent as symbols breathe into life when you land a winning combination.

The music is very fast-paced and features some slow guitar sounds. It is quite reminiscent of old bank heist movies and you will also hear some distant police sirens going off whenever you land a winning spin. It really adds to the atmosphere of the game the more you play it.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game has 45 paylines, a decent RTP of 96.01%, and a low maximum payout worth 570X 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: 0.50, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00, 2.50, 3.00, 3.50, 4.00, 4.50, 5.00, 6.00, 7.00, 7.50, 8.00, 9.00, 10.00, 12.50, 15.00..125.00

Based on an original bet of 0.50:

• Cop Wild Symbol: 0.10 for 2X, 1.50 for 3X, 3.00 for 4X, 10.00 for 5X
• Robber Wild Symbol: 0.10 for 2X, 1.50 for 3X, 3.00 for 4X, 10.00 for 5X
• Mixed Wilds Symbol: 0.05 for 2X, 1.00 for 3X, 2.00 for 4X, 5.00 for 5X
• Suitcase Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 2.25 for 5X
• Helicopter Symbol: 0.15 for 3X, 0.30 for 4X, 1.75 for 5X
• Police Car Symbol: 0.15 for 3X, 0.25 for 4X, 1.00 for 5X
• Motorbike Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.20 for 3X, 1.00 for 5X
• Bomb Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.15 for 3X, 1.00 for 5X
• A Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.15 for 3X, 0.90 for 5X
• K Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.10 for 4X, 0.80 for 5X
• Q Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.10 for 4X, 0.70 for 5X
• J Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.10 for 4X, 0.60 for 5X
• 10 Symbol: 0.05 for 3X, 0.10 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X

Our Verdict on The Heat is On

The Heat is On is made by Microgaming and it's a thrill a minute slot as you try to avoid the cops at all costs and get away with a suitcase full of gold bars. The game does not have that many features but it is a lot of fun to play and has a really cool theme. The Free Spins are the standout attraction of this game and it is great that you can retrigger them as well. The game is of Low volatility so luckily you won’t be waiting too late for a decent payout.

Lose the cops and keep the loot in The Heat is On!