Like many Barcrest slot games, Legend of the Pharaohs has the look of a live casino game - the reels are set within a pair of columns and include lower value playing cards and a selection of Egyptian hieroglyphs. There's also a wild and a scatter.
The chief attraction in this trip to the Valley of the Kings is the Free Spins feature which is triggered by landing 3 or more of the pyramid symbol anywhere on the reels on the same spin. You'll be awarded 10 free spins come with a series of modifier extras. The more scatters that triggered the feature, the more extras you'll receive. 3 awards 1 bonus, 4 awards 2 with 3 on offer if you land 5 scatters. You will then play, randomly, with the following bonus extras:
Colossal Symbols – 1 randomly chosen symbol will become a colossal 3x3 symbol and covering 9 positions (on the 3 middle reels). It remains in play until the feature ends or another bonus extra is awarded.
Win Eliminators - the lowest value symbols are progressively eliminated from the reels, starting with the 10 followed by the J, Q, K and A. Up to 5 symbols can be eliminated from a single bonus trigger leaving just the higher value symbols.
Wild Reels - the whole of a reel will turn wild and will remain that way for the whole of the feature.
Wild Symbols - 1symbol will be chosen at random. Whenever it lands during the feature, it will turn into a wild.
Land 1, 2 or 3 red pyramid symbols during the feature you'll be offered a re-trigger with 1, 2 or 3 bonus extras. Once awarded, you'll be given the option of an exchange if you don't like what you've been offered (with more free spins normally).
Legend of the Pharaohs also comes with a series of Big Bet options - these are a set of 5 linked spins with extra goodies attached:
- £20 Big Bet - every time a pyramid lands, it lights an icon above the reels. Collect at least 3 during your 5 Big Bet spins and you'll be awarded 5 free spins. Each extra pyramid adds another 5 free spins to your total.
- £30 Big Bet - like the £20 Big Bet, the pyramid lights are in play here. Land 2 feature symbols and you'll trigger the Pharaoh's Bonus feature. This is a spin the wheel feature which awards cash prizes, a trigger feature or a game over depending on where the pointer lands.
- £40 Big Bet - as well as the £20 and £30 extras, you'll also get a shot at the Super Pharaoh's Bonus feature. Trigger the wheel and the section offering the feature is larger than in the £30 Big Bet. The cash prizes on offer are bigger too.
- £50 Big Bet - here you'll play for the Mega Pharaoh's Bonus feature. The feature portion of the wheel is bigger than the other Big Bets. Cash prizes are once again increased. Finally, the Return to Player (RTP) stands at 98.10% if playing in Big Bet mode compared to 96.10% in standard mode.
The visuals in Legend of the Pharaohs may not be the most spectacular you'll see but they're decent enough. Where this slot game impresses is in the Free Spins feature. It’s a cracker and offers plenty of potential thanks to the bonus extras. I have played it with 2 bonus extras (Wild Reels and Colossal Symbols) which resulted in huge wins.
We've taken many a virtual trip to ancient Egypt - Legend of the Pharaohs is a good one. Get lucky with the free spin extras and there could be treasure hiding in the sand. If you like the theme, sister company WMS offer Lady of Egypt which is very good. Quickspin’s Phoenix Sun is also recommended.