The visuals in Cowboys and Aliens look like they've come straight out of the comic book and are superbly done. The reels feature the central characters from the movie including Verity, Zeke, the Indian warrior, the padre as well as the alien. The action is set off by a stirring soundtrack that has a slight country feel.
The most regular of the three features to hit is the Alien Weapon feature. When this symbol appears on reel one, it will zap between 1 and 4 symbols, turning them into wilds and giving your chances of a big win a nice boost. Next is the Alien Attack Bonus feature which is triggered when the Alien Attack symbol hits on reels 1 and 5. You'll be given the choice of 3 characters, each brandishing a different weapon to destroy the attacking aliens.
You'll then be transported to an arcade style game. Choose Zeke and you'll receive 6 highly accurate bullets. The Indian Warrior provides 12 arrows with medium accuracy. Finally there's Verity who's armed with a low accuracy whip which offers 20 shots. After each alien is destroyed you'll be awarded a cash prize, a 2x multiplier or extra ammunition.
Lastly find 3 or more Cowboys and Aliens scatter symbols to trigger the Free Games feature - you'll receive 8free spins. An oversized rectangle will be highlighted during each free spin. Once the reels stop, that rectangle will become wild offering plenty of opportunities to secure a bumper payout.
The Wild is the biggest paying symbol, offering a payout of up to 10,000 coins if you manage to find five in a payline. Cowboys and Aliens is a low variance title so you can enjoy plenty of play on a limited bankroll. Entertaining it is too. The sounds and visuals are well done and are matched by some impressive features.
Winning a huge amount may be difficult but on the entertainment scale this movie-themed offering is more of a hit than a turkey. However, most branded slots from Playtech are low variance except the Marvel Series games so aren’t really my thing – if you like comic-book themed slots, Spider-Man Attack of the Green Goblin (also by Playtech) is much better and is much more volatile.