Elk Studios has just released another brand new mobile slot into its already impressive portfolio and it’s called Ivanhoe. This mobile slot features a perfect balance of the timeless fruit machine inspired theme and characters from the Dark Ages. Unlike all the other art-sy Elk productions such as Wild Toro, Ivanhoe is a tad different and we absolutely love it.
Instead of making the usual slot – beautifully designed and animated, Elk Studios have redirected all their resources into integrating a historical story into the theme and gameplay of this slot. If you’d ask me, the Ivanhoe mobile slot really did do justice to the original Ivanhoe novel by Sir Walter Scott justice.
Game Basics
Ivanhoe sports an unconventional layout of just three reels that is paired with 17 paylines. Based on the novel written by Sir Walter Scott almost two centuries ago, this mobile slot is an adventure of Ivan who fights alongside Richard the Lionheart. As previously mentioned, you will also find tonnes of cherries, watermelons and lemons on your reels.
You may play this game from a mere 20p all the way up to a massive £100 per spin. When it comes to your budget, Elk studios has got you covered with their betting strategies. Depending on your style of play and risk appetite, you may choose either one of the following betting strategies.
- Optimizer – The bet level changes automatically, adapting to the selected percentage of you balance; you may choose between 1%, 2%, 5% and 10%
- Leveller – Raises bet 2 levels after 5 consecutive loss; a repetition increases the bet 2 more levels and resets after a win
- Booster – Raises bet 1 level after a loss, until reaching 4 levels above base bet; resets after a win
- Jumper – Raises bet 1 level after winning round, until 4 levels above base bet; resets after a loss
The game itself is a medium to high in variance. A little bit of patience might be required with this game and if you are on a tight budget and want to makes the best out of it, Ivanhoe may not be suitable for you.
Basically, this is a ‘go big or go home’ type of game. Good news is that this slot may pay up to 500x your wager in the base game and up to 3,000x your wager in the extra spins feature. Just like in battle: high risks equals high rewards.
Bonus Features
Just as we can expect from an Elk Studio mobile slot, the first feature in this game is undoubtedly the Wilds. In Ivanhoe, the Wilds come in the form of a crown symbol and they will replace all other symbols to complete winning paylines in the bonus game.
Secondly and most importantly, are the Ivanhoe bonus games. These bonus games come in five different levels and in order to climb up the levels, you will need to win. Each levels come with unique win characteristics and requirements for you to proceed to the next level. Triumph in all and you may win up to 3,000 times your wager in the fifth level when you claim the crown for Richard the Lionheart. Here are the details of each bonus game level.
- Level 1 – Need to win 2,500 coins to level up; rewards you with a 2x win multiplier
- Level 2 – Need to win 8,000 coins to level up; rewards you with a 3x win multiplier and 3 additional spins
- Level 3 – Need to win 20,000 coins to level up; rewards you with a 4x win multiplier and 3 additional spins
- Level 4 – Need to win 81,000 coins to level up; rewards you with a 5x win multiplier and 3 additional spins
- Level 5 – Need to win 2,500 coins to level up; rewards you with a 6x win multiplier and 3 additional spins
How Does The Game Perform?
Ivanhoe mobile slot performed incredibly well on all our tested devices. It is compatible with all platforms (regardless of IOS, Android or PC), giving your ample of options in ways to play this game. If it makes it any better, the game loads quickly and is even playable on older devices without any issues.
The graphics are simple yet thoughtful at the same time and it executes the theme of the slot really well. Given that it’s Elk Studios that have produced this game, all the visual aspects in this game are as good as anyone can make. Soundtrack wise, I think that Elk Studios could have done better, as the music is quite repetitive and will get boring really quickly.
The Feature That You Should Look Out For
The part that impressed me most about in the Ivanhoe mobile slot is animations that play above your reels during the bonus games. In the first spin, you will get to watch an animation that explains the story and the events that lead to the battle. Each spin after that is the fight between Ivanhoe and his opponents.
A successful hit will be landed whenever you win something in the bonus game and a miss is recorded if you don’t. This is the first time in the world that I have seen a slot developer design an animation that plays along with the gameplay of the slot. The animations aren’t all just set either, it is tailored according to your wins and losses in the bonus game. How cool is that?!
And Finally…
To sum this game up in one sentence, Ivanhoe is a perfect fusion of history and modern times. On one hand you get to enjoy the beautiful historical novel by Sir Walter Scott and on the other, you get to enjoy a five star quality slot. The level features in the extra spins are beyond captivating and innovative at the same time.
That said, I am really glad that Elk Studios are mixing things up a bit, giving us new slots with new themes and features. They are the only slot developers out there who dare venture into new territories and not just milk something that they are really good at. If they continue developing amazing games like this, I am confident that Elk Studios will be crowned as the best developer of 2017.
