In Orc vs Elf, a slot from RTG, we’re getting a fantasy themed title that looks like it’s taken directly out of a Tolkien novel. As it is normal in a game like this, you get wolves, unicorns, elves and orcs, all going to battle against each other. The Orc vs Elf fight is not just in the title, as the game offers two types of symbols (good vs bad). It’s a desolate view for the most part, even on the half of the screen that shows us the elf side, with the difference being how light or dark the predominant shade of brown is.
The fight between the two sides takes part on 25 paylines, with 5 reels hosting them all. Since there are two sides to this fight, each feature is represented by two types of symbols. You get two scatters, two expanding wilds and up to fourteen types of bonus rounds (seven trials for each side). This fight between the good and evil doesn’t pay that well apparently, with about $1,000 being the most you can hope for.
Features of Orc vs Elf
Though design wise the game doesn’t bring too many arguments in its favor, it’s a whole different story when it comes to the features. There are the two types of symbols that are offered by each side, plus the seven trials/bonus rounds you go through. At the beginning of the game, you choose to play as the Elf or the Orc, and that will influence the features you go through.
The wild symbols give you the main heroes of each side that’s taking part in the fight. The Orc expands as a wild on the 1st reel, while the Elf does the same on the 5th. Each one has one symbol it can’t substitute for, the scatter of the other side. That’s why the Orc can’t take over for the Elf Shield symbol, while the Elf can’t substitute for the Orc Shield. They are capable however to take the place of their own scatter symbols.
Battle Bonus is a symbol with a logo on it, using the two words and being used as scatters. They are limited to reels 2 through 4. Whenever all three are on the reels, you are rewarded with a bonus game, where the elf will fight the orc. Since you play the game as one of the two, if your representative wins you get the first trial feature associated with him. If he loses, you get a prize between 2x and 10x the bet value.
The shield symbols of both fighters act as scatters, which will trigger the feature rounds when at least three of them are on the screen. There are also payouts associated with the Orc Shield and the Elf Shield (5x for four symbols, 20x for five symbols).
The feature offered by these two symbols involves seven trials/features that you advance through. Each time the scatters trigger the feature, you play the next level of the trials. The seventh time you get access to the feature, you get the best feature of the game. Both the Elf and the Orc have their own list of trials, and you can read about them below.
Elf Feature Levels
1. Woodland Spins – awards the player 6 free games
2. Elf Magic – 6 games for free, plus extra wilds
3. Huntsman – 7 spins for free, with extra wilds. Whenever an orc symbol appears, it will be killed and the player gets up to 200x the bet as a reward.
4. Ancient Archer – you get the benefits of the Huntsman feature, plus you also get prizes when wolves appear and they are killed (up to 100x the bet).
5. Archmage – all the benefits coming from Ancient Archer, to which the game adds extra wilds
6. Forestal – you get the Archmage features, plus a Super Spin that has 2x multipliers and extra wilds
7. Elf King – the final level of the trials will offer 8 spins and the features of the Forestal trial. On top of that, you get a Super Spin with wilds appearing on the 5th reel.
Orc Feature Levels
1. Goblin’s Gold – the player receives 5 spins, where the combinations of symbols associated with Orcs have 2x multipliers.
2. Hobgoblin – the second trial has 6 spins, the same 2x multipliers for dark symbols, plus the option of retriggering 2 spins with 2+ scatters.
3. Orc Army – all the benefits of Hobgoblin, plus the Orc Fort is used as an extra wild.
4. Orc Horde – identical with Orc Army, only here you also get an extra Orc symbol for the 1st reel.
5. Giant Spins – this trial adds to the Orc Horde benefits a 3x multiplier, to be used on dark symbols (instead of the previous 2x).
6. Chaos Spins – on top of what Giant Spins will give you, this trial also has an extra 7 free games.
7. Orc Onslaught – the final trial from the Orc side, it offers what you would get in Chaos Spins, plus a single Super Spin that is offered last and can potentially give you big prizes.
Betting options and jackpots
There is only one option left up to the player, the value of that one coin that is going to be used for each payline. There are always 25 coins used, and since their value is between $0.01 and $1, the overall betting range is $0.25 to $25.
The base game isn’t offering that much to the player, with prizes of up to $1,000 available in it, but the trials do have multipliers which should make the game a lot more interesting.
Design and symbols
While you get all the monsters and heroes that fantasy novels are known to have, you don’t get the stunning graphics that this genre will usually offer. If you look at each individual symbol, or at the creatures sitting on both sides of the reels, you will find them to be nicely drawn and nice additions to the title. However, it somehow never manages to come together in the overall design.
Symbols: Orc/Elf (wilds), Orc Shield/Elf Shield (scatters, 20x the bet), Battle Bonus (bonus symbol), Orc Fort/Elf Castle (1,000x), Wolves/Unicorns (500x), Orc Flag/Delicate Flower (250x), Skulls/Potion (200x), Orc Sword/Bow and arrows (125x).
Is It Worth Playing?
The game’s features certainly recommend it, with a lot of variety from the free spins features/trials. The design and the top jackpot value are the two things that keep me on the fence about it. It should be a fun game though, and for those that want something special or they are fans of Tolkien, it’s a good choice.
You will find Orc vs Elf at any online casino which chooses to use software from RTG, playable either for free or for real money.
