With Great Griffin, Microgaming decided to create a slot machine that is partially themed around mythology, with a magic element being involved in it as well. The griffin, which the title mentions and the reels show off from time to time, is a creature of legend, which had the wings and the head like an eagle, while the rest of the body was that of a lion. Needless to say, it was quite an impressive sight, and the legends mention it as a majestic and very powerful creature, the king of the animal kingdom. They are often mentioned as guardians of treasures, so I find it quite appropriate that it’s used in a slot machine.
You’re going to get a lot of chances to win a prize in this game, as it offers a total of 50 lines on its 5 reels. When you look at the features as well, especially at the free spins with their multipliers of up to 10x, but also at the scatter symbols and the wilds, you will understand why I love playing this game. Its top payout might be at only $5,000, but that’s without the multipliers getting involved.
Features of Great Griffin
The game is just as fun feature wise, as it is when it comes to the theme and the design. There are pick me bonus games, there are wild symbols, scatters and free spins with very high multipliers, so you’re guaranteed a good time inside.
Now, there are two ways that the wild symbol can appear. The first one is the old fashioned method, where it simply appears among the rest of the symbols. If the wilds land on the same line, with 2 to 5 symbols arranged from the left, you get paid directly by it. Its prizes will go as high as 5,000x, so the ultimate goal here is to get that five symbol combo with just wilds in it. Wild symbols also double prizes when they substitute for other symbols, so ideally they will be part of as many new combinations as possible. They will not replace a scatter or bonus symbol, only regular ones.
The second way to get wilds is to have the luck of triggering the Griffin. The Griffin bird will randomly fly on the screen, during any spin, and it will change some of the regular symbols into Griffin wilds.
The Great Griffin Logo gets its own role, the symbol being used as the scatter. Like it does in many other games, it can give you prizes directly, and it also triggers free spins. The prizes require 2 or more Logos in scattered positions, and they pay you from 2x to 200x the total bet.
Free Games Feature
The free spins need a minimum of 3 Logos scattered around, and if that happens you have a choice to make. The first one would be a round with 15 spins and 3x multipliers. The second choice gives you 10 spins and 5x multipliers. The third option awards only 5 spins, but its multipliers will be at 10x.
You pick one of the three options, and the free spins will start up. As they spin, if 3+ Logos appear again on the reels, during the same round, the free spins will be retriggered, and once again you pick one of the three types of free spins.
Pick Me Bonus
The Lady symbol is the trigger for the bonus feature in this case. You need 3 Lady icons on the reels to get it started.
Once the feature has started, pick one of the triggering symbols (the ones that now have the words Pick Me on them, and you will get a prize from it. The highest possible prize in this case is at 50x the total bet. On top of the prize, you may also get the Win All or the Pick Again options. Win All gives you the prizes from all the other symbols as well. Pick Again gives you a second prize.
Betting options and jackpots
Despite the fact that it has 50 lines that you have to cover with your bets, the most you can spend in one round of Great Griffin is $50. As you’ve probably calculated yourself, that’s only $1 per line. The game allows you to use a maximum of 10 coins in each case, with their denomination topping off at $0.10.
The game’s biggest prizes aren’t impressive normally, with $5,000 being the most you can take home (5,000x), but the free spins can take that up to $50,000 and the game has quite a few smaller wins to give you along the way, since there are 50 lines and just as many chances to get paid each round.
Design and symbols
If the features weren’t interesting enough for you, and I find that hard to believe, the design will probably convince you that it’s a game worth exploring. The game doesn’t use any boring playing cards, with all the symbols being related to griffins, magic or the implements that sorcerers would use. Some kind of sorcerer lair is visible behind the reels, a room in a dark castle, fitting for such a game. On the reels, the atmosphere is a bit dark, but it works out great in this case.
Symbols: Griffin (wild, 5,000x), Lady (bonus), Logo (200x total bet, scatter), Griffin Claw (200x), Pink Crystals (200x), Griffin Egg (150x), Lit Candles (150x), Spell Book (125x), Potion Flasks (125x), Mortar and Pestle (100x), Root (100x), Scales (100x) and Griffin Feather (100x).
Is It Worth Playing?
It’s definitely worth playing, and not just for a short time. The design and the features are very good, and even the prizes are satisfying since you get more of them on a regular basis, rather than huge ones once in a blue moon.
You will find Great Griffin at any online casino which chooses to use software from Microgaming, playable either for free or for real money.
