Five Reel Drive is a video slot machine developed by Microgaming, one of the most renowned software providers in the industry. Released in 2011, this game has been delighting players worldwide for over a decade now. As its name suggests, the theme revolves around motor racing and speedsters, bringing an exhilarating experience to all those who give it a spin.
Theme and Design
The moment you enter Five Reel Drive, you are https://5reeldrivedemo.com surrounded by the roaring engine sounds of high-performance cars speeding across the track. The backdrop is designed to resemble a stadium where auto racing events take place. The reels themselves are well-lit with vibrant colors that match the energy level of an actual race event. The 5×3 reel grid features five fixed paylines, providing ample opportunities for players to win.
Symbols and Payouts
The game boasts an impressive selection of high-quality symbols, including nine numbered card values (Ace through 9), four different car models that serve as the high-paying icons, a sleek speedster acting as the Wild symbol, and two bonus symbols: Scattered Racing Lights and Scattered Oil Slick. When it comes to payouts, Five Reel Drive follows a traditional slot machine pattern where combinations of identical symbols on paylines are rewarded according to their respective multiplier values.
Here is an overview of the payout structure for each symbol type:
- Card Values (A through 9): Pay anywhere from x5 up to x50 times your line bet.
- Low-Paying Car Model: Offers between x20 and x3000 times your total stake when five matching symbols appear on a payline.
- High-Paying Car Models: Grant rewards ranging from x100 to x5000 per winning combination, depending on the car model you manage to match.
The game’s Wild symbol is particularly interesting. It can be substituted with any other standard symbol (including bonus icons) but does not create its own wins, unlike some modern video slots that allow their wilds to trigger additional bonuses or even replace entire symbols within specific combinations.
Wilds and Scatters
Speaking of the speedster’s ability to act as a Wild icon, we should highlight one more aspect: The game has an optional ‘5-Reel Drive Bonus’ feature. While active in the main mode (denoted by its green-colored status in top-right corner), it only gives 1x or no bonus award per win – which seems counterintuitive.
The Scattered Racing Lights icon triggers Free Spins whenever two, three, four, or five of these symbols are anywhere visible on reels. For such wins (starting with the lower count first):
- Two scatters pay out x1 your total bet.
- Three pays 6 times that amount,
- Four awards you a staggering 40 times the stake,
- Five sets free spins with at least a minimum multiplier.
Bonus Features and Free Spins
Here’s where things get more fascinating: Whenever five or four of any car model appear consecutively on an active line from left to right, their respective bonus features become accessible in ‘Classic’ mode (standard play) only. For these icons:
- High-Paying Car Models 2 & 3 pay a 50x bet multiplier each when all appear lined up on reels one through five.
- Each model’s specific game has three exclusive wins listed under Classic Bonus Modes but described within separate modes beyond what is detailed here (like Hot Rods, Roadsters, or Raring Bolts).
With Free Spins in action, Multiplier Wheel becomes a feature – granting various multiplier values based on the number and location of free spin bonus icon appearances.
The multipliers for winning combinations appear when five matching icons line up left-to-right across reels one through three (with some limits on winnings even with these increased rewards). It seems somewhat less advantageous now because wins will be limited to x5 maximum win regardless how often you get lucky over the course of games and other factors like number multiplier values involved.
The RTP stands at 96%, which indicates an overall average payout percentage for the game. Microgaming did not specify a particular variance level, so we assume this is their default high volatility slot setup.
Volatility
Given its reputation as ‘High Volatility’, Five Reel Drive leans more towards offering fewer but larger wins rather than consistently handing out smaller rewards throughout gameplay sessions.
The betting range spans from $0.01 up to $250 per payline with 5 fixed lines available for use, so you’ll find plenty of flexibility within the system according to different budgets.
Max Win
A maximum payout is limited at x50000 stake by winning a single combination in any round – pretty standard for many Microgaming titles.
Given its abundance of colorful and dynamic graphics, the slot appears highly detailed yet does not go overboard with animations or excessive visual elements during gameplay. Navigation remains fluid throughout.
Gameplay
Once initiated through either classic play mode or ‘Free’ spin functions triggered by particular Scattered Oil Slick icon combinations – players have all necessary features available on screen while spinning reels in motion at varying speeds.
This game also supports mobile devices where compatibility is maintained thanks to Flash and later HTML5 technologies that make playing it accessible across Android, iOS tablets & phones without loss of functionality.
Player Experience
Five Reel Drive manages a consistent overall atmosphere with thrilling gameplay experiences reminiscent of racing competitions but remains grounded in realism, offering just as satisfying feelings for casual or seasoned gamblers alike.