Slot Orion — Game Review
Stars Of Orion Slot
If you have never been stargazing, but want to experience even a glimpse of it, now you can do it in a somewhat magical way, thanks to the brand new Stars of Orion slot. Orion was a famous hunter according to Greek mythology, and the Orion constellation is the biggest and most visible one, no matter where you are in the world. This video slot will take you on a magical stargazing experience, where the stars can bring you incredible prizes, including a top win of 10,000x the stake. Keep reading and find out all about it.
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Stars Of Orion Slot Review
Table of Contents
- About Stars of Orion Slot
- Design, Symbols and Graphics
- RTP, Variance and Payouts
- Gameplay and Features
- Stars of Orion Slot on Mobile
- Our Verdict
Who knows what kinds of secrets are hidden in the constellations and in the somewhat magical place that the Stars of Orion slot takes place. You will be able to uncover all of them with the help of several exciting bonus features, including Free Drops, the Magic Metre, super symbols and many more. They are all explained in this in-depth review.
About Stars of Orion Slot
This game comes to us from ELK Studios, the company that has brought us many amazing video slots including the famous Toro series. Considering the success and the quality of those games, let’s see if they have managed to do the same with the Stars of Orion slot as well.
The layout of this game consists of 8 rows and 6 reels, but their arrangement is very unusual and unconventional, but it only makes the game that much more exciting and original.
On top of that, the game offers no paylines, as it employs the cluster pays system. If you are for some reason unfamiliar with it, it basically means that in order to land a win, you will need to create a cluster of at least 5 identical symbols.
To make the game even more thrilling, the Stars of Orion slot also incorporates the cascading system, which is referred to as the avalanche feature. This will allow for more dynamic gameplay, as winning symbols are removed from the reels and replaced by new ones, so more wins can occur on the same spin.
The betting options available in this game start from the minimum bet of £0.20 and go all up to the maximum bet of £100 per spin. The maximum payout is capped at an incredible 10,000x the stake per spin.
Design, Symbols and Graphics
The Stars of Orion slot offers immersive gameplay with excellent graphics and realistic visuals. The reels’ trims are two stone pillars, while the backdrop presents a magical place, similar to Stonehenge, with huge blocks of stone arranged and stacked up. There is a small pond below the reels and the night sky full of stars and constellations is above the reels.
To be fair, the symbols in this game hardly fit the constellations theme, but they are creative in their own right. The low-paying group of symbols is made up of different coloured crystal orbs (purple, green, blue, and red).
These are followed by animal emblems. In ascending order, we have a green bird, a blue wolf, a red elk, and the highest-paying symbol is a number 7, paying out 200x the stake for a cluster of 15 or more symbols.
There is also a substituting wild symbol, as well as a bonus scatter, and a super bonus scatter symbols that can help you trigger the free spins feature.
RTP, Variance and Payouts for Stars of Orion Slot
The Stars of Orion slot comes with high volatility, which offers highly valuable rewards that will in turn land a lot less frequently. The maximum win potential in this game is capped at 10,000x the stake, which is adequate for this type of volatility. However, they are unfortunately paired with a below-average RTP of 95%.
You can find more detailed explanations regarding the RTP and volatility models in our thorough Variance, Volatility and RTP Guide.
Gameplay and Features on Stars of Orion Slot
Now let’s take a look at the different kinds of bonus features that this game offers.
Super Symbols Feature
Super symbols differ from regular symbols because they have a blue outline around them. If a winning cluster that involves a super symbol is connected to another cluster, all the winning symbols will be transformed into the higher paying symbol type.
Magic Metre Feature
The symbols from consecutive avalanches will be collected in the magic metre on the right side of the reels. The more symbols you collect the bigger the multiplier will be, and you can also trigger different types of features by collecting a certain amount of symbols.
The multiplier can go up to 64x, while the possible features are as follows:
- Symbol Swap — adjacent symbols will be swapped in order to create a winning cluster;
- Orion’s Belt — 3 wild symbols will drop on the reels and form Orion’s Belt;
- Orion’s Club — 6 wilds will drop on the reels and form Orion’s Club;
- Orion’s Shield — 8 wilds will drop on the reels and form Orion’s Shield;
- Orion — 13 wild symbols will drop on the reels and form the entire Orion constellation.
Free Drops Feature
You can activate this feature by landing 3 bonus symbols at the same time, in which case you will receive 10 free drops. During this feature, the magic metre will not reset until the end of the feature. If you land 3 super bonus symbols, the super bonus round is activated, which consists of 10 free drops and a higher chance of super symbols.
X-iter Feature
ELK Studio’s staple X-iter feature is included in this game as well. However, it is not available for players in the UK. It allows you to buy certain advantages in the game, which will help you out.
- Guaranteed Win — this requires 5x the stake and you will get a winning cluster on the following spin;
- Super Symbols — a higher chance of super symbols is worth 10x the stake;
- 3x Symbol Swap — this is worth 50x the stake and you will get yourself 3 symbol swap features that will be triggered when the avalanches end;
- Free Drops Bonus — you can pay 100x the stake for a standard free drops feature;
- Super Bonus — this is worth 500x the stake and it will get you a super bonus feature with 10 free drops.
Stars of Orion Slot on Mobile
You can also play this game on your mobile or tablet, thanks to the state-of-the-art HTML5 technology. This makes the Star of Orion slot compatible with Windows, Android, and iOS devices, so you can enjoy it on a smaller screen without the need for additional or unnecessary downloads.
Other ELK Studios Slots
Here are some more ELK Studios video slots that we recommend you check out.
Wild Toro 2 — this is the long-awaited sequel to the incredible bullfighting duo. Toro and his matador are back on a 5×5 grid where 259 active paylines await you. This highly volatile game has several bonus features and a maximum payout of 10,000x the stake. The RTP is capped at 95%.
Dream Diver — this is a dream-like video slot with cartoonish visuals. The action takes place on a 5×4 grid and 178 paylines. This is a medium volatility game, with a top prize of 2,500x the stake and an RTP of 95%. As for the betting options, they range from £0.20 to £100.
Tropicool — experience winter at the beach and earn amazing prizes along the way. There is a 6×6 layout with up to 46,656 active paylines. The medium-high volatility is paired with an RTP of 95%. The biggest payout in the Tropicool slot is capped at 10,000x the stake.
Slotswise Verdict
The Stars of Orion slot definitely has the potential to become a fan favourite, as it offers a really fun and unusual theme, combined with stunning visuals and realistic graphics. The game has a magical atmosphere and the creative arrangement of the layout makes the game really innovative and original.
The gameplay is also really exciting and you can expect a dynamic and thrilling experience thanks to the cluster pays and the cascading systems. The diversity of the bonus features offers you the chance to earn great prizes. The only downside of the Stars of Orion slot is the below-average RTP.
Unboxing & Review: Orion Gaming Display
This handheld display is meant to enhance your portable Switch experience, but does it deliver visuals and sound to match its size and bulk?
October 11, 2022 4:30 PM
The Nintendo Switch is pretty good for what it offers in its visuals and sound, especially in the OLED, but electronics peripheral company Up-Switch believes it can do better. Enter the Orion Gaming Display. This big display is meant to upgrade the visuals and sound of your Switch with an 11.6-inch IPS monitor and has a multitude of compatibility even beyond the Switch, but does it offer a decent enough upgrade at a reasonable enough price point to make up for the weight and size of the device? Our own Greg Burke checked on that first-hand.
In this unboxing video, Greg demonstrates how fairly easy it is to slot your standard Nintendo Switch or Switch OLED model into the Orion Gaming Display. Unfortunately, you’re going to either need to plug the whole setup into a wall or have a battery pack on hand. It’s not powered by anything internal. Greg also takes issue with the weight of the device, claiming it feels even heftier than a Steam Deck (1.65 pounds), which is notable in comparison to the original 0.88 pounds of a normal Nintendo Switch with Joy-Cons attached.
Even so, there are quite a few positives to the Orion Gaming Display. Its anti-glare screen looks good and sound comes through nicely on the display. It’s most certainly an upgrade to the normal Switch’s overall play and performance.
Those nice things said, Greg also wasn’t fond of the fact that the Orion Gaming Display doesn’t seem to offer access to the Switch’s cartridge port, meaning you have to take the Switch out to change physical games. Add this to the weight of the device, which for Greg came out to around 2 pounds, 11 ounces, and the Orion just might be a bit too unwieldy to overcome its benefits.
Nonetheless, the Orion Gaming Display is available via Up-Switch’s website and approved retailers for $249.99 USD. Want more unboxings and review videos like this Orion Gaming Display? Be sure to check out our YouTube channels at Shacknews and GamerHubTV for the latest reviews, gameplay, interviews, unboxings, and more on the latest video games, technology, and toys.
Senior News Editor
TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj[email protected] and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.
