Name: The Alter Ego
Item: The Alter Ego
Rating: 7.0
Author: Patrick Owen

Casino Bonuses

Provider	Pragmatic Play
Reels	5
Rows	4
Paylines	576
Bonus Rounds	1
Bet Range	0.20 - 240
Volatility	High
Max Win	10,000x
Bonus Buy	Yes
RTP	96.07%
Our Rating	7.0

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Game Overview

I had a bit of a chuckle to myself after reading the title of this latest Pragmatic Play slot, simply because I commented the developer had somewhat of an Alter Ego regarding slot releases in my review of Trees of Treasure. Pragmatic Play is capable of producing some fantastic slot games such as Sugar Rush and Gates of Olympus but, at the same time, is equally guilty of creating non-entities such as Good Luck & Good Fortune and Sea Fantasy. I’m honestly intrigued about what we will get here, the good or bad of such a prominent software house. Considering I wasn’t all that impressed with the last release, the law of averages suggests it’s about time for something that reminds us what this award-winning developer is capable of. Let’s get straight into it by jumping into this 5-reel, 576 ways to win slot featuring a 96.07% RTP and a potential max payout of 10,000x the stake.

First, let’s get this straightened out: The Alter Ego is not themed on Pragmatic Play, and after a 10-second look at the reels, you’ll quickly realise the true, although unofficial, theme is actually Jekyll and Hyde. For those who don’t know the story, this fictional character is an intelligent and friendly Doctor one minute and a hideous and violent monster the next. The Alter Ego slot comes with its own good and bad side, as the base game is average at best, and the free spins bonus that can create up to 100,000 ways to win is pretty epic. Also in the mix are wild symbols, mystery symbols that convert into the same symbol, and a buy bonus feature.

I’m sure that, like me, you’re all hoping The Alter Ego is more Jekyll than Hyde, and aside from reading this review, the best way to find out is to test out The Alter Ego slot demo below. You can spin for free and form your opinions based on your own experiences!

The Alter Ego Slot Theme, Stakes, Pays & Symbols

The Alter Ego slot paytable

This is part of the review where we compare with other slots offering a similar theme, and if you’re a fan of Jekyll and Hyde, you’ll be pleased to know you can spin the reels on the Fury of Hyde Megaways slot from the game provider Jelly, which offers up to 117,649 paylines and a maximum win of 10,000x bet. Alternatively, Dr Watts Up from Microgaming is another slot with a similar theme focused around another mad scientist. If you prefer your online slots somewhat on the darker side, you might want to consider meeting the special doctors over at Nolimit City in their Disturbed slot, even though it could potentially put you off visiting the hospital for the rest of your life.

Okay, let’s get cracking into The Alter Ego, starting with the symbols and payouts it offers. The Doctor, fortunately in his friendly state, will award a 6x the stake reward when matched across five consecutive reels. He’s followed up by a Pistol, Watch, and Hat that offer 3x, 2.5x, and 2x for their top respective payouts. Handing you the chance for the smaller wins are the Ace, King and Queen, all paying up to 1.75x, and the Jack, Ten, and Nine, delivering a maximum of 1.5x each. The game also includes a Wild symbol that can only appear on reels two through four. It jumps in to substitute for all regular symbols whenever it can play a part in a winning combo.

I counted 40+ staking options between the minimum €0.20 and maximum €240.00 on The Alter Ego slot, so regardless of your playing budget, there shouldn’t be any issues finding a bet size to play this game at with real money.

The Alter Ego Slot Base Game

The Alter Ego slot base game

Quite frankly, the base game is nothing to get excited about despite its fancy 3-4-4-4-3 reel format, but I only say that because I know what’s to come from the bonus game, which is definitely the Alter Ego of what’s on offer here! You do at least have Wild Symbols and Mystery Symbols to keep you company as you hunt down that bonus, and they’ll also help keep your bankroll ticking over. Payouts will come each time three or more matching symbols land on successive reels from left to right, obviously starting from the leftmost reel.

Mystery Symbols

The mystery symbols are distinguishable by a spinning question mark, which can also land during the bonus as well as the base game. Although, in my experience playing The Alter Ego slot demo, these are more likely to show during the bonus as I hardly ever saw them on my base game spins. When they appear, they usually land in clusters before transforming into the same symbol, enhancing your chances of a payout.

The Alter Ego Slot Bonus Features

The Alter Ego slot free spins feature

I’ve dropped enough hints about the bonus game throughout this review, and it’s now time to dive into why this is what earns Pragmatic Play, at least from me, something of a reprieve. Once you’re lucky enough to hit three or more scatter symbols across the reels on a single spin, you’ll trigger a free spins bonus that could let you spin with up to 100,000 ways to win.

Free Spins

When you trigger the main event, you’re rewarded with 3 free spins, which, on the face of it, sounds like nothing at all when other slots give you 10, 15, 20, or even more. However, a Hold & Win element is in play, so your free spins reset back to 3 whenever scatter symbols land on the reels. That Scatter symbol, by the way, is not the same as in the base game, as it’s now a Red Serum rather than a green one, and while I’m at it, I should point out the Jekyll top-paying symbol is also replaced by a Hyde symbol in a not so unexpected twist.

At the start of the feature, the scatter symbols that triggered the bonus will expand their reels by one position, and any future scatter symbols do more than just reset your free spins, as they’ll also increase the height of the reel it lands on by one position. Expanded reels can grow as high as ten positions and remain locked until the bonus finishes. Get lucky enough to extend all reels to the max, and you’ll enjoy spins offering 100,000 ways to win, at least until your free sins run out and the bonus ends.

Bonus Buy

If you’re willing to pay the price, you can buy into the free spins directly by choosing from three options. For 100x your current spin bet, you can trigger the free spins bonus with 3 starting scatters (and their initial reel expansions), 150x for 3 scatters or 200x for 4 starting scatters.

Pros

Fair play; the free spins bonus game makes the tedious base game worth the effort.
The presentation is excellent.

Cons

The base game can be a little dull.

The Alter Ego Slot Review Final Thoughts

Should I admit to having a bit of egg on my face? Not just yet, as I’m fairly certain we’ll have to endure a series of poorly (in comparison) created slots before another worthwhile title comes along. That said, I have to give credit when it’s due, so I will admit The Alter Ego is a good (but not amazing) slot from Pragmatic Play.

7.0

Good

Game Types:
Bonus Buy Slots

Author Bio

Article by Patrick Owen

8 Years Slots Playing Experience

About Patrick Owen

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