Tales of Darkness: Full Moon Slot Review
Vampires and werewolves are familiar concepts for people today, so it would not be difficult to understand the back story of the Tales of Darkness: Full Moon video slot game by Novomatic. Werewolves, or lycanthropes, take center stage in the latest iteration of the goosebump-inducing Tales of Darkness series.
It is fully mobile-optimized, so it is compatible for both PC and mobile devices. Others in the series include Lunar Eclipse, Midnight Heat, and Break of Dawn. Whether Full Moon slot proves to be the best in the series and for slot games, in general, is the subject of this review.
Gameplay
Players with a preference for the medieval rather than the futuristic get instant gratification at the opening of Tales of Darkness: Full Moon as soon as the gates open, carried along a trek up a narrow path leading up to a dark and eerie castle. The castle is the home of a man who transforms into a werewolf at the full of the moon as well as a whole cast of nightmarish creatures including other werewolves, black cats and evil owls.
This is the setup for players preparing to spin those reels as a means to defeating these evil creatures (and win some money as well).
There is nothing cute about these creatures at all. The video slot features 5 reels in a 4×5 matrix with 40 paylines. Players can wager as little as 0.40 credits, and can change the number of active paylines. It is an option, but not recommended as high-paying combos might line up across an inactive payline. The Full Moon video slot has a medium to high volatility ranking, which increases the excitement and anticipation of playing the game. Players with a low tolerance for either of those things might want to think twice about engaging.
Features
The game has 12 symbols the player will see flashed on the reels, including six alphanumeric playing cards ones of which are also featured in others in the Tale of Darkness game series. Awards pour in for as much as 80x the wager when a player gets a line of 9, 10, or J. That doubles down when reels line up Q, K or A, multiplying the line wager by as much as 160.
The paytable also features resident creatures, and when matching black cats or owls appear, the game multiplies the wager amount by as much as 240. If the reels halt on werewolves, that multiplier goes up to 500. For a really big payout, watch out for a line of the castle owner in human form, which is the top paying symbol of the game. That multiplies the line wager by 1,000.
Full Moon wilds – which can transform into the regular symbol next to it for a winning spin, are the bone-chilling eyes of the werewolf. When they appear, they would only be in the second to fourth reels, never the first or fifth, which actually makes a lot of sense, statistically speaking,
Scatter symbols – The scatter symbols are important in a Full Moon because they only increase chances of a winning combination by triggering free spins. The scatter symbol in this game is two bats against a full moon background, and getting three or more of these symbols in a spin triggers a multiplier for the line wager and the free game feature.
The multiplier – The multiplier and number of free spins will depend on the number of symbols. For three scatter symbols in a spin, the player doubles the line wager and gets 10 free spins. A four-scatter spin multiplies the payout by 6 and gives the player 15 free spins. A five-scatter combination multiplies the wager by 20 and yields 20 free spins. This last combination might be easier to catch as expected as each time there is a three- or four-scatter spin, the other reels will spin again, improving the chances of getting the scatter symbols needed for a 5-scatter combo. Players feeling lucky can also double the payout by betting that the next card in the pack will be red or black. The wrong choice would mean losing all the winnings, however.
The only issue with the free game feature in the Full Moon video slot is it is not re-triggerable. Once activated and completed, a player cannot expect to activate another round. Free spins earned during this activation are all the player can expect for that session.
Tales of Darkness: Full Moon Slot Review Verdict
Tales of Darkness: Full Moon will not suit everyone’s taste. If you are looking for a fun and light game, this is not it. The setup for the game is sure to get the adrenaline pumping, which is not a good sign for the faint of heart. However, relatively low minimum bets and generous payouts when Lady Luck is smiling might just tip the scales.
It would be right up the alley for players with a yen for excitement and danger. They will thoroughly enjoy a visit to this mountaintop castle and encounters with snarling and evil creatures while taking their chances for a big win. Full Moon is comparable to other video slots in the series, so pick this one if you are really into werewolves!
