PRAGMATIC PLAY
Wild Depths invites players on an aquatic adventure courtesy of Pragmatic Play, offering a whimsical glimpse into life beneath the waves. Reminiscent of the charming underwater world portrayed in Finding Nemo, the game presents a cartoonish rendition of marine life where dangers are minimal. Visually, it shares similarities with Relax Gaming's Deep Descent, though the latter failed to make waves in the gaming scene.
In terms of gameplay, Wild Depths features several straightforward yet synergistic elements, including multiplier wilds, roaming wilds, respins, free spins, and a progressive win multiplier.
Once submerged in Wild Depths, the thematic intensity remains relatively tame. The underwater environment is illuminated by gentle sunbeams filtering through the water, casting a soft glow on purple rocks, swaying seaweed, and a sandy seabed. Here, even the sharks might be inclined towards vegetarianism. Adding to the whimsy, a wide-eyed orange fish serenades each respin with what can only be described as a trumpet-like instrument. Overall, Wild Depths offers a pleasantly quirky ambiance, providing players with a serene underwater escape to unwind and enjoy the tranquil surroundings.
If you're expecting a "however," then prepare for a shift in tone, as the mathematical model of Wild Depths doesn't quite match the laid-back ambiance of its underwater world. With a volatility rating of 5 out of 5, it's safe to say the game packs a punch in terms of risk. However, the RTP stands at a respectable 96.48% in its default setting, offering players some assurance. On average, players can anticipate triggering the bonus game approximately once every 120 spins, at least in theory. Regardless of the device you're using, whether it's a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can embark on this deep-sea adventure with stakes ranging from 20 pence/cents to $/€100 per spin.
Set across a 5-reel, 4-row game grid, Wild Depths boasts 40 paylines, providing ample opportunities to land winning combinations of three or more matching symbols. The paytable maintains the game's vibrant and bubbly theme by featuring chunky neon 10-A royals as the low-paying symbols, followed by three shellfish as the mid-tier symbols, and three cheerful-looking fish as the premium symbols. Aligning five symbols in a winning combination rewards players with payouts ranging from 1 to 1.5 times the bet for the low symbols, 2.5 to 5 times the bet for the mid symbols, and 7.5 to 20 times the bet for the premium symbols.
In Wild Depths, wild symbols hold the key to reeling in bigger wins. Appearing on all reels except the first, wilds substitute for all symbols except the scatter. Additionally, wilds come equipped with a x2 multiplier, which is applied to all winning combinations they contribute to. Should multiple wilds be part of a single win, their multiplier values are multiplied together, potentially leading to even larger payouts.
Wild symbols in Wild Depths also unlock a couple of other exciting features: roaming wilds and respins, along with a progressive multiplier that comes into play during the free spins bonus round.
Whenever a wild symbol lands in the base game, it remains on the reels for the next paid spin. With each subsequent spin, the wild symbol moves up one position on its reel until it eventually exits the screen. It's important to note that changing your bet while wilds are present on the screen will remove them, and the next paid spin will commence without any roaming wilds.
The pearl in oyster symbol serves as the scatter and can appear on all reels. Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols not only pays out 2x, 15x, or 100x the total bet but also triggers 6, 9, or 12 free spins, respectively. During the free spins feature, whenever a wild symbol lands, it initiates the same roaming wilds and respins sequence mentioned earlier. Additionally, with each respin, a win multiplier increases by +1, applying to all respin wins. This multiplier resets at the end of the respin sequence once all wilds have left the grid. Scatter symbols remain on the reels throughout the bonus round, and landing 3 of them awards an additional 5 free spins, with no limit on how many times this can occur.
Aspect | Wild Depths | Ocean Odyssey | Abyssal Adventure | Submerged Survival |
---|---|---|---|---|
Genre | Underwater Exploration/Survival | Underwater Adventure | Deep Sea Simulation | Aquatic Survival |
Graphics | Realistic 3D underwater environments | Cartoonish 2D sprites | Detailed 3D underwater scenes | Pixel art sprites |
Gameplay Mechanics | Survival, crafting, underwater navigation | Quest-based exploration | Resource management | Crafting, base-building |
Multiplayer Support | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Platforms | PC, Console | Mobile, PC, Console | PC, Console | Mobile, PC, Console |
Player Interaction | Limited (no direct multiplayer) | Multiplayer quests, trading | Leaderboards, challenges | Co-op, PvP |
Storyline Depth | Rich backstory, narrative-driven quests | Light narrative elements | Minimal | Story-driven progression |
Environmental Variety | Diverse underwater ecosystems | Limited environments | Mainly deep sea environments | Aquatic and coastal settings |
Community Size | Growing, niche community | Large player base | Moderate player base | Growing, niche community |
Expansion/DLC Plans | Regular updates with new content | Frequent updates and expansions | Sparse updates | Occasional DLC releases |
The game’s backdrop features a serene underwater scene—corals gently swaying, schools of fish darting about, and sun rays piercing through the crystal-clear water. The graphics are vivid and inviting, creating a sense of wonder and exploration.
Wild Depths captures the tranquility of the ocean depths. The playful soundtrack complements the underwater theme, evoking a sense of adventure and discovery.
Wild Depths is one of those games that's just so darn charming, it's hard not to fall in love with it. It's the kind of game that reminds you why companies like Pixar continue to thrive year after year. With its vibrant underwater world and upbeat Caribbean soundtrack, Wild Depths draws you in from the get-go. What's more, it doesn't just rely on its adorable appearance – it backs up its charm with a range of solid features that work well individually and synergize beautifully once the bonus round kicks in.
Thankfully, you won't have to wait too long to dive into the bonus round, with an average trigger rate of 1 in 120 spins – a relatively forgiving rate for a Pragmatic Play slot, though it may result in slightly lower average payouts. The respin feature truly shines, especially with the addition of a win multiplier. It's a shame that this multiplier doesn't carry over to regular free spins or persist for subsequent respin triggers, but Wild Depths still manages to provide plenty of excitement. While the combination of wild multipliers multiplying each other has the potential for big wins, during our review, wilds tended to land on single reels or in challenging combinations, making them less reliable for massive payouts.
In terms of volatility, Wild Depths didn't feel overwhelmingly volatile due to the frequent triggers of the free spins feature. However, payouts during the bonus round were modest, and the base game saw its fair share of dead spins. Of course, it's possible we simply encountered Wild Depths on a calmer day. Technically, the game offers solid winning potential, with Pragmatic Play implementing a 5,000x win cap to ensure the bounty from the sea doesn't get too out of hand.
If you're a fan of games that are adorable on the surface but pack a punch underneath, Wild Depths is definitely worth a try. It's well-crafted, bursting with cheer, and you never know if you've hooked a playful guppy or a formidable predator on the end of your line.