Max Megaways: Slot Overview

Hey players, let us introduce you to Megaways, Max Megaways, a secret agent-themed slot from Aussie provider Big Time Gaming. Secret agents are known for going large, living a glamorous life on the edge in a constant dalliance with danger. Well, they are in certain books and movies, and if Max Megaways is another to go by, in online slots as well. Max Megaways is a big game, rammed with features which it delivers with a very James Bond-ish, throw caution to the wind type flair.

Some people might find the idea ludicrous but building a secret lair in a volcano clearly makes a whole lot of sense if you're a villain. Examples include the films You Only Live Twice as well as Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and the idea has been put to great use in Max Megaways. The base game is situated outside the lair, where the game grid has been grafted to the side of a mountain, on a secluded island somewhere exotic. The sun's shining, clouds drift slowly across the sky, and waves gently lap the shore. Helped by an excellently swinging soundtrack, it doesn't take much imagination to picture yourself gearing up for an assault on whatever baddie resides here and foiling their plans for world domination.

Available on all devices, Max Megaways is played on a game grid constructed of 6 vertically spinning reels and a horizontal Extra Reel on top. Since the number of symbols landing on the main reels changes with each spin, ways to win vary as well, going as high as 117,649. Players score wins when matching symbols land on the grid on consecutive reels, starting from the left. Highly volatile, as BTG games tend to be, stakes range from 20 p/c to $/€20 per spin in a game with a theoretical return value of 96.37%.

Symbols in Max Megaways aren't hugely in keeping with the theme, but they get the job done. They start with 9-A card ranks worth 0.3 to 0.5 times the stake for six of a kind, rising in value to 0.6-5x the bet when landing six of the four premium jewel symbols. Wilds help by replacing all normal paying symbols and appear only on the Extra Reel, except when they are created by the Vertical Wild or Duplicating Wild bonuses.

Max Megaways: Slot Features

Secret agents are famous for their gadgets, and BTG has stuck to tradition by equipping Max Megaways with quite a haul, including reactions, four base game modifiers, two types of free spins with an assortment of bonuses, a bonus buy, and the Win Exchange.

Reactions

All symbols used in a winning way are removed from the grid after they hit and are replaced by symbols from above on the mains reels or from the right on the Extra Reel. If new symbols create another win, another reaction is triggered.

Base Game Bonuses

On each base game spin or reaction, there is a chance a wild modifier can activate:

• Maximum Megaways – each main reel displays its full quota of symbols.
• Vertical Wild – all symbols on one reel are replaced by wild symbols.
• Horizontal Wild – all symbols on the Extra Reel are replaced with wilds.
• Wild Bomb – a Wild Bomb is placed on the Extra Reel. After any win evaluations are made, all symbols except scatters or the Wild Bomb are destroyed and replaced with new symbols.

Free Spins

2 types of scatters appear in Max Megaways – normal Gold Scatters and Diamond Megascatters. Landing 3 scatters awards 10 free spins, plus 2 free spins for any extra scatter in view. If one of the triggering scatters is a Megascatter, Enhanced Free Spins are awarded. In the base game, normal scatters appear on reels 1-5, the Megascatter on reel 6 only.

Before free spins begin, players click on doors to reveal free spins modifiers. You get 2 picks when regular free spins are triggered or 3 picks for the Enhanced Free Spins. Bonuses from the pick part of the round include:

• Double Multiplier – the win multiplier increases by +2 after each reaction.
• Duplicating Wilds – wild symbols turn each symbol below them into wilds.
• 2 Scatter Retrigger – landing two or more scatters awards extra free spins.
• Increased Ways – at least five symbols land on each main reel.
• No Lower Symbols – the 9, 10, and Jack are removed for free spins.

Free spins have a win multiplier that starts at x1 and increases by +1 after each reaction. Also, scatters now only appear on the Extra Reel. If the 2 Scatter Retrigger has not been won, then landing 3 of them awards 4 extra free spins, +4 for each scatter beyond three.

Bonus Buy

Click the ticket stub button to buy the bonus round. One option is normal free spins for 75x the bet where you get 2 bonus picks or Megascatter free spins for 200x the bet where 3 picks are allowed. Buying either bonus has the same RTP of 96.37%.

Win Exchange

The Win Exchange also comes with two options. First, if you win 100x the stake or more in the base game, you can exchange an amount equal to 100x the bet for 10 free spins. Or, when winning between 25 and 100x the bet, you can gamble the amount for the chance to win 10 free spins on a green and red segmented wheel.

Max Megaways: Slot Verdict

Making a secret agent game comes with a certain level of risk. If done with too much tongue in cheek, it could come across a bit silly, yet taking things too seriously might lead to something equally naff. BTG has dodged both outcomes to create a superb secret agent slot that is a class act in almost every regard. It looks the business as it swans its way from base game outdoor setting to indoor lair for free spins, with a metaphorical martini in hand, pistol in the other, and zero creases anywhere to be found on the tux.

On a more mechanical level, Max Megaways' features fit it like a charm as well. Base game modifiers and reactions keep the pace moving along, plus there's always the Win Exchange or Bonus Buy for applicable players who just want to bust into the lair and foil the villain's plans. One of the good things about arriving in free spins and clicking doors is each of the Free Spins Bonuses has something useful to offer; there are no duds. Two scatter retriggers were instrumental in elongating bonus rounds, Double Multipliers can really boost the multiplier number, Duplicating Wilds and Increased Ways are useful, as is the removal of the three lower symbols. Individually, they're handy, but having two or three working together can be quite a sight. Potent, too, as Max Megaways packs winning potential of 139,200x the bet.

Max Megaways is the first instalment in what is planned to be a trilogy of slots and explodes off the blocks. Does it reinvent the wheel? No, but that doesn't stop it from brimming with exciting features, combinations of features, and choice stats. Cover all that good stuff with some classic spy imagery accompanied by swinging sounds, and you've got the makings of a thrilling series.