96.05%
0.20
Video Slots
High
5
No
240.00
Pragmatic Play
Yes
243 ways to win
Horror
Blade & Fangs online slot game
Pragmatic Play is an award-winning developer known for creating some fantastic online slots, and today, we have a review of the provider's latest, and perhaps most gruesome, slot to date. That slot is called Blades & Fangs, a horror-themed slot that is not for the faint of heart. Blade & Fangs is an exciting slot featuring two sets of 5x3 reels, each containing 243 ways to win, a max win of 5,000x the stake, and a solid RTP of 96.05%. As for the bonus features, the Blade & Fangs slot delivers multiplier symbols, multiplier respins with the two grids merged, and a free spins feature that also merges the two reels. Plus, a bonus buy feature lets you buy straight into the free spins feature instantly.
We extensively played and tested the Blade & Fangs slot before compiling this in-depth review. We've also provided the slot demo above, so you can enjoy the Blade & Fangs slot for free and test out all the bonus features.
Blade & Fangs Slot Theme and Storyline
It took us as long as it took to read the title of the Blade & Fangs slot to realize what the theme was. We're pretty sure you've probably figured it out as well, and that is a horror theme. The reels feature characters reminiscent of those you might see in the most gruesome of horror movies. There are monsters, ghouls, skeletons, zombies, wolves, vampires, snakes, and more!
There's not much of a backstory here, but that's hardly important, as all you need to know is the reels feature nasties you wouldn't want to meet in real life.
Graphics, Sounds, and Animations
Pragmatic Play rarely designs a slot featuring poor graphics, and that is evidenced once again in the Blade and Fangs game. Admittedly, we feel it isn't one of their best-looking games, but it is certainly well-designed and immerses players into the spooky theme of the slot. The spooky sound effects, especially, really add to the experience as you spin the reels, hoping to hit a big win.
The background behind the reels is full of skulls in an eerie-looking castle, while the reels themselves are surrounded by blood-soaked chains. As for the symbols, well, if you're prone to nightmares, these will certainly give you some.
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Gameplay & Slot Features Blade & Fangs
Now that we've introduced you to the chilling theme and the immersive graphics, animations, and soundtrack of the Blade & Fangs slot, we next want to describe the gameplay and features you can expect when playing. We played the slot for many hours and put it through its paces so that we can break down the features and give you an informed opinion on the slot overall.
The Blade & Fangs slot is played across a dual grid system with both reel sets featuring 5 reels, 3 rows and 243 ways to win. Each reel during the base game, for the most part, spins independently from the other and can create winning combinations - so essentially, you're getting two bites of the cherry with each spin bet. To create those winning combos, you need to land three or more matching regular symbols on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel.
As for the symbols you'll encounter on both reel sets, there are ten regular symbols and a scatter, while there are no wild symbols. The scatter symbol promises the biggest payouts as you'll receive a max win of 500x the total bet when it lands six times anywhere in view. It is the only symbol that is not required to land on consecutive reels. It will also trigger the free spins bonus, something we'll talk about in more detail later.
As for the regular symbols, the top six-symbol combination payouts are:
- Skeleton: 10x
- Werewolf: 5x
- Vampire: 4x
- Snake: 2.5x
- Bat: 2x
- Ace/King: 1.5x
- Queen/Jack/Ten: 1x
Blade & Fangs Bonus Features - Multiplier Symbols, Respins & Free Spins
We found a few exciting and lucrative bonus rounds and features as we played the Blade & Fangs slot from Pragmatic Play. There are multiplier symbols, multiplier respins where the reels merge, and a free spins bonus, where, once again, the grids merge to increase the chance of landing big wins. There's also a bonus buy feature for those who want to cut straight to the chase and get into the free spins bonus instantly.
Multiplier Symbols
On any base game spin or during the free spins feature, multiplier symbols can land on both sets of reels. On the top grid, a 1x multiplier symbol can land, while 2x multipliers can land on the lower grid.
Multiplier Respins
If you land two multiplier symbols, one on each set of reels, you'll trigger a respin. However, the respin occurs once the dual grid system merges into one reel set, which is six reels and 5 rows in size. If winning symbols appear as a result of the respin, 2x multipliers are applied to their payouts.
Free Spins Bonus Round
While, for the most part, the two screens of reels spin in the base game independently, there is one crossover aspect, and that is the Flaming Skull scatter symbols. You'll trigger the free spins feature whenever you land three or more of the scatter symbols in any position across the two screens. You receive 8 free spins of those merged reels, and as the spins play out, a general multiplier increases whenever 1+ or 2x multiplier symbols appear on the reels. The general multiplier starts at 1x, and those symbols either add or multiply that multiplier. Even better, the general multiplier value will not reset between spins, meaning it is possible to create huge multipliers by the time the latter free spins come along. Furthermore, you'll receive an additional 4 spins whenever three or more scatter symbols land on a single free spin.
Bonus Buy Feature
If you want to access that bonus round and the multiplier symbols it features, you can use the Blade & Fangs slot game buy bonus feature to buy free spins for 100x the stake.
Bet Sizes, RTP, & Variance
The Blade & Fangs RTP is about average at 96.05%, so we had no complaints about that, although higher is always better. As for the variance/volatility, it is listed as high by Pragmatic Play, so that means you'll have to wait longer than average for payouts, but when they come, they're bigger than average. You can place bets between 0.20 and 240.00 per spin, which is a solid betting range that should provide most players with the perfect bet level.
Blade & Fangs Compared to Other Slots
We've reviewed and played countless slots over the years, so we feel we're well-placed to give you an authoritative opinion on how Blade & Fangs compares to other slots currently available to play at online casinos. The game plays extremely well, and it is the top and bottom grid format of the base game and the fact the two grids merge for the bonus games that allows it to stand out.
However, compared to many other slots, the max win of 5,000x is extremely low. For instance, Elk Studio's Pirots 2 has double that at 10,000x, and Relax Gaming's Money Train 4 blows it away with a 150,000x the bet top payout. That is not to say 5,000x is that bad, just that many modern slots offer so much more these days.
In terms of the features, we cannot have many complaints, as there is a good mix of innovation and entertainment on offer regarding the bonuses in the Blade & Fangs slot. The merging grid reels, free spins, multipliers and respins all combine well and offer plenty of fun. Sure, there are other slots offering far more bonus games, but overall, this slot compares favourably with most.
The graphics and animations are also good compared to other titles. We particularly liked the sound effects as the series screams and laughter really add to the theme. The only downside is a lack of a backstory, but to be honest, not many players put this as a priority when choosing a new video slot game to play.
Our Blade & Fangs Review Summary
While not one of the best online slots we've reviewed, we enjoyed testing out the Blade & Fangs slot game from Pragmatic Play. The way the game splits into two for the base game to provide two chances to win on any spin is not something you see on many other slots. Plus, we enjoyed how the top screen and bottom screen merge for the two main features, especially the free spins. Speaking of which, that bonus is another of the standard out features of Blade & Fangs, as it is possible to boost your total win to big numbers thanks to the multiplier symbols. All in all, Blade & Fangs is a great slot game and one we recommend you try out.
James is a casino games expert on the Playcasino.com editorial team. With many years of professional experience at a leading casino game development company and a passion for playing casino games, James has become a true expert in slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and other games.
James uses this expertise to provide reliable, insider advice through his reviews and guides, breaking down the game rules and offering tips to help you win more often. Rely on James's extensive experience for expert advice on your casino play.