Ariana Slot Review, Bonus, free Spins RTP

No, Ariana by Microgaming isn’t a licensed game based on singer Ariana Grande (although that slot should be available sooner or later). Instead, it’s an under-the-sea-themed, 5-reel, and 25-playline video slots game featuring all a mythological mermaid creature, underwater treasure, and your usual card suits.

Think Ariel from the Little Mermaid but it’s an original property by Microgaming using the same idea without bordering on plagiarism. It’s not a complete rip-off because Ariana is rendered realistically and the graphics aren’t cartoony.

Gameplay

It’s your usual slot matching game where you want to get 5-of-a-kind combinations for all the other symbols or at least 3 combinations or appearances of the special symbols. Regulate your bet by pressing the Bet option. The Coins option refers to the number of coins wagered.

Coin size modifies the coin value from 0.01 to 0.5. The plus and minus buttons alter the wager. An Autoplay option is also available. Press the Spin option to start the game. You can test the slot out for yourself for free or go to any Microgaming-supported casinos in order to play the game with real money involved.

Ariana Bonus Rounds

The game has a unique Expanding Symbol Bonus Feature wherein you can match a symbol stack of the Ariana Wild symbol, Ariana herself, the Treasure symbol, the Sea Dragon symbol, or the Coral symbol on the 1st reel to trigger this bonus round.

You’ll be able to expand the matching symbols on the 2nd and 5th reel, creating a Wild reel that should help you stack up on your wins. The Starfish symbol is the Scatter and Ariana’s face with the word “Wild” on it is the Wild. Only during Free Spins will the Ariana Wild symbol create a stack, which is activated when 3, 4, or 5 Starfish symbols appear.

Pros and Cons

Plus points go to Microgaming for not making a lazy Disney’s Little Mermaid rip-off when other slots would’ve just had Flash artists render a off-brand version of Ariel. The graphics are gorgeous and when you complete Ariana’s stack on one reel, you get to see the whole realistic picture of her from head to waist, which is a nice touch.

On the other hand, the gameplay isn’t much to write home about. Not that it’s bad; it’s just a disappointment to not have the gameplay harmonize with the fantastic art design. It’s like a picture-perfect restaurant steak tasting like a fast food burger steak.

Verdict

The game features excellent character and art design reminiscent of the covers of fantasy books, standard Microgaming slot animations and main hub graphics, and the usual slots gameplay complete with Wilds, Scatters, and Free Spins.

It’s nice to look at and plays pretty much like every other slot (sans multipliers or a progressive jackpot). Nevertheless, at least it doesn’t throw curveballs like playing slowly or having loads of bugs, so it gets a decent score at least.

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