The Emperor’s Curse

Developer Zeus Play complements its range of slot games with another Asian-themed release, this time taking players back to feudal Japan. Named The Emperor’s Curse, the slot tells you a horror love story of Ronin who fell in love with the emperor’s wife and then killed the emperor during a mystical ceremony. This led to the curse being unleashed, and now Ronin is being haunted by demons and the souls of the fallen warriors.

When it comes to the design, The Emperor’s Curse slot is absolutely terrific. Unlike most Asian games, which usually stick to a somewhat formulaic appearance, it has its own distinguishing traits. The anime-styled visuals are stunning, much like the animations and sounds, which altogether produce a fantastic atmosphere. Overall, The Emperor’s Curse definitely receives 10 out of 10 for the outer look, so kudos to the design team.

Loading the game takes you to a traditional pagoda building, where a 5-reel, 3-row setup is sitting. On the reels, we see 8 different regular symbols, which create winning combos when at least 3 of the same kind appear adjacently along one of the 20 fixed ways. They are split into two sections. The lower lot comprises hieroglyphs, paying 2.5x – 3x the bet for combinations of five, and the collection of premium symbols include three Oni masks and the emperor’s wife Alita, worth from 7.5x to 25x the bet for five-of-a-kind.

The Emperor’s Curse slot can be played on any device, and bets from £0.1 to £20 per spin are accepted. It is powered by a medium-to-high volatile math model and has an RTP of 96%, which is a solid average. The maximum you can get from a single spin is 2,000x the stake, achievable during the bonus features, covered below.

The Emperor’s Curse Slot Features

The emperor himself appears in the form of a Wild symbol on the reels, acting as a substitute for any of the regulars in winning combinations, helping you to achieve payouts. Additionally, each Wild landing anywhere in view awards a Respin, which continues until there are no new Wilds appear.

In the Free Spins, Wild symbols obtain another special function. They expand to cover the reels entirely, producing bigger winning opportunities. You need to land 3, 4, or 5 Scatter symbols simultaneously during the base game to receive 8, 12, or 15 spins respectively.

Moreover, each Scatters symbol is collected and contributes to the Imperial Counter sitting above the reels. However, keep in mind that there’s a separate counter for each bet level. When the meter is full, which requires 500 Scatters, the Imperial Bonus Game comes into play. This awards 10 free spins with a 4x multiplier, applied to all wins you score during the feature. In the bonus game, up to 5 Reel Wilds can appear on each spin.

Review Summary

Zeus Play has really managed to create an Asian-themed game that stands out from the crowd with its unique looks and interesting features. However, less effort has been put into balancing, since the top prize of 2,000x doesn’t really match such a level of risk involved. Aside from that, The Emperor’s Curse is decent and can deliver a fascinating gaming experience.