Book of Power Review
Relax Gaming has decided to revisit the world of Book Of mechanics, having already achieved success with Book of 99. This is a studio that never follows the crowd, so our expectations were extremely high.
Could Book of Power do for Egyptian-themed slots what the Money Train series has achieved for Wild West games? We set out to find out!
Design
Book of Power looks as good as we’d expect, embracing the Egyptian theme with imposing statues flanking the reels. There’s plenty of attention to detail, and even the low-value card symbols give the impression that they’ve been crafted from gold and enamel.
A particularly nice touch is the archaeologist, who looks up when Book Scatters start to spin up on the reels. There’s a full orchestral soundtrack too, which helps to give the game an epic feel.
Gameplay
Most ‘Book of’ slot games don’t need much in the way of explanation. The game plays out across 10 fixed paylines with a combined Wild/Scatter symbol. Trigger the free spins bonus round and a symbol is chosen at random from the paytable to act as the special expanding symbol throughout the feature.
The bonus starts with an award of between 10 – 20 free spins, depending on how many Scatters trigger the feature. Spinning up two more Books during the bonus adds 5 more free spins and another special expanding symbol. If a symbol is chosen that already expands on the reels, +1 is added to that symbol’s multiplier.
Power Bet
So far, so predictable as far as ‘Book of’ gameplay goes. But at this point, Relax Gaming introduces a new option for gameplay. Activate the Power Bet feature and the cost of each spin doubles, although the paytable remains the same. But an additional, red Book now puts in an appearance, and there’s a greatly increased chance of triggering the bonus feature.
Land a red Book Scatter as you activate the bonus round and you’ll play your free spins in Power mode. Now, landing two Scatters during the feature awards an upgrade to your special expanding symbol. A meter alongside the game highlights how far up the paytable your symbol is climbing. Reach the top of the meter and an increasing multiplier is applied, which could lead to huge wins.
Win potential
The highest value playing card symbols award up to 15x the bet. Pyramids and tombs pay up to 75x, with the Pharaoh’s mask awarding up to 200x. Landing just two Book symbols returns your bet, with 500x your stake for five of a kind wins, which is the same as the archaeologist.
It’s the free spins bonus round where the big money prizes are to be found, particularly if the archaeologist is chosen as the special expanding symbol. Activate the multipliers, and you could be on the way to that 15,000x top payout. This is a highly volatile game, so expect plenty of long, lean periods and divide up your bankroll accordingly.
It’s not available in the UK, but some jurisdictions allow players to Buy the Bonus for 100x your current wager. It’s important to note that your bonus winnings are not guaranteed to cover the cost of the feature, so approach this option with caution!
Our Verdict
The launch of a new slot from Relax Gaming is always a cause for excitement, as the developer is right at the top of their game. It’s a bold move to take on the popular ‘Book of’ mechanics, but there could never have been any doubt that the studio could pull it off.
If you’re not a fan of the mechanic, it’s unlikely that the addition of a Power Bet feature will change your mind. But it’s still worth taking the game for a spin or two, even if only to admire the handiwork of the Relax Gaming graphics team. It may not have the same impact as some of the developer’s most iconic titles, but Book of Power is another solid addition to its impressive game catalogue.
Marianne's interest in slots was sparked by a win on a one-arm bandit at an old-fashioned seaside arcade. These days she's turned her back on classic games, and has made it her mission to track down the most exciting slots offering innovative bonus features - and a great soundtrack!
Learn more about Marianne here
