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22 February 2024 
Beware the Deep Megaways Slot Review 2024
Beware the Deep Megaways by Pragmatic Play is the latest addition to the big Megaways family, and this time we’re diving into the abyss, where the ocean mysteries await and danger is ever prevalent.
Pragmatic Play is adept with Big Time Gaming’s Megaways mechanic, perhaps more so than the creators themselves. We have seen numerous titles with the Megaways badge, and many dare to deviate from its traditional form.
Beware the Deep Megaways looks like such a game, with a mix of conventional features and different options.
Beware the Deep Megaways Gameplay & Design
Beware the Deep Megaways gives us a sneak peek into the underwater world of marine life, in particular, the deadliest fish at the top of the food chain. The soundtrack and effects are somewhat intense, yet the backdrop is considered rather peaceful. Jellyfish and other marine life swim freely without fear, blissfully unaware of what lurks in the shadows.
Beware the Deep Megaways is a 6-reel Video Slot that features an additional Sliding Reel below the main reel set. Choose between multiple betting options, with the lowest bet set at £.€0.20 per spin and the highest bet fixed at £.€240 per spin.
Beware the Deep Megaways – Slot Symbols and Their Values
Beware the Deep Megaways has 5 High-paying and 5 Low-paying symbols available. Players can reap rewards of up to 5x your bet for a full 5-line win of the highest-paying symbol. Low-paying symbols are standard A, K, Q, J, and 10. While 10s pay 0.5x your bet, Aces award up to 0.75x your bet for a full 5-line win.
Beware the Deep Megaways – Paylines and How to Get Them
Wins are created when 3 or more identical symbols land from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel. Due to the Megaways mechanic, Beware the Deep Megaways can produce up to 117,649 ways to win in a single spin.
When a winning combination hits, it will cause a reaction to occur. All winning symbols will be removed from the reels and replaced with new symbols that fall in from above. This is known as a Tumble Feature. Winning symbols in the Sliding Reel are also removed and the remaining symbols will slide over to fill the leftmost positions.
Beware the Deep Megaways RTP and Volatility – Hot or Not?
Beware the Deep Megaways has a theoretical RTP of 96.54%. This RTP level is considered above average, in a market that is continuously finding ways to incorporate lower RTP levels into games.
This game also has alternative RTP levels available; 95.49% and 94.48%. Before committing to the game, be sure to check which RTP level your chosen Casino has opted for.
In terms of Volatility, Beware the Deep Megaways is way up there, indulging players with a ‘very high’ volatility level. In addition to this, Pragmatic Play has opted for a max win cap of 10,000x. This figure is what we consider to be outside the norm for a Pragmatic Play title.
Beware the Deep Megaways Special Features
Now we’ve covered statistics, it’s time to jump straight into the Special Features of the game, in particular the Wilds and Mystery symbols.
Wilds
Shark symbols are Wilds that appear on the Sliding Reel, below reels 2, 3, 4, and 5. When a Wild hits, it will produce a random Multiplier between x2 and x25. However, in Free Spins, the Multipliers vary between x2 and x100.
Mystery Symbols
Mystery symbols in the form of seaweed can land at random across the reels. When they appear, they will reveal the same High or Low-paying symbol to either create or enhance a winning combination.
Ante Bet
Before or after a game round, you will have the option to activate the Ante Bet feature for an additional 25% of your bet. Once active, your chances of triggering the Free Spins round are doubled. (RTP 96.56%)
Bonus Buy
Those outside the UK can enter Free Spins and Super Free Spins for 100x and 250x your bet respectively. (RTP 96.55% – 96.51%) Online Slots UK are devoid of such options, however, both Free Spins rounds are still available to players through regular gameplay.
Beware the Deep Megaways Bonus Rounds & Free Spins
Beware the Deep Megaways has 2 exciting Free Spins rounds available to choose from; The Deep Free Spins and Even Deeper Free Spins. The Free Spins round is triggered when 4 or more Scatters land in view during gameplay.
The Deep Free Spins Mode
Your starting number of Free Spins depends on the number of triggering Scatters in view. 4, 5, 6, or 7 Scatters will award 10, 12, 14, and 16 Free Spins respectively.
However, before you get stuck into Free Spins, you will enter a Gamble feature where you will have the opportunity to increase your number of starting Free Spins, up to a maximum of 16 in total.
- 8 to 10 Free Spins gamble chance – 44.53%
- 10 to 12 Free Spins gamble chance – 45.53%
- 12 to 14 Free Spins gamble chance – 46.30%
- 14 to 16 Free Spins gamble chance – 46.74%
During this round, whenever a Scatter symbol lands above a Wild, it will cause the Wild to lock into position for 1, 2, or 3 subsequent tumbles, each time receiving a new Multiplier value.
This round features an active Win Multiplier that begins at x1. Each Wild Multiplier that is part of a win will have its value added to the Win Multiplier which does not reset. Landing 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 Scatters during the round will award an additional +2, +4, +6, +8, and +10 Free Spins respectively.
Even Deeper Free Spins Mode
Even Deeper Free Spins is an Unlimited Free Spins round that focuses on a guaranteed Multiplier. Depending on the number of triggering Scatters, this round begins with a Guaranteed Multiplier of x15, x20, x25, or x30 for 4, 5, 6, and 7 triggering Scatters in view.
Even Deeper Free Spins also offers a Gamble feature before the round commences, only this time you’re gambling for a higher Guaranteed Multiplier rather than Free Spins.
During the gamble feature, it is possible to drop below x15 and hit a x12 and x10 Multiplier. If the x10 Multiplier is reached, the gamble feature ends and the Free Spins round begins. Naturally, you can walk away at any time by pressing the Collect button.
- x12 to x15 Multiplier gamble chance – 41.61%
- x15 to x20 Multiplier gamble chance – 46.06%
- x20 to x25 Multiplier gamble chance – 46.32%
- x25 to x30 Multiplier gamble chance – 46.76%
During this round, each tumble sequence will increase the Win Multiplier by +x1. Each Wild Multiplier that is part of a win will have its value added to the Win Multiplier which does not reset.
In addition to this, each Scatter symbol that lands above a Wild will lock into position for 1, 2, or 3 subsequent tumbles, each time receiving a new Multiplier value. Each Scatter symbol will also increase the Guaranteed Multiplier by +x1. When the Win Multiplier reaches the level of the Guaranteed Multiplier, the round will end and the total win is paid out.
Pros and Cons of Beware the Deep Megaways
Pros:
- Both Free Spins rounds offer a Gamble feature for thrill-seeker players.
- Captivating theme and quality graphics.
- 2 Free Spins rounds that are both uniquely different from one another.
- Ante Bet feature that doubles your chances of triggering Free Spins.
- Use of Wild Multipliers and Mystery symbols.
- Use of the Megaways mechanic.
Cons:
- It can be tricky to achieve more than 4 Scatters.
- The odds of reaching the next gamble are lower than 50%.
Similar Slots to Beware the Deep Megaways
- Razor Shark (Push Gaming)
- Beast Below (Hacksaw Gaming)
- Ocean Hunter (iSoftBet)
Conclusion
Before reviewing Beware the Deep, we suspected the usual Megaways shenanigans from Pragmatic Play, but we’re surprised by a few subtle tweaks that made Beware the Deep quite a highlight. The base game is rather uniform, with the welcome exception that is multiplier wilds. The addition of this to the standard game mode gives Beware the Deep some extra points in our opinion, and it only gets better in Free Spins.
Beware the Deep offers players 2 different modes – one which is quite familiar, and another that offers an interesting alternative. The ‘Even Deeper’ Free Spins mode sets a guaranteed multiplier, and Free Spins continues until it is reached. Extra scatter symbols can prolong gameplay, and while multipliers are quite welcome, you feel conflicted when bigger ones land, taking you closer to the end of the Free Spins round.
It can be a very exciting option should you reach the maximum multiplier, and we appreciate the softer gamble option offered here as well. The gamble option can take you to a 30x multiplier or down to 10x, meaning players aren’t cheating themselves out of a bonus round even if they do lose. While we’re fans of the traditional Megaways formula and an incremental multiplier, we quite enjoyed the second option.
There’s also a super option, which starts you higher up or even at the maximum multiplier, taking you closer to the games 10,000x win cap.
Overall, Beware the Deep made quite subtle changes to the Megaways blueprints, but it resulted in quite an effective difference as far as we’re concerned.
Welcome Bonus
