Pirots 4 Demo
Pirots 4 Slot Review
Fresh off their Wild West endeavour, the fearful four’s victory celebration is short-lived when a space monster emerges from a blackhole and disappears with their treasure. With no time to spare, the four bravely dive into the vortex before it seals shut, starting a new mission to reclaim their stolen bounty before it’s too late.
Pirots 4 from ELK Studios comes just over a year after their third instalment dropped. When we first dived into the mysterious world of Pirots in 2023, we had no idea it would flourish into a much-loved series.
Well, here we are all these years later and about to explore the 4th instalment, which beams us into space for some astronomical wins and gravity-defying fun. Rocking glass bowls and fancy suits, our beloved birds find themselves in the territory of a new foe, but can we expect to see similar features and mechanics?
With a fixed RTP of 94% and a high (7/10) volatility score, ELK Studios keeps the max win potential of 10,000x your bet consistent with Pirots 2 and Pirots 3. Without further ado, let’s embrace our new surroundings and hunt down the latest bounty-stealing villian.
Base Game & Features
Pirots 4 is the 4th instalment to join the ‘Pirots’ series, consisting of 6 reels, 6 rows, and ELK Studios’ popular CollectR mechanic. Winning combinations are collected when Red, Purple, Green, or Blue Gems land adjacent to their matching Bird Icons on the grid.
Each coloured Gem has the ability to upgrade, up to a maximum of 7 Levels. Payouts for each winning symbol falls between 0.05x and 30x your bet. Each of the 4 Bird icons can move around the grid, collecting Gems of their respective colour.
Furthermore, Bird icons will also collect Feature symbols, Coins, & Wilds that are part of their cluster collection. This continues until they are no longer able to collect any further. All paytable and Feature symbols are removed from the grid, while all remaining symbols move vertically until they reach a new resting position.
Thereafter, an Avalanche Feature occurs, which guarantees new symbols to drop in from above, filling all empty grid positions. This continues so long as at least 1 Bird icon can move around the grid.
Collection Meter
Positioned above the main grid is a special Collection Meter. This meter tracks the number of collected symbols from a game round, with only Gems & Wilds counting towards it.
Please note that the Space Bandit does not contribute towards the collection meter, and is subsequently disabled during the Alien Invasion Feature.
When the Collection Meter is full, 1 Pending Feature is released onto the grid, while up to 3 can be kept pending during a game round. Each pending feature will be released simultaneously onto the grid.
Feature Symbols
In Pirots 4, there are a total of 10 Features available – these include the following:
- Upgrade: Causes matching Gem symbols of the same Bird colour to upgrade 1-3 levels.
- Upgrade All: Causes all 4 Gem symbols to upgrade by 1-3 levels.
- Alien Invasion: Only activates when Bird Icons can no longer collect symbols (continue reading to find out what it does).
- Transform: Guarantees a transformation of Gem symbols next to a Bird Icon into the same colour, with the possibility of transforming several Gem symbols into Feature icons.
- Spacecorn: Positions spacecorn into empty grid positions upon collection, causing Bird Icons to move across empty positions until they reach their matching Gem colours.
- Blackhole: Activates the Blackhole Feature upon collection. This symbol pulls multiple Gem symbols and up to 3 Bird Icons into the void and places them back onto the grid in a new order.
- Coins: Awards values between 5x and 10,000x your bet (max win coin), which are collected by any Bird Icon within its matching Gem collection.
- Wilds: Subsitute for all Gem symbols at their current payout level.
- Scatters: Reveals a regular Scatter to aid in the triggering of Free Spins.
- Super Scatters: Reveals a Super Scatter to aid in the triggering of Super Free Spins.
In Free Spins, a random Feature symbol is released prior to the corner bomb detonating, or when the Bird Icons cannot collect symbols any further. Feature releases convert a number of random Gems into additional Feature symbols.
Switcheroo & Power Clash
When 2 Bird Icons fall adjacent to each other, they have the chance to perform a ‘Switcheroo‘ when they are unable to collect more symbols. If triggered, the two Bird Icons will swap positions horizontally or vertically.
There’s also the chance to trigger a ‘Space Switcheroo‘ in the same manner. If activated, one of the Birds will move to the edge of the grid or next to a matching Gen symbol within its trajectory.
Alternatively, the Power Clash feature is triggered when 3 or more Bird Icons fall horizontally or vertically adjacent on the grid, unable to collect more Gem/Feature symbols.
During this feature, the Birds clash into a single position, removing all Gem symbols within a 5×5 grid area. This causes the Birds to fly off horizontally, vertically, or diagonally form their current position.
Furthermore, the corner bombs, alien invasion, blackhole, coin, scatter, and super scatter symbols are instantly collected or activated if they are in the path of a flying Bird Icon. Gem symbols are removed from the path, but they do not contribute towards the Collection Meter.
Corner Bombs
In each corner of the main grid are individual Bomb Icons. Each corner bomb is assigned a random Bird Colour at the start of each spin, and randomized during each spin of the Free Spins mode.
If a Bird Icon collects a symbol on top of a corner bomb (of the same colour), it will cause the Bomb to activate. Once active, it will explode, causing all Bird Icons and Gems to be removed within a 3×3 section of the grid.
In addition, the explosion will remove the connected reel frame of the space station, causing the grid to expand up to a maximum of 8 rows & 8 reels. All symbols will drop veritcally until they reach a new resting position, while new symbols will fill all empty grid positions when the Bird Icons return.
Alien Invasion
During the Alien Invasion feature, a special Space Bandit collects Gem, Bird, and Feature symbols row by row, in a random order (excluding blackhole, spacecorn, and transform symbols).
The Space Bandit activates each Corner Bomb by collecting Gem symbols upon them, causing them to detonate before a symbol refill occurs. When collecting a Bird Icon, the Space Bandit is interupted and a Space Duel ensues.
If a Bird Icon wins the duel, the feature will end. Alternatively, if the Space Bandit wins the duel, the Spaceship Multiplier increases, removing the Bird Icon, and the feature continues.
If all Bird Icons are defeated in the Space Duel, the feature ends and the remaining symbols are collected.
Lost in Space
The Lost in Space mini-game is triggered when all Bird Icons have collected all symbols during the Spacecorn Feature. The feature activate immedietely and carries over any Pending Features.
This feature is played on a fully expanded, 8×8 grid with 1 Bird Icon in each corner, awarding 3 Respins. Each time a new Coin or Bridge symbol hits, it will reset the Respins to 3.
When no Respins remain, the Bird Icons begin to collect Coin symbols on the grid, in a horizontal or vertical manner. However, Bird Icons can use Bridge symbols as a way to cross paths with additional Coins.
If two or more Bird Icons are connected by the same Coins, the bird value becomes collectable for the next Bird to collect the same Coins. At the end of the feature, the total Coin collection is paid out and players return to the base game.
Charlie’s Extra Chance
During gameplay, whenever Bird Icons can no longer collect Gem or Feature symbols, Charlie’s Extra Chance feature may trigger, where 1-4 Corner Bombs trigger an Avalanche Drop.
X-iter
Where applicable, players within permissible regions can access the X-iter (bonus buy) tab, where the following options are available for purchase:
- Bonus Hunt: Guarantees 1 spin with quadruple the chance of triggering the Free Spins mode for 3x your bet
- Alien invasion: Guarantees 1 spin with the Alien Invasion feature active for 25x your bet
- Lost in Space: Awards a single game round with guaranteed entry into the Lost in Space coin game for 50x your bet
- Bonus: Direct entry into the Free Spins mode for 100x your bet
- Super Bonus: Direct entry into the Super Free Spins mode, where all spins are played with the maximum, 8×8, grid size and upgraded Gems for 500x your bet
The theortecial RTP for all of the above modes is fixed at 94%.
The maximum win potential of Pirots 4 is 10,000x your bet. If a game round exceeds this figure, the current mode will end, and the player returns to the base game with the full amount.
Pirots 4 Free Spins
Triggering the standard Free Spins mode is done so by landing 3 Scatters in the base game, awarding 5 Free Spins. Alternatively, if 1 of 3 Scatters happens to be a Super Scatter, the Super Free Spins mode is awarded (with the same number of spins).
The Super Free Spins mode is played on a fully expanded, 8×8 grid with all Gem symbols upgraded to Level 7.
In both Free Spins modes, the progress made upon the Collection Meter & Gem Payout Levels are persistent throughout spins until the end of the feature. If an alien invasion, corner bomb, or feature symbol is pending at the time of triggering Free Spins, it will activate on the first spin.
Our Honest Verdict
Pirots has surely become one of ELK Studios statement titles. While it was never really humble, the series has made quite an impact on players through the use of wacky mechanics and extraodinary features.
These perculiar game elements have obviously caught on, which allowed ELK Studios to create 4 instalments, or 5, if you count the odd one out, Pirots X. While we’re used to the choice of themes each release posesses, Pirots 4 takes us out of the world and into an alternate dimension.
It’s certainly a worthy space adventure, with many gameplay elements that made the previous instalments so great, while encorperating additional features to give it a stronger appeal for loyal fans and new ones, everywhere.
The Spacecorn feature adopts the same mannerisms as other core features in previous releases, only with a new name to fit the space theme, but the Alien Invasion is a new addition to the series, and quite the spectacle, we think.
It carries on the tradition of absorbing symbols until a Bird wins the duel, and while its doing so, the Multiplier can grow significantly, causing wins to reach astronomical values.
The Free Spins mode is where the fun really begins, as is the case with other instalments, with an extra Super Bonus variant available to trigger in the base game and purchasble via the X-iter feature.
All in all, Pirots 4 is a wonderful and welcoming addition to the ‘Pirots’ series. There’s little to complain about, and so much to love.
*The images found in this slot review are currently from Demo Play. On average, our reviews are written prior to the initial release date and before real play is available.
