Every so often, a new game comes up that needs no introduction, and today we find that once again this is the case as we gear up for the most anticipated release of the year, courtesy of Push Gaming.
For those of you who haven’t been following along with upcoming releases, the team at Push Gaming are revisiting their 2019 release Razor Shark and revamping it as they leave behind the Roman setting of 10 Swords to take us on a deep dive into Razor Returns.
With RTP options up to 96.55% (96.78% feature buy), this highly volatile release can produce wins up to 100,000x bet.
The situation between Razor Shark and Razor Returns hasn’t changed too much, although we do have an extra row added to the reel area now. We’re still under the sea, with the same creatures we befriended the first time around, but things have had major improvements, including audiovisuals.
Different levels of rocks with various plant life and coral sit to the sides of the reels, with creatures including a clown fish and a starfish. A mine on a chain floats in the background, whilst the reels introduce us to four types of sharks, periscopes, anchors, divers helmets and compasses.
Finally, a bold and foreboding soundtrack comes in to tie it all together.
Razor Returns Base Features
Taking place across 5 reels, wins are formed on Razor Returns by matching at least 3 symbols on adjacent reels, beginning with the leftmost reel, across 1 of 40 fixed win lines. Symbols available begin with non premiums, with anchors, compasses, periscopes and diver helmets, awarding wins of 0.10x bet for 3 of a kind matches, increasing to values between 0.80 and 1x bet for 5 of a kind wins.
At the premium end we meet four sharks including a Hammerhead and a Great White. Land 3 of a kind of any shark to see wins between 0.20 and 0.60x bet, increasing to values between 2.50 and 7.50x bet for 5 of a kind matches.
Finally, Wild Shark Symbols substitute for all other symbols except Mystery Symbols, Torpedo Scatter Symbols and Instant Prize Symbols, and award wins between 1 and 12.50x bet for matches between 3 and 5 of a kind.
Push Bet
There a few different features to cover in Razor Returns – most of which you've seen before, but they have had upgrades. First up is Push Bet, whereby betting an additional 10% the chance of triggering Free Spins is increased. When using Push Bet wins are calculated according to the base bet.
In the 96.55% RTP setting RTP is unchanged when using Push Bet, but in other settings RTP may be changed. When this is the case, it will increase.
Mystery Seaweed
Next up are Mystery Symbols, which are seaweed symbols that can land anywhere on the reels in stacks of 5. When Mystery Symbols land in view, the Nudge & Reveal Feature is triggered.
When the Nudge & Reveal Feature is triggered the Mystery Symbols will open. Once they open, they will reveal either any paying symbol, Wild Shark Symbols or Golden Shark Symbols.
After revealing and calculating any relevant wins, Mystery Symbols will nudge down by 1 position whilst all other reels spin normally.
This process continues until no Mystery Symbols remain on the reels. Each new spin or nudge during the Nudge & Reveal Feature is still a paid spin, and all Mystery Symbols are stored per bet level.
Razor Reveal
If Mystery Symbols reveal Golden Shark Symbols the Razor Reveal Feature is triggered.
During the Razor Reveal Feature, each position holding a Golden Shark Symbol will spin through various prizes, revealing one of the following.
- Instant Prize Symbols – a bet multiplier holding a value of 1x, 2x, 5x, 10x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 250x, 500x, 1000x, 2500x or 5000x bet.
- Multiplier Symbols – multiplies the value of all Instant Prize Symbols or Collector Symbols on the reel by its revealed value, which can be 2x, 3x, 5x or 10x, before being removed and re-spinning to reveal a new prize.
- Collector Symbols – collects the value of all Instant Prize Symbols and transform into an Instant Prize Symbol of their total value, with all collected values re-spinning to reveal a new prize.
- Converter Symbols – spins through regular paying symbols to reveal one, then converts all instances of that symbols on the reels to Golden Shark Symbols for one game round only.
- Torpedo Scatter Symbols – land 3 or more to trigger Free Spins.
Razor Returns Bonus
Land 3 or more Torpedo Scatter Symbols to trigger unlimited Free Spins.
- 3 Torpedo Symbols – Free Spins with a 1x initial Total Multiplier
- 4 Torpedo Symbols – Free Spins with a 5x initial Total Multiplier
- 5 Torpedo Symbols – Free Spins with a 25x initial Total Multiplier
After triggering Free Spins, players have an opportunity to use the Gamble Feature to attempt to win a higher initial Total Multiplier.
The Gamble Wheel will have segments with higher multiplier and also segments with no prize. Any prize higher than the current prize can appear on the wheel.
After winning a gamble, players can gamble again – until they reach the highest prize. If the gamble finishes on a segment with no prize, no Free Spins are awarded.
During the Gamble Feature players can gamble to a 5x, 10x, 25x, 50x or 100x initial Total Multiplier. If Free Spins are triggered through the Razor Reveal Feature players can still choose to gamble.
When Free Spins begin, reels 2 and 4 are filled with Mystery Symbols.
For every spin, Mystery Symbols will nudge down by 1 position and the Total Multiplier will increase by +1.
The Total Multiplier is applied to all wins at the end of each spin – even Instant Prize Symbols.
Mystery Symbols in Free Spins continue to reveal the same possible prizes as in the base game, along with one new possible prize – Nudge Up Symbols, which nudge all Mystery Symbols in view up by 1 position.
Free Spins are unlimited, and will continue until no Mystery Symbols remain on the reels.
Bonus Buy
Players in appropriate regions can skip straight to the action with the following Bonus Buy options:
- 3 Torpedo Free Spins (1x initial Total Multiplier) – 106x bet (96.27% RTP without Gamble Feature)
- 4 Torpedo Free Spins (5x initial Total Multiplier) – 186x bet (96.52% RTP without Gamble Feature)
- 5 Torpedo Free Spins (25x initial Total Multiplier) – 550x bet (96.78% RTP without Gamble Feature)
- Random Free Spins – 200x bet (96.51% RTP without Gamble Feature)
- Razor Reveal (Full Screen with 25 Golden Shark Symbols) – 500x bet (96.68% RTP)
The above RTPs are based on the overall game setting of 96.55% RTP.
The maximum win available in Razor Returns is 100,000x base bet. If the sum of a single game round exceeds this, the game round will end and 100,000x base bet will be awarded.
First Impression
Let's keep it short and sweet – Razor Returns is arguably the best sequel we've reviewed to date. From improvements in audiovisuals to the addition of new features and mechanics, Razor Returns has all the makings of a classic, and will probably knock its predecessor off its pedestal – a fair feat, when you consider how popular Razor Shark is.
Mystery Symbols, Razor Reveal and now a new Push Bet (which takes max win frequency from 1 in 397 million spins to 1 in 27 million) help keep the base game exciting, with Instant Prize Symbols on offer up to 5,000x bet and multipliers up to 10x.
However, it's Free Spins where things really take on a life of their own, with players now able to gamble up to a 100x initial Total Multiplier in a way similar to that of Big Bamboo and Dino P.D.
Couple this with the fact that the multiplier can be increased, Free Spins are unlimited, and Instant Prize Symbols work alongside the multiplier and never before has it been so easy to see how the maximum win of 100,000x bet is achievable.
Finally, maths is rated as highly volatile, and RTP options are available up to 96.55% (96.78% feature buy), so as always it's worth checking this.
Put simply, Razor Returns envelops everything we want to see from a sequel and leaves us with no complaints, earning it a perfect score.
*The screenshots taken of games reviewed on this site are taken from Demo Play, as reviews are often written before games are released for real play.
