Razor Ways

We are now well into the second half of 2024 and many of us most likely need a little bit of a breather when it comes to exciting, new slot releases that have graced our Casinos over the past several months.

This year has, thus far, certainly been one of prime, as game providers of all sizes have removed their gloves, developing and releasing hard-hitting, feature-filled, exciting titles, many of which have really pushed the realms of possibilities to the max.

Well, you haven’t got long to catch that breath of yours guys because Push Gaming are back in town and they have arrived fixed up, looking sharp…razor sharp you might add!

That’s right, just when you thought it was safe to go back into the ocean, the infamous coin-wielding, predators of the deep have returned as Razor Ways slices its way onto the scene, due to hit our screens in August 2024.

To say Push Gaming have previous experience with a successful slot series would be a hard-done understatement.  Jammin’ Jars, Wild Swarm and Fat Rabbit are but only a handful of classic titles that instantly spring to mind, each getting a revamp by vast, public demand.  Did all of the sequels live up to the hype caused by their predecessors?

Well that, of course, is down to personal opinion but one thing many of us can most definitely agree on is that, when it comes to Razor…we want more!

Razor Ways Base Game

Can you believe that there was a 4 year gap between the release of Razor Shark and Razor Returns? When the second installment did finally arrive it was packed with more excitement, more volatility and more features to sink your toothy jaws into.

Now, lucky for us, we’ve barely had to wait a moment for the series to become a trilogy and let me just say, the overhaul here is not just a small drop in the ocean. The biggest change, as the name “Razor Ways” might suggest, paylines are a now thing of the past and have been replaced by ways…plenty of ways to be precise.

The popping game grid begins as a 3×6 matrix, expanding to a potential maximum 6×6 as wins accumulate.  The player is treated to a foreboding underwater backdrop and a techno-beat soundtrack that neatly intensifies as the game progresses.

As always, Push are giving us a great range of betting stakes to choose from, catering for all preferences, and a handsome RTP of 96.36% (other RTP models are available so do check before playing).

With a maximum win potential of a jaw-dropping 25,000x bet and rated medium/high volatility, lets explore the depths and see exactly what features are lurking in the darkness…

Ways Will Increase with Every Winning Cascade or Feature Reveal

Razor Ways Base Features

A win drop is formed by matching a combination of 3 or more similar symbols from left to right across the game grid. Matching symbols can land in any position on a reel to pay, as long as the reels are adjacent to each other.

Once a match occurs, the symbols pay out and are removed from the board, creating a cascade of new symbols to fill the gaps.

There are 11 regular paying symbols in the game; 4 low paying Starfish paying between 0.05x to 0.25x for 3 to 6 matching symbols, mid paying Compass, Flippers and Diving Bell paying between 0.1x to 0.5x for 3 to 6 matching symbols and high paying Shark Characters paying between 0.2x to 2.5x for 3 to 6 matching symbols.

The Wild symbol may land on any spin and substitutes for all regular paying symbols.

Expanding Rows

At the start of every spin, the top 3 rows of the game grid are locked.  With every winning cascade or instant prize win, the grid expands upwards by 1 row up to the maximum of 3, allowing the total number of potential winning ways to reach 46,656.

Before the start of any new game round, the rows reset to 3.

Expanding Wild Symbol

An Expanding Wild can land naturally on the reels or be revealed from the Mystery Symbols (more on these shortly!)

All positions covered by the symbol become wild.

Landing the Expanding Wild inside the base game will see the symbol expand to cover all unlocked rows.

Landing the Expanding Wild during Free Spins will see the symbol unlock all remaining rows and cover the entire reel.

If the reel containing the Expanding Wild has a Scatter symbol or Golden Shark symbol, these symbols will cascade down after the matching combination is created. Should the Expanding Wild not form part of a matching combination, it will return to its original state.

Finally, the Expanding Wild can have a multiplier ranging from x2 to x5.

Converter into Wild Symbol

It is possible to land the Converter into Wild symbol naturally or by revealing from a Mystery symbol. When landed or revealed, it will spin through regular paying symbols on the unlocked rows in that game round.

When a symbol is selected, all other matching symbols in view will become wild including the Converter Wild symbol, itself.  It is only possible for a maximum of 2 Converter into Wild symbols to land simultaneously.

Should more than 2 Mystery symbols land, only 2 can potentially reveal as Converter Wilds, the remaining will reveal the matching paying symbol.

Mystery Symbol

As mentioned, Mystery Symbols can land anywhere and on any game round, during both base game play and Free Spins.

Mystery Symbols can reveal any one of the following features:

• Pay Symbols
• Wild Symbols
• Expanding Wild Symbols
• Converter into Wild Symbols
• Golden Shark Symbols.

Razor Reveal Feature

The Razor Reveal feature is triggered by landing Mystery Symbols on 3 consecutive reels during gameplay. The Mystery Symbols will be guaranteed to reveal Golden Shark Symbols.

Mystery Symbols can also reveal Golden Shark Symbols normally without the need to land them on consecutive reels.

It is possible to land any of the following symbols during the razor reveal feature:

• Instant Prize – Bet multipliers with values ranging from 1x to 5,000x bet.
• Multiplier – Multiplies all visible Instant Prize and Collector values by the Multiplier value.  Multiplier values range from x2 to x10.  Mutliplier symbol is removed thereafter and replaced by a new symbol.
• Collector – Collects all visible Instant prize and Collector values.  Collected Instant Prize symbols are removed off screen and all empty positions will spin to reveal new prizes.  Collectors remain on the reels throughout the feature, once landed.
• Converter – Spins through regular paying symbols on all unlocked reels.  When a symbol is revealed, all matching symbols within the unlocked rows convert into Golden Shark Symbols before the Razor Reveal feature continues.
• Scatter (Base Game only)
• Row Unlocker (Bonus Buy only) – Unlocks a new row before being removed.  The empty position will spin to reveal a new prize.

Land Expanding Wilds and Potential Multipliers for Bigger Wins

Razor Ways Bonus

Free Spins are triggered by landing 3 or more Scatter symbols inside base game play or during the Razor reveal Feature.

The number of Scatters landed will determine the number of free spins awarded and the size of the starting grid and starting multiplier:

• 3 Scatters – 6 free spins / 3×6 grid / x1 multiplier
• 4 Scatters – 8 free spins / 4×6 grid / x3 multiplier
• 5 Scatters – 10 free spins / 5×6 grid / x5 multiplier
• 6 Scatters – 10 free spins / 6×6 grid / x10 multiplier

It is possible to land Glowing Mystery Symbols during the Free Spins feature which act the same as a regular Mystery Symbol.

Additionally, every Glowing Mystery Symbol that lands helps fill the Total Multiplier Level meter; requiring 5 Glowing symbols to reach the next level.

Progressing to the next level will increase the size of the grid and the multiplier in accordance with the increased scatters, mentioned above.

Players are awarded 4 extra free spins by reaching Level 2, 3 extra spins by reaching Level 3 and 2 extra spins by reaching Level 4.

Bonus Buys

For those applicable, it is possible to purchase features and bonuses within the game as follows:

• Guaranteed Converter into Wild symbol – at the cost of 67x bet – RTP 96.34%
• Razor Reveal feature – at the cost of 50x bet for a guaranteed 6 Golden Shark Symbols – RTP 96.23%
• Grand Razor Reveal feature – at the cost of 150x bet for a guaranteed 18 Golden Shark Symbols and the chance  to unlock the additional row with the Row Unlocker Symbol – RTP 96.06%
• 1x multiplier and 6 free spins – 73x bet – RTP 96.60%
• 3x multiplier and 8 free spins – 81.5x bet – RTP 96.29%
• 5x multiplier and 10 free spins – 164x bet – RTP 96.42%
• 10x multiplier and 10 free spins – 466x bet – RTP 96.52%
• Random multiplier with corresponding free spins – 150x bet – RTP 96.35%

Push Bet

There are 3 Push Bets available as follows:

• Scatter Push Bet – 1.4x bet increases the chance of landing scatters.
• Mystery Push Bet – 3x bet guarantees 2 Mystery Symbols landing per spin on unlocked rows.
• Mystery and Scatter Push Bet – 4x bet guarantees 2 Mystery Symbols landing per spin on unlocked rows and increases the chance of landing scatters.

Razor Ways Free Spins

First Impression

If you’re still with me at this point you will have realised that is quite a lot to take in but, to be fair, Razor Ways is quite a lot of game!  It had to be though didn’t it.

Coming second to a classic is a tough job…expectations need to be exceeded…come back with a bang…Razor Returns did just that.

To come third in a trilogy, however, doesn’t get much harder.  You have a hard built legacy to not only keep but continue to build and that’s the kind of pressure you only truly get in the depths of the darkest shark-infested oceans.

In reality though, this was never going to be a huge worry for Push Gaming.  With some brave decisions and changes made to overhaul the classic, Razor Ways is sure to be added to the long list of big hitters for 2024, and here’s why.

Starting with the mechanics, it’s a bold yet relieving freshen up.  It makes for more combining matches and the increasing ways allow for more possible features to land. Increasing ways always takes my mind back to Light & Wonder’s Beetlejuice Megaways and I still enjoy that concept to this day.

Although many will be left a bit perplexed at the removal of the Mystery Symbol Stack Nudge feature that was made famously popular with Razor Shark and beyond, you never seem to be lost at sea without a win spin for too long here and that certainly suits the Medium/High volatility model Push Gaming have gone for with Razor Ways.

Similarly, the addition of an Expanding Wild feature alongside the Converter Wild Symbol only compliments the “Ways Pays” mechanic and makes unlocking those extra rows seem a lot more lucrative.

Graphically, Push have stuck to the basics of what works for them. The game is visually crisp and clear on the eyes and following a rapidly progressing game round is certainly not difficult. The sound track is a great compliment too, an upbeat vibe that intensifies the more the rows start to unlock.

The one thing I do miss when compared to the Razors of the past is the lack of unlimited progressive multipliers inside the bonus. Push haven’t done away with this altogether, giving the ability to upgrade the free spins with increasing levels, but knowing there is a limit just tames the apex predators down a touch.

On the flip side, a more than generous RTP and 25,000x bet max win potential still gives Razor Ways that cutting edge!

I stand by my comments that Razor Ways will be a very popular game…it contains something for everyone, plenty of features, exciting potential and it might be a bit more of an overhaul than many were expecting, but there is enough here for it to still feel familiar.

Whether you’re new to slots or a veteran spinner, you should feel very inclined to dip your toe to test the water…maybe just remember to check what’s lurking in there first.

*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.