Tomb Raider Slot Review

04/05/2021 | Categories: Microgaming Slots | Published by: Joe | Last updated: 05/01/2024

Almost everything that there is to say about Microgaming has already been said on this site. The Isle of Man-based company is the original interactive gaming pioneer. They were the team behind the first fully functional gambling software, developed in 1994, which led to the first-ever online casino. In the following decade, they made a name for themselves as a provider that released branded games. One of the most-celebrated releases from the tail end of Microgaming’s first decade of existence was Tomb Raider, which hit online casinos in 2004. It is a peculiar slot whose popularity continuously jumps up and down. It recently, again, made its way onto the top 100, giving us a reason to give this infamous spinner a look.

Theme & Design

1990s gamers know all about Tomb Raider. Released in 1996, this was an action-adventure title that massively affected game development. Modern players are likely not aware of the impact that this Eidos release had on the gaming world back in the day. It featured revolutionary graphics and combat gameplay. Before it, few third-person 3D games allowed players to interact with virtual worlds as much as this one did. Some reviewers even compared it the Hollywood movies in terms of the excitement it could generate. Due to it being a smashing success, a sequel followed each year up to 2004. In 2001, a movie adaptation came out starring Angelina Jolie. The film franchise rebooted seventeen years later with Swedish actress Alicia Vikander as the game’s title character, Lara Croft. For those not into video games, Lara is a super-athletic English archaeologist whose father was a Lord.

We often talk about how some slots have a Flash look to them. Well, that is also true here. If you have ever played early-2000s website games, you know what we are referencing. Given that this slot came out in 2004, we will not hold that against it. The visuals here are flat 2D graphics, and Lara looks like she did in the original games. She is her low-poly self. Visually, there isn’t much to talk about here. By today’s standards, presentation-wise, this game feels very dated. Tomb Raider does not have a soundtrack, only annoying sound effects, such as gunshot noises and fruit machine alerts. If you have epilepsy, maybe you should stay away from this title as it incorporates some flashing, strobe-like animations.

The button configuration is different depending on which version of the game you play. If your online casino has the latest update, then it will be the modern one. Meaning, on a desktop, you will find all the buttons on the right side of your screen. The stack begins with the bet-adjuster. Above it, you have the spin, auto-spin, and settings buttons.

Specs & Gameplay

Okay, so Tomb Raider is your standard five-reel, three-row slot with fifteen paylines. It is a low to medium variance title with a below than average RTP of 95.22%. Bet sizes here range from $0.30 to $75, and the max win has a cap of x7,500 your stake. To win a reward, you need to hit three to five identical symbols on a line. Only the highest line wins get paid.

The low-paying symbols here are your regular A-10 royals, paying in the range of x5 to x8.3 for five-of-a-kind. The high-paying ones are a tiger, Lara, and a treasure map. The latter two will yield a reward of x33 for five-of-a-kind, while five tigers on the grid will get you a win of x16 your stake.

The game logo is the Wild here, and it substitutes all other symbols except for the Tomb one and the Scatter. Landing five Wilds in view will earn you a reward of x500 your wager. A statue is the Tomb symbol, and it is only active in the Free Spins Round, while Lara, holding two guns, is the Scatter. Five two-gun Laras will get you a prize of x400 your stake.

Bonus Features

Landing three to five Tomb symbols on an active payline triggers the Tomb Bonus pick’em game. You get taken to a section of an abandoned temple where you get presented with twelve idol statues. You have three selections, and each one can award you wins of up to x100.

If you manage to hit three to five Scatters on a single spin, you will activate the Free Spins Bonus Round. There you will get ten complimentary reel rotations, and all wins get tripled in this mode.

GOSU Verdict

Well, if you haven’t played slots from the 2000s-era, you will likely shut this one down as soon as it loads. It perseveres due to its established brand. Looking at it simply as a slot, this is a somewhat archaic game, where the max win potential lies in the Free Spins Round. It is not terrible by any means, but it is still from 2004. So, no sense of nostalgia is going to change that.

If you love the original games, and we do mean the ones from the 1990s, or if you crave some low variance action, give Tomb Raider a try. Microgaming’s Tomb Raider Secret of the Sword, which came out four years after this title, will likely also be available at casinos that carry this one. So, you may want to check that one out as well. It is also a low-variance spinner.