Pirots 3

Theme and Design

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Pirots and Pirots 2, it’s that ELK Studios knows how to shake up a sequel. In the runaway hit that was the original Pirots, we were invited to an ocean sunset, while Pirots 2 took us to a Jurassic Park style jungle. So, it’s almost no surprise that Pirots 3 has a Wild West theme. After all, who hasn’t watched a Western and thought ‘this needs more pirates’?

The Western theme is a fun twist and executed perfectly. The famous birds are sat on a see through grid in front of a dusty old road. There’s a stunning sunset in the background and ramshackle wooden buildings to each side, as well as a caged vulture, who performs an interesting trick!

RTP and Variance

If one thing hasn’t changed from the original two games then it’s the RTP. It’s still stuck at 94% which is absolutely standard for ELK Studios, but a little disappointing when compared to plenty of other games. The volatility is also high, making this game a little unpredictable. It can swing from big wins to losing streaks in a heartbeat so beware and set your stake accordingly.

Maximum Win

The top payout remains at 10,000x your bet which is certainly no mean prize, but when paired with high volatility and a pretty low RTP, the chances of a great win do seem to be a little small. If you’re looking for a piratey theme with a higher payout then you could try Dead Man's Trail by Relax Gaming with a 50,000x max win.

Symbols and Paytable

The CollectR mechanic is still in play in Pirots 3 on the 6 reel, 7 row layout (which can expand to 7 reels and 8 rows). There are four gem symbols (blue, green, purple, and red). In order to win, the gems need to be collected by a bird of the same colour as them, or the vulture which we’ll come on to later. The gems can be collected by a bird that’s directly next to them in any direction. The birds can move more than once per turn and will collect until they can’t collect any more gems/features.

The gems start off with a value of 0.05x the bet to 0.1x the bet each, but can be upgraded up to 7 levels. At level 7 their value is from 7.5x the bet to 30x the bet. 

Features and Gameplay

Like its predecessors, Pirates 3 is bursting with features, but even more than before. Let’s take a look at how each of them works.

Collection Meter

Directly above the grid you’ll find the collection meter. Every time a gem, or a wild symbol is collected by the birds it adds to the meter. When the meter is full, one feature release is added to it, with a max of three being possible. 

The feature/s are released from the meter either: before dynamite explodes, as part of the first drop in the bonus game, or when the birds can’t collect more symbols. Up to three features can be released at once. The features when released, convert a random number of gems to a random selection of feature symbols, which are covered below.

Note: any symbols collected during the bandit round do not fill up the collection meter.

Feature Symbols

There are a whole lot of feature symbols in Pirots 3, let’s explore what they all do:

• Upgrade Symbol: these must be collected to work. They upgrade the payout level of gems the same colour as the bird that collected them by 1 to 3  levels. 
• Key: these must be collected to work. The bandit escape feature triggers as soon as the birds can’t collect any more symbols. The bandit then collects symbols of any colour. The bandit battles with adjacent birds and if it defeats all four then the bandit coin game begins. If the bandit is defeated by one of the birds then the bandit escape ends.
• Transform: these must be collected to work. They turn a cluster of gems next to the bird that collected it into the same oclour as the bird. Some gems can also be converted to other feature symbols.
• Peanut: these must be collected to work. They place a peanut in empty grid spaces which can be eaten by the birds. It allows them to cross spaces to reach more collectable symbols.
• Dynamite: these explode when they’re collected. This explosion removes the birds and gems from the grid, triggering a redrop. It also expands the grid to 7 reels and 8 rows. Dynamite can either explode the area around it or the whole grid, depending on its size.
• Wild: these can substitute for any gem at its current level. If you receive a black bandit wild then they substitute for the highest paying gem.
• Coin: these must be collected to work. The coin pays the displayed value multiplied by the bet. The Max Win coin pays the 10,000x the bet minus any current win.

Coin Game

If you manage to clear the entire grid then the coin game begins. Coin bags and scorpions drop onto the reels in random positions, then the train arrives. The train is carrying either birds, or the vulture bandit.

You’ll notice the collection meter is replaced by a win counter. The birds or bandit throw lassos to collect coin bags, if they catch a scorpion then they’re out of the game. The coin game ends when no bird/bandit remains. If it ends in normal mode then new symbolsl and the birds drop onto the reels again.

Showdown Feature

We love a good showdown! Two birds can swap places with one another when they can’t collect anymore symbols. However, catch them on a bad day and they might perform a showdown. This always happens if three birds are next to each other. The feature begins with the birds moving away from each other removing symbols as they go, then they randomly shoot in any direction. The shots remove gems, collect bonus scatters, keys, and coins, and ignite dynamite. Any other feature symbols aren’t affected. After the duel the birds are redropped and the symbols refill.

Train Heist

There are between 2 and 4 positions to the left and right of the grid that are marked with a train backdrop. If a bird collects a symbol from the train backdrop on one side and can also collect a symbol with a train backdrop on the other side then it’s time for a train heist. 

The bird finishes collecting and then hops on the departing train. The train chugs around the grid, awarding between 1 and 3 feature symbols. The train will then stop on the opposite side to let the bird off to finish collecting symbols.

Bonus Game

If you collect three scatter symbols then the bonus game starts with 5 free drops. If you collect a bonus in the free drops part then you get an additional free drop. If you collect super bonus scatters then the game starts on the fully expanded grid. Everything about the bonus spins is the same as normal, except the symbol collection meter and gem upgrade level is persistent.