Gates of Aztec: Slot Overview

When a company lands on a proven hit, it’s easy to see why it would want to repackage that recipe and try to squeeze out even more success. That’s exactly what software provider Pragmatic Play has done with Gates of Olympus, which has resurfaced in titles with varying levels of change such as Sword of Ares, Gates of Gatot Kaca, and now an Ancient American-styled edition called Gates of Aztec. Beyond a fresh coat of paint and the addition of a bonus buy, Gates of Aztec is essentially a direct copy of the original, so the stats, mechanics, and win potential are the same.

As noted, the presentation is different, so rather than hanging out with Zeus on Olympus, players join a warrior in a Central American-inspired backdrop. With so many Aztec slots out there, most will know the familiar ingredients: step pyramids, ornate stonework, stylised nature motifs, and the like. Gates of Aztec doesn’t push the theme into unexplored territory, but it’s also easy enough on the eyes. Much like the rest of the conversion, the visuals and sound do what they need to and don’t really go beyond that.

Looking a little deeper, we arrive at Gates of Aztec’s key stats. To begin with, whether you stick to standard spins from 20 p/c to $/€125 per turn, switch on the Ante Bet, or purchase free spins, the return to player figure remains identical across the board, topping out at 96.5%. The same applies to volatility—rated 5 out of 5, it sits firmly in the high bracket—and Gates of Aztec can be played on any device.

Set on a 6-column, 5-row grid, Gates of Aztec uses a scatter pays system to form wins. A familiar Pragmatic Play approach, wins occur when at least 8 identical symbols land anywhere on the reels. Any win activates the tumble feature, clearing the winning symbols and dropping new ones in from above. Tumbles continue until no further wins land. A scatter win of 8-9 matching symbols pays 0.25 to 10 times the bet, while a 12+ scatter win returns 2 to 50 times the bet. The low-value symbols are Ten through Ace royals, the top end is made up of four Aztec-themed items, and the game does not feature wilds at any stage.

Gates of Aztec: Slot Features

Gates of Aztec may skip wilds, but it includes multiplier symbols, a major reason this slot style has become so popular. Green, blue, purple, or reddy orange gem symbols can appear on any of the 6 reels and carry a random multiplier value of x2 to x500. Once a tumble chain ends, all multiplier values currently showing are totalled up and applied to the overall win before it’s paid out.

Free Spins

Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols in the base game awards a payout of 3x, 5x, or 100x the bet, respectively, along with 15 free spins. During free spins, whenever multiplier symbols land and the spin produces a win, their values are added into a running total multiplier. Throughout the free spins feature, when a winning scatter hits and a multiplier symbol is also visible, the total multiplier plus the new multiplier value(s) is applied to that win. The bonus round can be retriggered by landing 3 or more scatter symbols, awarding +5 additional free spins.

Ante Bet and Bonus Buy

Turning on the Ante Bet increases the base bet by 25% and doubles the chance of triggering free spins. Alternatively, selecting the Buy Free Spins option lets players purchase the feature for 100 times the stake. As stated earlier, the RTP remains unchanged regardless of how Gates of Aztec is played.

Gates of Aztec: Slot Verdict

Pragmatic Play has consistently shown it knows how to make multipliers work, as seen in games like Sugar Rush, Fruit Party 2, and naturally Gates of Olympus. A title like Gates of Aztec not only highlights the studio’s knack for multiplier-driven action, but also its fondness for scatter-paying mechanics—another area where Pragmatic Play tends to deliver. Combining both elements in Gates of Olympus clearly struck a chord, which has led to several follow-ups that are closely, and sometimes extremely closely, related.

Gates of Aztec is the latest example and, while it plays smoothly and looks perfectly decent, the sense of freshness has faded a bit. That doesn’t mean it can’t be as exciting as the original, but much of it felt easy to anticipate. If the studio had pushed the gameplay further (rather than mainly adding a bonus buy), Gates of Aztec could have felt more energising on arrival. On the other hand, fans of the line may prefer that Pragmatic Play hasn’t tinkered with the core formula, allowing the established features to stand out in a different environment. Gates of Aztec is still very capable of piling up multipliers during tumbles and free spins to potentially get the heart rate up. The win potential is unchanged as well, with a 5,000x the bet cap in place. Perhaps raising that ceiling could have boosted Gates of Aztec’s pull, despite it being released as a PokerStars exclusive.

A more inventive theme might have helped too, although credit to Pragmatic Play for stepping away from the usual path with Gates of Gatot Kaca. Overall, Gates of Aztec is highly familiar, but it should satisfy anyone wanting the Gates of Olympus experience in a new setting. Any guesses where the Gates series heads next?