Pearl River Introduction
If you prefer to play games with high-quality graphics, animations and integrated video, Pearl River might not be the game for you. The game developers are known for releasing fairly traditional games with retro graphics, and Pearl River is no different. The graphics are pretty underwhelming, but the theme is still clear. The reels are simple and black, and there is no video or moving animation.
The symbols on the reels do keep in with the theme; there are the normal playing cards to symbolise the low-paying symbols, and then there are a selection Asian-themed symbols, including a lotus flower, a bird, dragonflies and a junk boat. The junk boats are definitely worth keeping an eye out for; if five appear on the screen at the same time, you will win a prize that is 12 times the size of your total bet!
This element definitely makes the symbols more exciting, but that doesn’t mean that they are very visually impressive - much like the reels, they are fairly basic and retro. Another symbol that players should look out for is the Goddess, as she represents the wild symbol for the game.
She can appear on reels three, four and five, and while she doesn’t offer any rewards she can replace all of the symbols (except for the scatter) on the reels, so she can help to increase the chances of your landing a winning combination.
Overall the graphics are pretty underwhelming, and the backing music doesn’t make the situation any better; a loud violin sound will play every time there is a winning spin, and the sound is more annoying than it is enjoyable. However, you can mute the sounds if they bother you, and the generous bonus prizes mean that the game is still well worth it if you are looking for high payouts rather than pretty graphics.
Bonus Offers and Features
There are a few fun bonus features for you to check out in Pearl River. One of the features can be unlocked using the Pearl symbol; if you manage to land at least three on the reels, you will get a reward that is five times your stake, and this continues to go up for every extra pearl.
If you manage to get four on the reels, you will win ten times your stake, and if you get five pearl symbols on the reels, you will win up to 100 times your stake as well as 10 free spins. This is definitely one of the best bonus features in the game, so keep your eyes open for those pearls!
There is also a money bag symbol that can appear on the first and fifth reels. If the symbol appears on both reels at the same time, this will trigger the Lucky Multiplier Bonus Spin feature that awards three free spins. The final bonus feature that you will want to trigger involves four potential jackpot prizes.
These jackpots can be triggered if you land the five-of-a-kind winner as well as the Quad Shot symbol on the reel that is at the side of the main reels. This prize will depend on which symbol formed the five-of-a-kind winner, but you can win up to 2,000 your stake, which is seriously impressive!
It is worth noting that like many other games from Ainsworth, the pay table in Pearl River differs between the main game and the bonus features. This isn’t a big problem for most people, but it is important to be aware of this before you start playing.
Conclusion
Overall, Pearl River is a pretty fun game that will appeal to anyone who likes the potential of a big win. The visuals for the game are fairly disappointing, but this is the case for many online games, and they are still very popular as the games offer lots of generous bonus features.
So while the boring graphics may be a problem for some people, other people will be more than happy to play a low-quality graphics game if it comes with lots of fun bonus features and offers. Pearl River can be played on desktop, mobile and tablet devices, just like our other free pokies.
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