The Journey West Slots

The Journey West is a 5-reel slot from Toptrend Gaming that’s all about the Orient. Like many Asian-themed slots, it’s hard to tell who the game is aimed at: the substantial Asian gambling market or Western players whose idea of Asian culture is derived partially from games such as these.

Whatever the case, it would be fair to say that, like all slots, The Journey West lays the cliches and cultural stereotypes on thick, with the sound of gongs, bamboo, lush valleys and all the other trappings of ancient Chinese dynastic life. There’s also an anthropomorphic pig, whose presence in this game is harder to decipher. He looks like a pig but is dressed like a Chinaman, complete with a hat, robe and a club resting menacingly over one shoulder. Best advice would be to forgo figuring it all out and instead to roll the reels and see what comes of it all.

West Is Best

Visually, The Journey West looks very lush; Toptrend Gaming deserve credit for devising a game that looks sumptuous, its detailed graphics complemented by equally slick animations. The motion of the reels is particularly complex, with a sort of pre-shudder as each one lurches into life, followed by some cool transitions when the 5 reels finally come to a halt.

At that stage, winning symbols disappear fleetingly to reveal more of the verdant valley that forms the backdrop of the game. This feature grants the game added dimensionality, and for a moment it’s easy to forget that you’re gazing at a video slot.

Follow the Path to Riches

At the top of the reels, instructions on winning at The Journey West are displayed across the bamboo frame that contains the 5 x 3 grid. This includes information on free games and which symbols will pay double or serve as wilds.

To activate the Choose Your Path Bonus, for example, land 3 or more of the symbols depicting the regal man clutching a gold staff. With this bonus, you can win up to 15 free games. Full information on how to extract the most moolah out of The Journey West is provided in the pay table information section.

Game Controls

Below the reels, you’ll find all the controls required to set the bet level, activate auto spin and suchlike. These controls start on the bottom left with controls for setting the value of credits, which can range from 0.01 to 1.00. Next up, you can see – but not control – the number of lines, which is set at 40. This is followed up with controls for the bet multiplier, ranging from 1 to 10.

With everything cranked up to the max, a single spin will cost you 400 i.e. 10 credits per line. Click on the auto spin button and a pop-up menu will allow you to dictate the number of spins that should be taken on your behalf: from 10-100 or until you hit the feature.

Features to Spin For

Aside from the playing card value symbols, the game’s more lucrative symbols start with a white horse, worth 2,000 for 5, followed in ascending order by a scroll, a hand with thumb and finger touching to signal luck, an elf-like enemy and the anthropomorphic pig, 5 of whom are worth a hefty 10,000.

There’s also a wild symbol in The Journey West, played by an aggressive looking monkey who’ll appear on reels 2-4 and will substitute for any symbols except for scatter.

The scatter is played by the aforementioned gold scepter-waving regal character. 5 of these symbols are worth 100, but their real value lies in opening the Choose Your Path Bonus, which will pave the way to picking up serious wins. With this feature activated, you’ll be presented with 3 possible paths to pick from. The first one, on reel 2, will result in an expanded wild and 5 free games plus a 3 x multiplier. The second path, on reel 3, will secure 8 free games and a 2 x multiplier. The third, on reel 4, will land 15 free games and a 3x multiplier.

The Journey West Is Best

The Journey West is an excellent slot from Toptrend Gaming thanks to its bonus feature and inventive use of expanding wilds, coupled with detailed graphics that add the game real depth.