Oxygen

Review Oxygen

The Oxygen pokie is a game that has an original name although it follows a clear approach. In Oxygen, players are welcomed for an underwater adventure which is always a fascinating place. It is also known to be full of treasures which is why Oxygen pays out up to 25,000x the stake. Whilst players make their spins, they will see how strange water animals move along the transparent playing field. To add some more action, ELK Studios made sure to take care of a tranquil soundtrack with bubbling water sounds, perfectly matching the rest of the game. Design-wise, Oxygen is great as always with ELK Studios. In this full review of Oxygen you will discover why we consider this an excellent pokie.

How to Play

Oxygen can be played in New Zealand as different NZ online casinos have added this game to their portfolio. It might take a few spins to get used to the gameplay which is why we suggest you try out this pokie in the free demo mode. Every spin in Oxygen starts with 6 columns, 7 rows, as well as dropping symbols. The columns can expand to up to 8 rows, which can eventually boost the ways to win from 4096 to 262,144 per round. This is thanks to the cluster pays engine this game is packed with.

• Winning combinations can be made for 5+ identical symbols connected horizontally or vertically.
• This casino game starts at a relatively high minimum bet of $0.20 going up to a max of $100 per spin.
• In order to make your first spin, go for the spin button once to make a single spin. There is also an Autoplay button, giving you the chance to gamble many preselected Oxygen pokie spins.
• For more information about the game and its settings, go ahead and press on the Menu icon.

Symbol Wins

The game’s design takes us underwater, which is a place where all sorts of fish plants, fish, and other underwater life can be found. In the backdrop, you’ll see corals as well as a shipwreck, giving the player some extra reason to dive into the ocean and explore the water. As for the symbols, winning combinations are made with 14+ symbols of the same symbol type, leading to payouts between 10x and 20x the bet. The high value symbols are fish in different colours and the gold scuba helmet. Wins of 14+ of the same symbol type, providing payouts of between 25x to 100x the stake. The golden treasure chest is the game’s scatter, and 3 wilds can land during the spins. First of all, there is the normal wild (bath ball), whilst the Exploding Wild (black naval mine), and the X-Blaster Wild (silver naval mine) are two different versions. The oxygen bubbles can be found behind the symbols, which is where the collector can be landed. Below, we’ve included an overview of the symbols:

Bonus Features

Oxygen has a number of bonus features that are meant to help you make your winning combinations. These features include multiple free spins features and a bonus buy feature that is available for New Zealanders. Below, we’ll dive into the different features:

Avalanche Wins and Big Symbols

The advantage of the Avalanche mechanic is that it removes all winning symbols, giving new symbols the chance to drop down and fill the empty positions. This will go on until no winning clusters are formed anymore. Big symbols can go up to sizes of 4×4.

Special Modifier Wilds

The regular wild can replace other symbols giving players the flexibility to complete wins. In addition to the regular wild,  there are also 2 special wild symbols. The Exploding Wild is activated when part of a win, and does what its name suggests: it explodes at the end of the Avalanche sequence. This explosion removes symbols in an X-shaped area around the Exploding Wild, whilst the X-Blaster Wild works in the same way. The blast of the X-Blaster replaces all symbols with a randomly selected symbol in an X-shape. Multiple X-blasts turn symbols into wilds each time.

Doubling Position Multipliers

This game is boasted with Doubling Position Multipliers meaning that winning positions are upgraded with an x1 multiplier bubble on the first win. After this, the position multiplier is doubled per consecutive win on the same position. This can go all the way up to 2,048x, with multiplier bubbles being reset between base game spins. The multipliers are not reset in either of the bonus rounds.

Multiplier Features

The multiplier features are triggered randomly with each feature having their own characteristics. We’ll explain this below:

• The Multiplier Strike: Makes sure a random amount of multipliers is added to the playing field.
• The Collector: Takes all the multiplier values and brings them to its own position. When part of a win it will trigger other features whilst it can be persistent.
• The Dealer: Multiplies all the multipliers in at least one adjacent area. This can be done both vertically or horizontally in V-shapes, with the multiplier boost being at least x2. This can only be activated when part of a win. The Dealer can be persistent too.

Free Spins Feature

The Bonus Round is activated when there 3 scatter symbols in view, awarding 10 free spins in the next round. All multiplier positions are then carried over into the bonus round, and the multiplier positions keep on growing without resetting during the feature. Also, +3 or +5 extra spins are awarded when 2 or 3 scatters are landed.

Super Free Spins Feature

The Super version of the bonus round activates from 3 scatters in view, as well as a persistent multiplier feature on the triggering spin. In this case, you’ll get non-resetting multiplier positions during the super free spins round as well, and also at least one persistent multiplier feature that’s active on every spin.

Bonus Buy Feature (X-iter)

The X-iter feature/bonus buy option is available in New Zealand, and it comes with the following 5 options:

• Bonus Hunt: 3x the bet per spin to be 3x more likely to activate a bonus round.
• Multiplier Strike: 10x the bet to get a guaranteed multiplier strike feature.
• Persistent Multiplier: 25x the bet to get a guaranteed multiplier feature that is persistent.
• Bonus Round: 100x the bet to get the regular free spins feature.
• Super Bonus Round: 500x the bet to get the super version.

Payout Metrics

The RTP of Oxygen is 94% which is lower than average, but very common for pokies by ELK Studios these days. The good news is that there are no ranging RTP’s which means you won’t have to worry about needing to check the game’s paytable for this matter. With a 7/10 volatility level, the variance can be considered medium to high. The Oxygen max win is set at 25,000x the bet, which is an outstanding stat, somewhat compensating the low RTP. We do hope that ELK Studios does something about their lower RTP in 2024.

Summary

As seasoned professionals in the realm of ELK Studio’s pokie games, we hope this review prepares you for the range of bonus features awaiting you if you decide to take a chance. If you’re seeking a financially attractive gambling experience, rest assured that ELK has significantly boosted the maths model in Oxygen, introducing additional elements to spice up the gameplay. Expect noteworthy features such as landing sizable symbols and encountering visually appealing special wilds that not only add aesthetic appeal but also contribute to extending your winning streaks.

However, this game is all about the position multiplier system, which is accompanied by multiplier features. Triggering persistent multiplier features can lead to substantial rewards, especially in the super version of the bonus round. At the same time, dealing with massive, yet inactive multiplier positions can be frustrating at times, as there’s no guarantee they will align with a winning combination. It is also crucial to note the 94% RTP, common in ELK games these days, and this may pose a potential drawback for some players. Other than that, we believe that most players should have a blast on this one.