Highlander Pokie Review

 

The action-fantasy movie Highlander debuted in 1986, telling the story of a group of immortals fighting each other across the centuries. Christopher Lambert appeared in the lead role of Connor MacLeod, while Clancy Brown, Sean Connery and Roxanne Hart made up the supporting cast.

This sword-swinging tale was only a modest hit initially, but it soon grew in popularity and spawned a number of sequels and spin-offs. Microgaming also decided to get in on the action, releasing a Highlander pokie to the online casino market.

If you’re a fan of the movie that popularized the phrase “There can be only one,” be sure to check out the following review.

Winning Ways

Instead of fixed paylines, this game uses “ways” to determine winning spins. In order to achieve a payout, you’ll need to get three or more identical symbols in an adjacent fashion. Overall, there are 243 potential winning combos to aim for.

Betting Range

The smallest possible wager for Highlander is $0.40 per spin, while the largest is $30. This range makes the game best-suited for players with a small to medium-sized bankroll.

RTP

The return-to-player percentage for this pokie is 96.23%, which means you’ll win back an average of $96.23 for every $100 wagered. This is about average for an online poker machine, so there’s nothing to worry about on that front.

Of course, you’ll also have to take short-term variance into account. The winning percentage can rise and fall dramatically during a handful of spins, so you’ll need hundreds or thousands of games to achieve the listed RTP.

Virtual reels on the Highlander slot machine

Highlander Paytable

This section examines the symbols and payouts on the Highlander online pokie. I’m using the maximum wager of $30 as an example, but this can be changed to fit your needs. Just keep in mind that a smaller bet will also result in a lower payout.

  • Ten – Pays $3.75 for three matches, $15 for four and $37.50 for five.
  • Jack – Pays $3.75 for three matches, $15 for four and $45 for five.
  • Queen – Pays $7.50 for three matches, $30 for four and $45 for five.
  • King – Pays $7.50 for three matches, $30 for four and $60 for five.
  • Ace – Pays $7.50 for three matches, $37.50 for four and $67.50 for five.
  • Heather MacLeod – Pays $15 for three matches, $75 for four and $112.50 for five.
  • Brenda Wyatt – Pays $22.50 for three matches, $75 for four and $150 for five.
  • The Kurgan – Pays $30 for three matches, $90 for four and $187.50 for five.
  • Connor MacLeod – Pays $30 for three matches, $112.50 for four and $300 for five.
  • Russell Nash – Pays $37.50 for three matches, $112.50 for four and $375 for five.
  • Sword – This is the scatter symbol for the game. It also pays $30 for three matches, $300 for four and $3000 for five. Scatter wins combine with way wins, and two scatters turn into wilds during the base game.
  • Highlander Logo – This is the game’s wild symbol. It pays $60 for three matches, $225 for four and $750 for five. It substitutes for all symbols except the scatter.

Free Spins Bonus

When the player gets three scatters at the same time, they’ll trigger the bonus round. Next, the game awards 10 free spins.

The bonus spins take place until they’ve been exhausted. Then, the game reverts back to normal.

I’ll admit that this section of Highlander takes place without much fanfare. Still, it’s better than not having the bonus round at all.

Quickening Wilds

In the source movie, there are several scenes of lightning strikes. The game mimics this with Quickening Wilds, which can take place at any time.

When lightning strikes on the reels, it places a random number of wilds. This is relatively straightforward, but it immediately increases your chances of a winning spin.

Final Thoughts

The Highlander pokie isn’t as visually dazzling as it could’ve been, and there’s a noticeable lack of songs from Queen (who wrote music for the original film). Despite this, it offers some decent payouts and hours of entertainment for fans of the franchise.