Since pretty much the very beginning of human existence on this planet we have been fascinated by gemstones such as quartz, opal, amber or amethyst. And there’s no surprise there either, because these things are often incredibly beautiful, with their dazzling nature often proving hard to resist. It’s funny, because these usually very valuable things are actually just pieces of mineral crystal made over hundreds of thousands of millions of years. At root they are really quite simple, however due to the relative rarity of gemstones, and their wonderful appearance, they are incredibly special for human society. In fact, it is not even just us humans that find gemstones so intoxicating, as animals such as magpies and crows have been spotted hoarding these objects for no apparent reason other than for their appearance.
Can you blame them? Walk into pretty much any jewellery shop on earth and you will be met with at least a few examples of different gemstones placed into necklaces or rings. They are symbols of opulence and beauty, and have been so for many thousands of years. Some of the discoveries made from Ancient Egyptian tombs, for instance, are completely covered in various gemstones, proof that they have been fascinating humankind for years. Now then, one thing we all know about the online slot industry like Slotsbaby.com is how much it loves to base its themes upon popular things in human culture, and it should therefore come as no surprise that there are an abundance of jewel themed slots around these days. Bejeweled is perhaps still the most famous, but you still have titles like NetEnt’s Starburst too. Now the esteemed developer Yggdrasil have joined the party with their slot Gem Rocks. How does it fare? Read on to find out.
About Gem Rocks and its Aesthetic
As you have most probably guessed by now, Gem Rocks is an online slot title that is wholly concerned with the world of valuable gemstones, in much the same vein as the previously mentioned games like Bejeweled and Starburst. However, Yggdrasil are never ones to simply copy what has come before, and for this reason Gem Rocks actually focuses more on the formation of these stones, rather than them themselves. Consequently the slot’s aesthetic leans more towards the underground nature of these valuable objects, presenting them as immersed in rock, rather than in their extracted and highly polished form. It is a nice touch, and one that immediately sets Gem Rocks apart from some of other opulent jewel themed online slots.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out what the symbols in Gem Rocks are going to resemble… An assortment of gem rocks of course! You can expect to encounter a variety of things on the fairly unique 6×4 reel grid configuration, with the lowest paying icons being a brown cross or purple diamonds, with these paying out up to 20 coins. Next up are a set of green, white and blue gemstones which are worth slightly more than this. Finally we have a beautiful looking crescent moon gem that will pay out a maximum of 35 coins, or the slot’s heavy hitter, a red star that is worth 200 coins.
About Gem Rocks and its Bonus Features
One thing to mention about Gem Rocks straight off the bat is the fact that it doesn’t have any of the conventional wild and scatter symbols that we have become accustomed to seeing in the online slot world these days, however this does not mean that the title doesn’t have any bonus features – far from it. One of which is the Cascading Reels feature that means that all the symbols found in winning combinations will disappear, subsequently leaving room for new icons to fall down. In our experience this feature can be incredibly lucrative, but you have to get quite lucky with it of course. The cascading reels concept doesn’t end there either, because if you find another winning combination straight after one of Gem Rock’s best features will be unlocked.
Oh yes, on receiving another winning combination due to the Cascading Reels feature a Monster Rock will appear on the reels. At first this symbol with take up a 2×2 space on the reel grid, however with every subsequent win he will expand. Eventually the Monster Rock can end up being 4×4, and if you are lucky enough for it to be patterned with one of the high value symbols you could be in for a seriously big win. In our opinion this feature more than makes up for an absence of scatter or wild symbols – we have seen it result in massively lucrative wins.
About Yggdrasil and Other Slots by Them
It would be tempting to think that Yggdrasil are complete novices in the field of online slot engineering, mainly because they were only established around six years ago in 2013. However, the man who founded the company actually used to be the critically acclaimed developer NetEnt’s CEO, so it follows that Yggdasil know exactly what they are doing when it comes to crafting impeccable online slots. Their games are often characterised by incredibly clear 3D graphics, and a range of different themes that very rarely feel lazy at all. Now based in Malta, Yggdrasil have been going from strength to strength in recent years, rapidly becoming many avid online slot gamblers’ favourite developer. And anyway, when you look at some of the examples from their extensive back-catalogue there should really be no surprise. Take a look at some of these for instance:
· Champions Of Rome
· Cyrus The Virus
· Holmes And The Stolen Stones
· Legend Of The White Snake Lady
Gem Rocks: The Verdict?
Now, if you compare Gem Rocks with other games of a similar theme like NetEnt’s Starburst how does it score? Well, aside from the absence of any scatter or wild symbols, we really do think that Yggdrasil’s effort trumps most of the others on the market. Especially due to the Monster Rock feature, that is both fun and incredibly lucrative.
