When you sit down and play at any one of the modern slot games like those found at Wizardslots, games from developers such as NetEnt, Big Time Gaming or Play’N GO it can be easy to forget what online slots looked like only a decade ago. Nowadays these games feature incredibly clear and HD graphics, which are often in 3D too, something that is in complete contrast to the first online slots to hit the market, games that often had an inferior quality of graphics.
The biggest breakthrough in terms of online slot aesthetics came when leading developers such as NetEnt began bringing out 3D slots, as this immediately breathed a whole new gust of life into the industry. There are several 3D slot game characteristics that make the general online slot gambling experience that little bit better, and as a result we are seeing a continued increase in online slot gambling. Read on for some 3D slot game characteristics that you will love.
3D specific bonus rounds
Whilst online slots have had some kind of bonus round since pretty much the beginning of the online slot industry these were often rather simplistic in their nature, and did not have nearly as much complexity and variation as the modern slot bonus rounds of 2020. One of the main reasons for this is because there is a lot less you can do with 2D bonus rounds, and developers were somewhat limited in what they could do.
As soon as 3D graphics hit the market, however, gamblers started to see far more intriguing and innovative bonus rounds that used 3D graphics as a crucial part of their make-up. One game that is a great example of this is Centurion by Inspired Gaming, which has four bespoke bonus rounds that play out like 3D mini-games.
Cluster Pay game mechanic
Starburst was one of the first true 3D online slot games to be released, and it immediately became incredibly popular throughout the worldwide online slot gambling community. NetEnt really hit the proverbial jackpot with this one, blending incredibly clear 3D graphics with interesting bonus features and a whole lot of win potential.
But there is another reason why Starbust was immediately met with such excitement from the online slot gambling community, and that is that it also was the first game to trial the exciting Cluster Pay game mechanic. Wins in Starburst are made when a group of identical symbols are found on the reels, and this mechanic is only really possible with 3D graphics.
Innovative reel substitutes
If there was one criticism of the online slot industry a decade ago it could be that the games all looked slightly too similar, using the same reel formula each time. Well, thanks to the emergence of 3D graphics developers such as Thunderkick have started experimenting with the reel formula.
Take Well of Wonder, for instance, a game that doesn’t actually have any of the classic reels we have come to expect from online slots, with the symbols floating out of a magical well in the middle of the screen instead.
