Universal Monsters: The Phantom's Curse is a classic five reel slot game based on the Broadway musical hit, Phantom of the Opera. This beautifully styled game brings you everything you would expect in a simple slot game, with the dark and emotional mood you'd find at a live performance of Gaston Leroux's iconic masterpiece.
Characters and Theme
Many other games of this nature feature a main character to keep you company as you play. You'll find iconic characters, set pieces, and props from Phantom of the Opera popping up all over the place in Universal Monsters: The Phantom's Curse, but the game does a really good job of setting the stage with you as the main character, rather than Christine Daaé or even the Phantom himself.
In fact, the reels are set against a theater house backdrop, creating the illusion that you are the star performer looking out at the audience you are about to perform for. The Phantom appears frequently and unexpectedly in multiple forms, giving the sense that he is truly haunting the play area, while Christine's cameo appearances almost always mean something exciting is about to happen.
Beyond the show's two most iconic characters, you'll find Christine's mirror, a dagger, and classic slot symbols that have been cleverly styled to match the dramatic Phantom of the Opera theme. Sweeping background music completes the theatrical theme quite well, while the game's subtle sound effects push everything over the edge to make you feel like you're really on stage, acting out the events of the original play.
Basic Gameplay
Gameplay is extremely simple and straightforward. Even if you're new to slot games, the learning curve is very low in The Phantom's Curse. To help you get started, a handy information icon is located in the bottom left corner of the game screen, providing you with a general overview of symbol values and a basic gameplay tutorial. Once you understand the essentials, the game is extremely easy to pick up and play.
Directly to the right of the tutorial button, you'll find your betting controls. Next to this, you have your Autoplay, spin, and max bet buttons. Autoplay allows you to hand control over to the game for a set number of spins, while max bet applies your maximum credit balance to the next spin and automatically starts the reels.
Special Features
Bonus features seem a bit complicated but are actually quite simple once you understand the basic mechanics that drive them. You'll see stacked Phantom symbols, which only appear on the first reel, and stacked Christine symbols, which appear only on reel five. Additionally, the stacked Mask symbol only ever shows up on the last reel.
When stacked Phantom and stacked Christine both appear, the pick and click bonus is triggered. When this happens, every rose that appears on the following spins nets you coin awards. This will continue until an X symbol appears, which launches the mode into its second stage. At the second stage, you'll select a random mirror symbol which multiplies your coin winnings from the previous bonus spins.
Be sure to check out the information icon for detailed rules in Click Bonus and other special features that can be triggered as you play.
Conclusion
Universal Monsters: The Phantom's Curse is a simple, straightforward slot game that takes the classic gameplay of five-reel slots and breathes new life into the concept. The Phantom's Curse is a great game for new players looking to get their feet wet in the world of slot games as well as a treat for more experienced players. NetEnt has created yet another great slot game in this title.
