It seems that every other release in Boomerang’s Lightning Chase range is free from all the ante bet complications, which might be a relief to some. Our feeling is that the budding developer is testing the waters, trying out new engines, mechanics and features, which is not uncommon for a young developer looking for their unique voice. Return of the Valkyrie Splitz is loosely based on their previousValkyrie Wild Storm, and you get somewhat similar visuals.
Powered by Yggdrasil as this release is (as well as ReelPlay), the established Swedish developer has given Boomerang permission to utilize their rarely seenSplitz mechanic. This means that up to 15,552 win ways are possible in the base game, and you get a tense moment every 10 spins, as all marked Splitz positions turn into Splitz symbols at the same time. The base game is more exciting than the Hold & Respins round in many ways, which might be a good thing when you think about it.
The premium symbols pay between 0.66 and 1.66 x your stake for 5 of a kind wins, andValkyrie on a white horse is the wild symbol. The wild can appear on reels 2 to 5 only, and it steps in for all regular pay symbols to help complete wins.
TheSpin 10 Splitz Storm featureis active in the base game, and the Valkyrie is the Splitz symbol. All Splitz Valkyries that land in the base game highlight the position with a frame, and the base game goes in a 10 spins cycle as indicated by the meter on the left. All the highlighted frames turn into Splitz symbols on the 10th spin, and these serve asmystery symbolswith a twist.
Basically, Splitz symbols split into 2, 3 or 4 instances of a randomly chosen symbol, and all presentSplitz symbolsturn into the same symbol. This happens when they land during the 10 spins cycle, and when theSplitz Stormtriggers on the 10th spin. The Splitz symbols can also turn into Coin symbols, which is important when it comes to triggering the bonus round.
TheCoin symbolsland with random values between 1x and 25x, and on rare occasions you might see the top-tier 888x coin. Landing the Collect symbol (reel 1 only) at the same time as cash coin symbols, means that all cash values are collected and paid immediately. If you land6+ coinsat the same time, without any Collect symbol, you trigger the bonus round.
TheHold and Respin bonus roundstarts with all triggering symbols sticky on an otherwise cleared grid, and you get3 respins. Any new coins that land become sticky as well, and this resets the respins tally to 3 each time. You can land the Collect symbol in all positions during the feature, and it will then collect all present coin values before the feature continues. The feature ends when you run out of respins, or when the grid is filled with coin symbols.
TheSide Strike featureis not available in all jurisdictions, but it’s basically a side bet feature that allows you to win extra prizes as you grind along in the base game. Place your bet on the red or green chip, and if your chosen chip appears the most times within a given number of spins you win. The chips are small overlay icons on the regular symbols, and the Side Strike RTP is 98 %.
You get to see the Collect feature in the base game, as well as plenty of smaller wins and dead spins, before we finally trigger the Hold & Respin round. This happens around the 2-minute mark, as the Splitz Storm revealed Coin symbols in addition to the one we landed at the same time. You can check it all out for yourself by hitting the play button below.
Return of the Valkyrie Splitz is visually similar to the predecessor installment, Valkyrie Wild Storm, but we much preferred the semi-transparent background to the pitch black reels you get in this Boomerang follow-up. The 10th spin Wild Storm has been replaced by a Splitz Storm, and it does provide a decent high-pulse moment on a regular basis. It’s not really as tense as in the previous release though, as you needed only 5-oak wilds to win the 5,000x jackpot.
Racking up a solid number of Splitz frames is still fun, and with up to 15,552 win ways larger payouts are certainly possible. Perhaps even more so than in the Hold and Respin round, unless you land several of the rarely seen 888x coin symbol, and/or are extremely lucky with Collect symbols. The feature is kind of dull actually, as we see similar things all the time, but at least you don’t have to bother with all sorts of ante bet complications this time.
Pros
Cons
Temple Frenzy Lightning Chase- is the second installment in Boomerang’s hold & respin range, and this jungle-themed release comes with the same top-tier 888x coin symbol. In addition, you can look forward to a regular bonus round with extra wilds, and a very solid 17,760x potential.
Wild Esqueleto Lightning Chase- is a far more complicated game than the one at hand, with Boom+ and Wild+ ante bet options. The 888x coin is up for grabs in both the base game and during the hold and respin round. In addition, you get different wild features and bonus round options, which can land you up to 5,000x your stake.
Lady Merlin Lightning Chase- is the fantasy-themed first installment in Boomerang’s hold & respin saga, and it comes with a somewhat unusual 3-4-3-4-3 reel set with 432 ways to win. You get the Collect feature in this release too, as well as base game wild multipliers. These are progressive in the bonus round, and you can win up to a solid 25,600x your stake.
