As an avid gambler, I was very excited about the chance to review Reel Deal Casino "Gold Rush" by Phantom EFX, and I wasn’t disappointed, this game is very well thought out and has a great look and feel. There are a few different aspects that I wanted to discuss independently, so let’s take a look.
As soon as I cracked open the regular offline game, I was impressed. I felt like I was back in the old Wild West, and I was naked without my shot of Jack Daniels and a pistol. It was great that the game was so easy to dive into. Any issues I had were solved quickly with the tutorials, which were extremely helpful.
The background graphics were spot on. The tables looked great and the environment reminded me of Bally’s Park Place Wild, Wild West casino in Atlantic City. Bad graphics can ruin a game experience, and this is not a concern here.
The in-game boxes are very helpful. Boxes pop up with rules, advice, stats, odds and hints that I can click on during game play. I’m an experienced casino gambler and even I found them to be full of information.
I know this may sound childish, but I didn’t like that the other players were robots. It really didn’t sit well. I enjoyed the Wild West feel so much and I felt like I should be playing against cowboys. If I’m at the O.K. Corral, I want to play against Wyatt Earp, not R2D2.
The online version is a nice expansion of the standard game. I felt like I was in a real casino and could wander around to play any game I wanted. This is a perfect scenario for amateurs and less-experienced casino players. Casino’s can be very intimidating if you aren’t familiar with how the whole system works. This game is the perfect opportunity to get familiar with a game like Craps, before you sit down and have 10 people yelling instructions and throwing chips all at once.
Some casino games — especially when you aren’t betting real money — are set up so that you can just blow your whole bankroll and then get more money. It’s unrealistic and ruins the fun. This game has betting levels that have to be earned. You can only bet so much until you reach a higher level.
I also love that this game creates a Sims-style experience. You can win a bunch of money and develop your character. I can see this becoming very addictive.
It’s great that I can play any game I want to online, but everyone plays Poker. I went to all the different tables to play different games and there was never anyone there. This isn’t a flaw in the game as much as it is a testament to the popularity of Poker.
And as far as the Poker game play, it is a bit slow at times. I’m a big Poker player and wanted things to keep moving. This goes back to the theory that it’s best suited for more inexperienced players. It gives them time to think and be careful about their next move.
Ultimately what gets to me about the online experience is that you have to pay for it. While I don’t know of another game that has so much in one place, I can find the different aspects elsewhere online for free.
My thoughts on the online sports book are similar. It is a wonderful added feature that gives me real time odds and lines, but there are websites that give me this information for free. That said, I had a ton of fun betting fake money on sports games. And, it is integrated perfectly with the casino games so I can go all-in on a hand of Poker while taking the Miami Heat with the points in the second half. Betting fake money on sports is much better than explaining to my wife that I may or may not have lost the kids’ college tuition money.
Overall, I really enjoyed Reel Deal Casino "Gold Rush." It has absolutely everything you could want in a casino game. I feel like I wouldn’t get through everything for about six months if I really wanted to dig in. My only issue is the fact that you have to pay for it. I can find most of what I need for free on different internet sites. I will say though that I don’t know of anyone who puts it all in one place. It’s definitely worth checking out, but get your friends involved; it’s much better playing with your friends.