Customer Reviews

Reel Deal Casino Gold Rush

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The users manual states that the Reel Deal franchise is the most successful computer casino game series in the world. The only reason I can really see for this is that it adopts a populist approach that tries to be more fun and amusing rather than serious. The whole style is very cartoony, for example in offline play you'll be playing mainly against silly robot characters.

It's hard to believe that this game is from 2007; the graphics are crude in comparison to,say, the Hoyle series that it feels more like a 1997 game. I even have one of those "Valusoft" 505 games compendiums and the graphics are generally on a par with that.

Money too is confusing, and considering that casino games are based around the collection of (compputer) money this seems a flaw. Why make 2 different types of money, Dream world and Real World ? It's just confusing. And there have been many times when I have won large sums in (say) poker, only for it to somehow vanish when I start another game. If there is an explanation for thisit should really be much clearer. So far, I'm still perplexed about this vanishing money.

It's not all bad though.The highlight for me is definitely the video slot machines, very entertaining with colourful and well animated graphics and some exclellent music and sound effects.In particular there's an "Alice" video slot that seems to pay an homage to the sinister feel of an acclaimed video game, American McGees Alice.

There are some nice FMV animated sequences throughout too. For example on the craps table when you press the Roll button you are given a view from the felt of the table with the dice tumbling towards you. No effect on gameplay of course but amusing to look at.

The manual too explains the game rules quite clearly, and this will obviously be of help to more novice casino game players.

The rest though; well there are a few nice touches (for example the Old West theme shooting gallery),but overall apart from the video slots I wasn't tempted to play much further than a few sessions. The non- intimidating style of the game might appeal for those looking for a casual casino experience, but for a more realistic and authentic experience I think I'll stick with Hoyle's.

OFFLINE Service - If you want intuitive games with good graphics and user friendly options, stick with Hoyle. My Hoyle version from 2003 is better than this 2007 Reel Deal. I have played the Craps and Blackjack games and found them frustrating. The blackjack games does not have keyboard shortcuts for hitting, standing, etc. thus requiring you to solely use your mouse. The craps game fails to keep track of your losses, showing only your winnings and a 200+% payout for the session despite severly depleting your cash. The paper users manual focuses on the online aspects of the game so forget looking up details of the game such as how and at what rate you earn VIP points or shots at the shooting gallery. The "help" section included with the game only provides minimal instruction for first time users of the games.

ONLINE Service - Given my disappointments with the offline service and the amount of space given to the online service in the users manual and "splash" page of the game I tried the online service. Let me rephrase, I have tried to use the online service. Each time I try to log on I lose server connection. I have downloaded three separate patches for the game from the website to no avail. I have nearly given up after reading from the FAQ section that I need to turn off my firewall, my virus protection, and reconfigure my router in order to make this game work. Given the offline content it is certainly not worth the effort.

The one bright spot in this package is the paper user manual's explanation of all of the games offered in the package which is very thorough providing rules, odds, and strategies. Additionally, the video type slots were attractive incentives to purchase this game, but even with "dream world odds" you have to play for 10 to 15 minutes to reach a bonus round and I assume those rounds will grow old quickly since there is no real skill in playing them.

When new casino games come out, they typically have one or two minor changes that make buying them pointless. Gold Rush has added real sport betting, ie, you bet the spread and over/unders in professional sports... not a mock sporting league, but the NFL, NHL, college, MLB, even the CFL. Granted, you aren't betting real money, but for people like myself, I like to see how good I know my football, without actually putting real money on it. This single feature got me to buy this game. I do believe the real-time betting on this feature will cost you $8 to $10 a month once your complimentary first month is over. But that fee gets you a free slot a month as well.

Of course, EFX has the typical video slots that separate it from Hoyle's Casino. And the other benefit is that this game can be combined with the other Phantom EFX games (High Roller Casino, Vegas Casino Experience, Bonus Mania Slot, Mystic Slots and Gold Rush slots) to form a mega casino. As a note, you don't need every one of these to add-on to your own personal casino.

This game is great. And the online experience is unmatched by any other casino software.

A few "but" notes though. If you are using Vista, you have to download the Vista installer. Just go to their website, click on support and look for Vista downloads. Also, these games typically need to have patches installed. This process isn't that hard, however, for those with less computer experience it can be a little intimidating. The process is usually simple though. You go to their support site, download the patch, run the patch and it does everything else for you. If you play online, the first time could take you up to an hour to start as it downloads updates for the software. I must stress, this game is not good for people with a 56k Internet connection. However, their server speed for downloading patches is very fast, so if you have DSL or Cable, you should be alright. And finally the software can be a little buggy. The customer support is certainly above average. My emails were responded to within the same day. I have found that some problems can be frustrating, however, when this game works, which it usually does, it is worth the effort.

Overall, this game is really good, with the sports betting part making it incredible. When made part of the larger casino, it is a phenomenal game. It's the casino without losing any money.

This is a great game. I especially liked the new sports book feature. You can bet on your favorite team. Best it all, its not even real money. In addition, all other slots are great and entertaining. You can't go wrong with a casino game by Phantom EFX.

This latest GR package from Phantom EFX is a major disappointment! Installation is so user unfriendly, for gamers like myself with a VISTA platform. It seems that Phantom EFX is trying to cling onto her old customers with previous packages and neglected to take care of the new comers with an update O/S. XP Codec pack is required to run the game on VISTA. The Codec pack is so inadequate when you try to play videos on your computer outside this game. The design is, to say the least, backward looking.

Going onto the graphics design. The display must be one of the poorest among current PC games on offer in the market. There is nothing to show on the 3D front. So I look into the views of individual gaming tables. GR offers nothing new, compared with a very old game by another publisher I had dated back to the early 90's. Except the design of individual table views in GR are, at least to my humble opinion, inferior. I shall quote just two examples:

For the game of Big 6, a major attraction for gamers is to see the big wheel spinning. However, in GR you only get to see a small section at the bottom half of the wheel plus a window at the section where the number lands. The thrill of watching the big wheel spinning is gone.

Another example is that of dice games. The thrill in dice games come the moment when the dice land flat on the table and not when it is rolling. However, in GR the view of the outcome shown is that of dice still in the air, eg in Sic Bo and in Craps.

The only credit I shall give to GR is that it offers a great number of table games with on screen instructions for first timers. I was going to give GR a 2-Star rating. However, when I encountered installation problems and tried to contact Phantom EFX, I received no support whatsoever!

If you are looking for a game that is easy to download and allows you to get quickly in to the gaming fun DO NOT buy this game. If you do decide to buy this game you will be saddled with more work than play. If you want a sample of all the trouble people are having with this game just search Phantom EFX. Open the message board and read for yourself. You are not able to enjoy all the features of this game until you get online. This alone will have you pulling your hair out. If you do manage to get on line it will cost you ten or better dollars a month. Do yourself a favor and leave this game on the rack.

This is by and far the best release ever from Phantom EFX. If you like slots, table games and poker, the variety and fun you will have with these will far exceed anything you have ever played before.

Don't forget to try the online portion of the game. Free to try for 30 days, you will no doubt be as hooked as the other subscribers are!!

games are fun. need to use cd every time you want to play doesn't down load to hard drive like some games

Vegas online is an amazing format! Although things aren't like they used to be since Live launched, it is still a popular place to go!! I have had no bad experiences with anything from Phantom after years of being their customer!

This is so much fun, I play the slots and it is like being at the casino. They are very graphic and have all the special effects including free spins and bonus. I have not tried anything else. I am going to learn how to play Craps because this game come with a nice book as a tutorial for all of the different games. My husband plays the card games and the slots as well.