Sword of Ares Slot review
Ancient Greece is one of the most popular slot themes around, and Pragmatic Play is a company that knows more about it than most. One of the company’s most popular slots, Gates of Olympus, utilised the theme effectively and mixed it up with some exciting gameplay mechanics. Sword of Ares feels very much like a spiritual successor to that title, building on the theme and gameplay features to provide a great slot experience. Let’s take it for a spin and find out more.
Sword of Ares Theme and Design
The Sword of Ares slot game feels instantly familiar. When you load it up, you are greeted with Ares himself standing on the right-hand side of the reels, brandishing his sword wrapped in lightning. The symbols on the reels include the titular sword, a Spartan helmet, a shield, a chariot, and various other imagery related to Ancient Greek battles. The Sword of Ares slot is a classic case of ‘if it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it‘. Simply put, if you like the design of Greek-themed slots, then you will enjoy this.
How to Play Sword of Ares
As we mentioned in the intro, Sword of Ares feels like a successor to Gates of Olympus, and this is most apparent in the base game. The slot uses a 6x5 game grid to host the action. It does not offer traditional paylines, instead using a pay-anywhere system. The game pays out for eight or more matching symbols landing on the grid, regardless of their position.
The slot also offers some good winning potential. The maximum win sits at 10,000x the player’s stake, and Pragmatic Play has given the title a full 5/5 volatility rating. The RTP for the slot is 96.40%, though different versions are available, so be sure to check the RTP before you hit the spin button.
Sword of Ares Bonus Features
Pragmatic Play ups the ante in Sword of Ares with some fun bonus features. The first players are likely to encounter is the Tumble feature. This occurs after every win, with winning symbols disappearing off the grid and new ones falling into their place. This continues until there are no winning combos left.
Players will also notice multipliers locked off above each reel. These are unlocked sequentially, with winning symbols being collected to unlock each one. The first multiplier goes up to x4 and is unlocked after 20 symbols have been collected, the second is up to x8 and is unlocked after 50 symbols, while the third goes up to x15 and is unlocked after 100 symbols are collected. The multipliers will then be applied to subsequent wins in that tumble.
Landing four Scatters in the slot will trigger 15 free spins. In the Free Spins round, the multipliers change. The first multiplier remains at a maximum of x4 but is triggered with 15 symbols, the second multiplier is x8 and is triggered at 27, and the third remains at x15 but is triggered with 39 symbols. Three new multipliers are added. The fourth is up to x25 and is triggered with 55 symbols, the fifth is up to x50 and is triggered with 85 symbols, while the sixth is the biggest, offering a guaranteed multiplier of x500 when 235 symbols are collected.
Players should also keep their eyes out for Bomb symbols. If these land during a tumble, they will wait until it is over. They then explode, taking out the symbols around and triggering another tumble.
Some players may have the option to buy into the bonus in the slot. This option is not available for players based in the UK.
Sword of Ares Slot Verdict
Sword of Ares closely follows the road map laid out by Gates of Olympus, but it carves its own route with some great bonus features and some big winning potential. Ancient Greek-themed slots are successful for a reason, and that’s because they’re often a lot of fun. Sword of Ares doesn’t disappoint in that department, offering enjoyable bonuses with a familiar theme and solid winning potential.