NetEnt have a reputation of being hugely successful when taking an existing brand and turning it into a popular slot game and Vikings is no different.
Based on the hit TV series, Vikings slot game provides players with the chance to go on an adventure with Ragnar Lothbrok and Lagertha as they look to pilfer a number of treasures.
Gameplay
One of the most interesting features that we found with this Viking slot game is that the grid that the game is played on has the ability to expand. Players will notice that the initial game grid features five reels, three rows and provides them with the potential to win from 243 ways.
However, once the ‘Raid Spins’ feature has been activated – which will be explained later – players will find that the grid will be expanded to one that still contains five reels, however with seven rows and a huge 78,125 ways to win; yes, 78,125!
Players can get in on potentially winning some huge rewards from this Vikings slot game by placing spins worth as little as €0.20 per turn, although wagers as high as €100 can be placed as well. Those unsure if they want to use real money can test out the Vikings Free Play version made available at the top of this review, however they will be missing out on the 78,125 ways to win!
We found that there are 10 different pay symbols and a Scatter icon available on the game’s paytable. All icons can appear either stacked or singular. The low-value icons are the traditional playing card icons that NetEnt are clearly fans of as they use the 10, J, Q, K and As once again. The premium icons in this Vikings slot game are the main characters, with three of Ragnar Lothbrok and one of Lagertha.
The most rewarding icon on the paytable is the gold V icon, whereas the Scatters appear as a shield in blue and red and features the words ‘Raid Spins’. There are no Wilds, though.
Feature Bonuses
One of the Viking bonuses available from this NetEnt slot game is the ‘Random Shield Wall’ feature, which can be triggered randomly on any spin that is placed. During the base game, a shield wall of either a 3×2 or 5×2 size can be randomly placed on the reels and reveal one common character icon or the gold V.
In the ‘Raid Spins’ feature, this game can be triggered after the win from a spin or following a non-winning spin. However, it can not be activated when the Hot Spot area is active. The size of the wall is increased to either 4×2, 5×2 or 5×3.
The ‘Hot Spot’ feature is also available during both the base game and the ‘Raid Spins’ feature and will cover certain reels. The base game sees just reel three highlighted, whereas the ‘Raid Spins’ feature will see reels three, four and five all become the ‘Hot Spot’ area.
This feature is triggered when one of the four character icons land fully stacked on the designated area. All character icons that appear in other positions on the same spin will be turned into the triggering character, whilst a Scattered pay is awarded based on how many icons are on the reels.
The last of the Vikings bonuses available is the much-talked about ‘Raid Spins’ feature. This is triggered when three of the Shield Scatters appear on reels three, four and five on one spin. The grid will expand to the huge 5×7 format with 78,125 ways to win.
In addition, the ‘Hot Spot’ areas will increase and will now cover the three middle positions of reels three, four and five. Low-value icons will appear as stacks of up to five icons, whilst the characters will appear as normal.
The random ‘Shield Wall’ feature can also be triggered during the ‘Raid Spins’ game although only when the ‘Hot Spin’ area is not active. The size of the shield wall can be increased to either 4×2, 5×2 or 5×3.
RTP (return to player)
Vikings slot game has a return to player (RTP) rate of 96.05%, which can be considered rather average for many of NetEnt’s other titles.
