Vikings

Hear the beat of the drums, the singing of the men, and the sound of the sea smashing against the boat. If you see their sails on the horizon, cry and despair, for Vikings have come to raid and pillage your land, led by the mighty Ragnar Lothbrok. This NetEnt release was a long time coming, as it ties-in to the super popular TV series that follows the story of Ragnar and his descendants. The slot is played on a 5×3 playing field with 243 ways to win, which can expand and increase during one of the special features. You have access to Raid free spins, Hotspot and Scatter pays, and the Shield Wall bonus.

NetEnt games are usually visually impressive, but this one takes it to the next level. Everything is animated, from the falling snow to the flapping banner. Even the trees and grass move back and forth, while the bird breathes and crows while it stands on the wooden railing. The standard NetEnt user interface was also changed slightly to make it fit better. The buttons look like they are made out of stone, while the spin button has Nordic runes and a large snake on it.
Vikings is played on a standard 5×3 playing field and rewards pays when you collect three or more matching symbols from left to right on adjacent positions. The title has three bonuses, all of them triggered in a different way. One requires three Scatters, the second needs a specific icon to land on the Hotspot area, while the third special feature activates randomly.

Players can wager between $0.20 up to $100 per spin, which is a standard betting range for NetEnt slots. We really like this bet spread, as it gives a 243 ways game for a very cheap minimum bet, while high rollers are given a solid maximum wager so they can go wild and land some huge wins. The medium to high volatility means gamblers will see a balanced mix of small, frequent wins and big jackpot scores, with a slight lean towards the latter. The maximum win in Vikings is a stunning 10,000x the total bet. The RTP for this NetEnt release is 96.05%, and that is average compared to other titles.

Symbols include 10, J, Q, K and A, Floki, Bjorn, Lagertha, Ragnar, and a stylized V icon. Special symbols include a painted wooden shield, which is used to trigger the Raid Spins.
During normal gameplay, the third reel is covered by a Hotspot. When a fully stacked Viking symbol lands in the Hotspot, it will transform all other human icons into that specific Viking. Then, all of these symbols award Scatter pays – rewarding the cash prize regardless of their position on the playing field.
At random times, a shield wall can appear on a section of the playing field, hiding the symbols beneath them and creating a cluster of mystery icons. All of these mystery symbols then transform into a single icon selected from the paytable, almost guaranteeing a winning combination.
Collect three Scatters on reels three, four and five and you trigger Raid Spins. The board transforms into a 7×5 playing field with 78,125 ways to win for the following seven free spins. During Raid Spins, there are now three Hotspots, increasing the chances of landing that bonus, too.