Vikings Video Slot Review
Vikings™ is a NetEnt video slot with 5 reels, 3 rows and 243 paylines. The Vikings video slot features Hotspot Feature, Shield Wall Feature, a Raid Spins symbol and a Raid Spins game mode with 3 Hotspots in reels 2, 3, and 4. In Raid Spin the game is transformed into a 7-reels, 5-row, 78,125 ways to win.
The theme of this game is based on the famous Viking television series, and is a historical drama created for the History and HBO channel that premiered in 2013. If you’re familiar with the series, you’ll feel at home as you enter the game.
If you haven’t seen the series, you’ll probably appreciate the work NetEnt has done on the visual production of the reels in front of a Nordic, winter and gloomy landscape, made up of imposing hills leaning towards an icy lake. And don’t be frightened by the solitary crow that watches your every move!
Players can bet between €0.20 and €200 per play, either on a mobile phone or on a PC desktop, you’ll see Bjorn, Lagertha, Ragnar and Floki adorn the reels with their presence.
The most important feature of Viking is the Raid Spins bonus which rewards 7 Raid Spins and which are played on 7 reels in conjunction with 78,125 ways to win with 3 Hotspots – players can get 27 giant Viking symbols which pay the maximum cash prize of x10,000 your stake on each free spin.
Although the maximum bet is relatively high, in reality it is a revealing sign that it is not a high-potential video slot. The 96.05% return to the player is nothing out of the ordinary and is more or less within the expected range.
Vikings Video Slot™ Game Rules
- The game is played with 243 Ways to Win (78,125 in Raid Spins), 1-10 bet levels (20 coins per level) and different coin values.
- The bet level is set using the LEVEL selector.
- The coin value is set using the COIN VALUE selector.
- COINS displays the number of coins available to wager.
- MAX BET plays the game at 243 bet ways in the main game (78, 125 bet ways in Raid Spins), the highest bet level, and the current coin value. When playing at any lower bet level, MAX BET must be clicked twice to play the round at the selected level.
- AUTOPLAY automatically plays the game for the selected number of rounds (alternatively, click the AUTO button).
- Winning combinations and payouts are made according to the Paytable.
- Bet level is the number of coins bet per bet way.
- A bet way win in coins is equal to the value shown in the Paytable multiplied by the bet level.
- A bet way win in currency is equal to the win in coins multiplied by the coin value.
- Only the highest win per bet way paid.
- Bet way wins pay if in succession from leftmost to right.
- Simultaneous wins on different bet ways are added.
- The Hotspot and Shield Wall Features are played at the same bet level and coin value as the spin that activated the Hotspot and Shield Wall Features.
- The maximum total win in coins for each game round is capped at 200 000 multiplied by the bet level. If at any point the total win amount of the game round exceeds this value the game round will finish, regardless of whether or not there are Raid Spins remaining, and the win amount of the cap value is awarded.
- Bet way wins for Viking symbols can either be formed by single or stacked symbols or by mixing the two kinds.
Hotspot Feature
- In the main game, there is a Hotspot that covers reel 3.
- When a fully stacked Viking symbol lands completely in the Hotspot area, all other Viking symbols in the play area outside of the Hotspot are transformed into the Viking symbol that landed in the Hotspot area.
- Any one of the 4 symbols with a face on it is a Viking symbol.
- After transformation, the Viking symbols are evaluated according to the Scatter Pays section in the Paytable with all Viking symbols displayed anywhere on the reels taken into consideration.
- Scatter Pays wins awards the amount displayed in the Paytable multiplied by the bet level.
- Both single Viking symbols and stacked Viking symbols on the reels are transformed when the Hotspot Feature is activated.
- After all Viking symbols on the reels are transformed into the symbol in the Hotspot, all wins are evaluated and paid. No wins are paid after the initial activation of the Hotspot Feature.
Shield Wall Feature
- In both the main game and in Raid Spins, the Shield Wall appears as a cluster of mystery symbols that appear on random areas of the reels. Once they have appeared, all wins are evaluated.
- The Shield Wall Feature can only be activated on a spin when no Hot Spot Feature or Raid Spins are activated or no win occurs.
- The symbols that can be selected for the Shield Wall Feature are any of the Viking symbols with a face appearing on them.
- The Shield Wall Feature appears as either a cluster of 3×2 or 5×2 symbols.
Raid Spins
- Three Raid Spin symbols appearing on reels 3, 4 and 5 in the main game activate Raid Spins.
- In Raid Spins, the game transforms into a 7-reel, 5-row, 78,125 betways playing area.
- Seven Raid Spins are awarded with 3 Hotspots on reels 3, 4, and 5.
- When a fully stacked Viking symbol lands completely in one or more of the Hotspot areas, all other Viking symbols in the play area outside of the Hotspots and inside the Hotspots are transformed into the same Viking symbol that landed fully stacked in the Hotspot area.
- If 2 or 3 fully stacked symbols land in the Hotspots, the symbol furthest to the left will be the one that all of the other Viking symbols inside and outside of the Hotspot transform into.
- During Raid Spins, wins after a Hotspot transformation can pay both Scatter Pays and Bet ways coinciding on a spin. For those scenarios the wins are evaluated separately and then added together.
- In Raid Spins, the Shield Wall can be activated after the payout for a Raid Spins spin is evaluated in case of a win or before the completion of the spin if there are no wins already on that spin but never on a spin when the Hotspot transformation occurs.
- In Raid Spins, the Shield Wall size will either by 4×2, 5×2 or 5×3 symbols.
- Raid Spins are played at the same bet level and coin value as the spin that activated Raid Spins.
- The total win field includes any wins during Raid spins added to any wins from the round that activated Raid Spins.
- Raid Spins can not be re-activated during Raid Spins and no additional Raid Spins spins can be awarded during Raid Spins.
Game Functions
- The table below lists the different buttons found in the game and describes their functions.
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
 | Click to start a game round at the current bet level and coin value (alternatively, press the spacebar). |
 | Click to view the game settings menu and select game options. Refer to Game Settings section below. |
 | Click to mute the game sounds or use the slider to adjust the sound volume. |
 | Click to open the game rules. |
 | Click to view the Autoplay settings menu and play the game automatically. Select the number of spins to Autoplay or view the Advanced Settings to configure stop Autoplay options. |
 | Click to view the Paytable. |
Game Setting Options
- To access game settings, click the spanner icon in the game panel.
- Quick Spin. Turns the Quick spin option on or off (not available in all casinos).
- Intro Screen. Turns the intro screen on or off.
- Intro movie. Turns the intro movie on or off.
- Spacebar to spin. Turns the spacebar function on or off.
- Game history. Click to view your latest game history (not available when PLAYING FOR FUN).
Advanced Autoplay Options
- To set advanced autoplay options click AUTOPLAY, and then click Advanced settings.
- On any win. Stop Autoplay when you win in a round.
- If Raid Spins is won. Stops Autoplay if Raid Spins is won.
- If single win exceeds. Stops Autoplay when the amount you win exceeds or equals the amount you specify.
- If cash increases by. Stops Autoplay if cash increases by the amount you specify.
- If cash decreases by. Stops Autoplay if cash decreases by the amount you specify.
- Click Reset to clear all selected Stop Autoplay options.
- Note: When changing Autoplay settings during a game round, all settings will take effect once the game round or feature is completed.
- Note: If you are disconnected while playing, all Autoplay settings will return to default when you reload the game.
- Note: Some autoplay options are mandatory for some jurisdictions.
Additional Information
- The following game features and settings may be subject to the terms and conditions of the gaming site. For more information on the following, refer to the gaming website:
- The procedures used to manage unfinished game rounds.
- The time after which inactive game sessions automatically end.
- In the event of malfunction of the gaming hardware/software, all affected game bets and payouts are rendered void and all affected bets refunded.
Return to Player
- The theoretical return to player for this game is 96.05%
Summary
From what we’ve seen so far, the Vikings slot could become NetEnt’s best game. As a leading developer of slots, it is clear that NetEnt is an expert in this field. There are other slot developers who have released games with similar Scandinavian themes, but the Viking slot is definitely superior to the rest.
The features of Shield and Hotspot pay 243 times your bet, while the large winnings of x10,000 your stake in a single spin are reserved for the Free Spins feature. Make no mistake, it’s an ambitious slot machine, built on a solid foundation, NetEnt took another positive step towards a very interesting future.
Frequently Asked Questions about NetEnt Viking Slot
Are the earnings good with the main game?
It’s a medium to high variance online video slot where you can get paid up to 605x your stake wager in a single spin during the main game. In answer to the question, yes, payouts during the main game are good.
Can I win a lot of cash during Raid Spins?
3D slots have been rated “above all” by some critics. That said, it has potential for some incredible victories thanks to a 7-reels feature that increases to 78,125 ways to win. Stacked Vikings symbols are reinforced and gain strength especially when they land on a Hotspot, transforming other symbols into the same Viking symbol.
How many turns are needed for the Raid Spins function to activate?
Consider the volatility of this slot, some players say it takes between 70 and 85 spins for the feature to appear, while other players say it takes more than 100 spins to activate it. Anyway, don’t forget that every action has its pleasure and its price!
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