Whereas some brothers argue over what to watch on the telly, which side of the car they want to sit on, or which slice of cake is the biggest, others really get the realms a shaking. We are talking, in this case, about the brothers Zeus and Hades, two colossi of the Ancient World, battling it out in Zeus vs Hades Gods of War from Pragmatic Play; a game which gives players a chance to tackle the game in 2 different modes, and where its most exciting and somewhat copied feature is Expanding Wilds with Multipliers.
Zeus and Hades also have another brother, Poseidon, which you might have already been aware of since the trio repeatedly star in online slots, either alone or not. Poseidon's been left out of Zeus vs Hades Gods of War, though the game remains steeped in Classical Greek imagery. However, while quite visually appealing, it's not the most immersive of mythology games from an aesthetic standpoint. One bonus is that changing modes changes the scenery – from the cool blues of Olympus to the fiery orange/reds of Hades, or vice versa.
Before hitting the spin button, players have at least two choices to make. One is the usual bet selection process where the options range from 10 p/c to $/€100 per spin. Next, you can choose which mode to play in - Hades or Olympus. In Olympus mode, the chance of triggering free spins is higher, but the average free spins win is lower. In Hades mode, free spins have a lower chance of triggering, but higher free spins wins on average. The game has been rated as highly volatile, though Hades mode is the more volatile of the two. It also has a slightly higher default RTP of 96.07%, while Olympus mode clocks in at 96.07%. Lower RTP models are available, so be sure to check the paytable.
In both modes, the showdown takes place on a 5x5 gaming panel with 15 fixed bet ways. For regular paying symbols, there are 10 in total, half are low pays, and half are high. The lows are 10-A card ranks, awarding 1x the bet for 5 OAK, while the highs are theme-based picture symbols depending on the mode, worth 2-20x the bet for 5 OAK. Regular wilds land on all reels and have the same value as the top premium, or they can be used to substitute for any regular pay symbol.
Despite the two game modes, no matter how you play, the same features apply in both. These are Expanding Wilds with Multipliers, free spins, and bonus buys.
Available in the base game and bonus round, Expanding Wild symbols may land on any reel. As well as being worth up to 20 times the bet for 5 OAK, Expanding Wilds expand to cover all positions on their reel. A battle takes place between Zeus and Hades, and whoever wins adds a multiplier of x2 to x100 to the Expanding Wild. This multiplier applies to all wins passing through it, and if more than one Expanding Wild is part of a win, the multipliers are added to each other.
Scatter symbols are present on reels 1, 3, and 5 in the base game. Hitting 3 of them awards 10 free spins. During free spins, when an Expanding Wild hits, it remains stuck to its reel until the feature comes to an end. Like in the base game, Expanding Wilds cover their whole reel and have a multiplier of x2 to x100. Free spins cannot be retriggered.
Players have access to several free spin buys. These are 75x the bet for standard Olympus mode free spins (RTP 96.04%) or 150x the bet for Hades mode free spins (RTP 96.14%). The third option is 300x the bet for free spins from either mode, where one Expanding Wild symbol is guaranteed to land on the first free spin of the round (RTP 96.01% or 96.08%).
There were mixed feelings about this one. It's got some good ideas, but a lot of them have already appeared in slots made by other people. Most notably, Hacksaw Gaming in slots like Warrior Ways or Gladiator Legends. For quite some time, whispers of a connection between Hacksaw, Pragmatic, and Stake have circulated throughout the industry. Given the latest releases from Pragmatic, these suspicions are likely to be further reinforced. In any case, it's a cool idea, though the battling in Zeus vs Hades Gods of War is pretty low-key. Blink long, and you'll miss these titans of the Ancient World do battle, the winner going on to bestow his victorious multiplier. Even the theme feels a bit worn out for this studio. Pragmatic Play does like its mythology, as evidenced by games like Gates of Olympus and its ilk. No denying the studio knows how to use the hard-hitting imagery and all, but it's not overly original or exciting stuff by now from the team, and it kind of shows.
No doubt Zeus vs Hades Gods of War can technically string together thrilling gameplay, though. Here, it is possible to land Expanding Wilds on all reels, not just the middle three reels or anything like that. This might turn out to be rather useful in free spins since Expanding Wilds stick in place until the feature comes to an end. One Expanding Wild can be useful; two is where they really start to get interesting, and beyond that, well, if you're lucky to lock three or more of them in place, then there is a good chance of hitting something pretty exciting. Zeus vs Hades Gods of War packs respectable potential, too, at 15,000 times the bet, so the game offers plenty of room to manoeuvre before hitting its win cap.
Having dual modes is kind of interesting, though for players who prefer to buy their bonus rounds rather than trigger them organically, having two modes is a little redundant. Admittedly, it gives the game more of an original spin than if Pragmatic Play had stuck with one mode and the battling Expanding Wild concept, which we've seen before a few times. Still, whether distractingly unoriginal or not, this is a glossy Pragmatic Play release which shouldn't struggle to find an audience willing to set the two deities against each other.
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