To kick the review off, how about we start with a major generalisation? For the sake of argument, let's say that people can roughly, very roughly, lean towards two ends of an experimental spectrum. On one end are those who never go to the same place twice, and on the other, those who early on find a preferred location, and that's it; that's where they're going forever more. This could be a favourite restaurant, a favourite spot on the couch, and for sure, a favourite online slot destination. Nowhere is this any more apparent than in the land of Ancient Egypt, which returns time and time again. On this occasion, it's software provider Pragmatic Play which is making the journey to the land of palms and pyramids in an online slot dubbed Gods of Giza.
Gods of Giza is situated in a tomb looters dream - a stone room lit by flaming braziers, drenched in treasure. It's a fine view, as far as these kinds of slots go, featuring a crossed-armed statue, heavy stonework, and loads of in-theme flourishes. Taking centre stage is a 5x5 arranged gaming grid, which drops 25 bright, gem-heavy symbols on each and every spin. When placing bets, players have stake choices starting at 20 p/c, rising to $/€100 per spin, and any device may be used to host the action. Gods of Giza is a highly volatile slot and has a maximum return to player value of 96.01%, though lower models are available. Fortunately, the pay table clearly displays the statistical information. To win, at least three matching symbols must land adjacent to each other in vertical or horizontal directions, starting from any position.
Gems and classic Egyptian-styled icons are the order of the day on Gods of Giza's paytable. In ascending order of value, the regular pay symbols include a blue gem, green gem, purple gem, blue gem, green dog, and a purple falcon. Should a full five-of-a-kind winning line hits, rewards range from 2x to 20x the bet. Wilds can be present on all reels and replace any regular pay symbols or create wins of themselves worth up to 25 times the bet for five of them.
Gods of Giza functions with the use of a Tumble feature, which removes winning symbols from the game board when they land. Each time at least 1 winning combination without a wild symbol hits, 1 wild symbol appears in a random empty position. Then, the remaining gaps are filled by symbols tumbling down from above. As long as winning symbols continue to form, the tumble mechanic will continue to roll.
Not only can wild symbols replace regular symbols, but they also stay on the screen for 2 tumbles before they are removed alongside other winning symbols. Not only that, but wilds may land with a multiplier of x2, x3, x5, x7, or x10. Multipliers are applied to any win they are part of, and multiple wild multipliers are multiplied together when used in the same combo.
Hitting 3 scatter symbols awards 10 free spins, plus each scatter beyond 3 doles out an additional +5 free spins. While free spins are active, players are guaranteed at least one wild symbol following the first spin before any tumbling takes place. If the first win does not create a win, one wild at least will randomly appear. Wild symbols now stay on the grid for 5 winning tumbles, and landing 3 scatter symbols awards an additional +5 free spins.
Lastly, players who'd prefer to buy the free spins round rather than trigger it naturally can do so for the cost of 100x the bet. Buying free spin lands 3, 4, or 5 triggering scatter symbols.
If you've been around the online slot block a few times, try casting your mind back to when all this was new to you. Logging in online and being transported to all manner of wonderfully exotic locations. Like readers back in the day devouring James Bond novels as a way of mentally tripping around the planet before EasyJet, Ryanair, and package holidays abroad were a thing. Fast forward a few years, a few games, and a level of blasé cynicism might start creeping in. Really, we're off to 'X' again, darling? It can feel like that at times when traipsing through the list of online slots looking for something new. No more so than Ancient Egypt, which has starred in countless slots by now.
To be clear, we're by no means knocking the use of Ancient Egyptian subject matter. It didn't become one of the most popular slot destinations by chance. The mystique, the glamour, the romance, all the fabulous imagery works like a charm in a slot. Fine examples include games like Book of Dead or Hand of Anubis, and to be fair, it works pretty well in Gods of Giza, too. However, at times there's a suspicion Pragmatic Play could paint a pretty picture with both hands tied behind its back and one eye closed by now, which, sorry if this sounds a bit mean-spirited, is a little how Gods of Giza felt like it was designed. To be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with its combination of features, and players partial to games like Moon Princess should be able to appreciate this, too. The icing on the cake is winning potential of 5,000x the bet; job done.
And yet, it felt like we had to put in a little too much effort to really appreciate Gods of Giza. It gets the job done, whisks players somewhere treasure-filled and exotic, then delivers satisfactory gaming while they're there. Again, if Moon Princess style mechanics with a slightly land-based looking twist appeal or Ancient Egypt really is the bee's knees, then there is likely entertainment to be found in Gods of Giza. Just maybe not overly special entertainment.
Play for real money
