Vikings Unleashed Megaways

It’s no surprise we love our MegaWays. Our office is full of people who have been playing slots for a decade or two. So anything that breaks the mold and tries something different immediately catches our eye.

MegaWays certainly fit that bill when Bonanza first came around! And while some games, like Primal, tried something different, most decided to just replicate Bonanza and call it a day. Sadly, this Blueprint Gaming release falls into the second category.

Vikings Unleashed Megaways Slot Review

Vikings Unleashed is played on a six reel board, with each reel being up to seven symbols high. There are also four bonus positions on top of reels two, three, four and five, which also display icons. The height of each reel is randomly determined after each spin. So reel one could be four symbols high on one spin and then six on the other.

To win, simply collect three or more identical icons, starting with the leftmost reel. Since MegaWays are in effect, players don’t have to worry about following arbitrary lines on the playing field. Paylines made sense when we could turn individual ones on and off. Since that’s no longer an option, we’re fine with Ways to Win replacing paylines entirely.

Nowhere is this slot’s Bonanza inspiration more clear than its special features. It also boasts cascading reels, mystery symbols and free spins with increasing multipliers. The game doesn’t entirely copy the Big Time Gaming original, but it certainly comes close to it. Would we call it a complete clone? It was a tough call to make, but we ultimately decided on no. It does offer some things that Bonanza didn’t, like being able to purchase the free spins for money.

Theme & Symbols

When it comes to Vikings, most releases will go one of two ways. They’ll either focus on depicting everyone’s favorite band of bad-asses in the most realistic way possible! Or, they’ll draw them in a cartoony style, in an effort to appeal to a wider audience. One look at the reels will tell you exactly where Blueprint stands on that issue. We don’t mind either way, since it looks gorgeous!

You’d be surprised how much effort went into the background, considering most of it isn’t visible behind the reels. We know we were! The ship shifts back and forth, as if it’s actually being rocked and moved by the sea. Waves will break against the hull, while the sails above gently shake as the wind carries them. These are small details, but they make a world of difference. These minor factors are what sets NetEnt apart from its main competitors when it comes to graphics.

Icon design ranges from decent to cool. We quite liked the individual Viking designs in this slot. The cartoony art-style allowed the artists to make each human character distinct from each other. While none of the Vikings will blow your mind, they look much better than the playing card royals. Blueprint did go out of their way to decorate them, so we can recognize the effort.

How to Play Viking Unleashed Megaways

The game is played on a six reel board, where each reel can be up to seven symbols high. There’s also four extra positions on top of the second, third, fourth and fifth reel. These act as an extension of the reels they’re attached to. It’s a small detail, but one that fixes the core flaw of many MegaWays releases. The possibility of getting a two symbol high reel, and guaranteeing you won’t win anything decent on that spin.

Available special features include cascading reels, mystery icons and free spins with multipliers. These bonuses are good, but they’re nothing we haven’t seen before. Vikings Unleashed borrows a bit from Blueprint’s own Diamond Mine and Big Time Gaming’s Extra Chilli. Really, the only thing new that we can see is that you can now buy free spins directly.

Your minimum stake starts at €0.20 per spin, which is great for the number of potential paylines you get! Of course, the keyword is potential. Very rarely will online gamblers be so lucky as to pick up 117640 Ways to Win. But if you do feel like that lucky moment’s incoming, you can increase your wager to €10 on each spin. If possible, time that bet increase with a free spins activation. It’s the only real way to score that 50,000x jackpot!

Bonus Feature

There are several special features available for players to make use of! Some of these are constantly active, while others have to be triggered using special icons.

• Cascading Reels

Every time a winning combination happens, all symbols that were part of that win blow up. Existing icons will fall down to take their place, while brand new ones fill in the empty spots. Using this system, it is possible to chain several wins together. Earning multiple wins for the price of a single spin? Sign us up!

• Mystery Symbol

Mystery icons can become any symbol except for Scatters. The downside is you can’t use them to skip triggering free spins. The upside? With a bit of luck, there could suddenly be a lot of Wilds that can help substitute for existing icons!

• Free Spins

Collect four or more Scatters to win twelve free spins. Each Scatter after the initial four grants five more extra turns. Gamblers also start with a 1x multiplier. You can increase both the number of free spins and multiplier with the offered gamble. Using the gamble, players can earn a maximum of 27 free spins and a 10x multiplier. After each cascade, your multiplier will increase by one. Getting three or four Scatters during free spins also grants five or ten more bonus turns.

• Feature Buy

If waiting isn’t your strong suit, you can buy into free spins directly! You have four options on the table.
• Five free spins for 25x your total stake.
• Eight free spins for 50x your total stake.
• Ten free spins for 75x your total stake.
• Twelve free spins for 100x your total stake.

You are still eligible for the gamble even if you directly purchase free spins instead of activating them.

Vikings Unleashed Megaways Payouts

Vikings Unleashed has a high volatility and a jackpot worth 50,000x your total stake! The slot’s RTP is 96.5%, which is higher than the current industry average.