NetEnt’s Roman slot comes back stronger than ever! The Roman army marches to beat back the barbarians and rival empires, and it has a new weapon in its arsenal.
Simple gameplay done right can sometimes be a treat in itself.
Good Bonuses
A solid jackpot.
Cons
Graphics will be one of the major stumbling blocks for Victorious MAX.
Play Victorious MAX at:
When Berryburst first came out, it launched with a separate slot called Berryburst Max. The Max version was essentially a high volatility version of the existing game. And the most exciting part? NetEnt said this was a series, and that more releases were on their way!
But after Berryburst, we haven’t seen another MAX entry in the online gambling world. Not until Victorious Max came knocking on our door, reviving the famed legionnaire army for one more battle!
Victorious MAX Slot Review
This slot is played on a five reel board, where each reel is three symbols tall. Rather than using standard paylines, this game instead has 243 ways to win. Under this system, you only need to meet two requirements. First, find three or more identical icons in adjacent positions. And second, make sure said matching symbols start from the leftmost reel. Follow these two rules, and you’ll be able to score plenty of wins!
And while there are obvious changes to the paytable and volatility, the actual special features stay the same. Well, for the most part. There’s a free spins round, and all wins during this bonus are tripled during classic mode. Switch to MAX mode, however, and the multiplier increases to 6x! And yes, unlike Berryburst, where Berryburst MAX was a separate release, Victorious MAX allows you to swap back and forth.
Theme & Symbols
In the interest of total transparency, we always preferred the medieval era to the Romans. But we definitely won’t say no to a Roman theme! Rome itself has shaped much of Western Europe, and impacted the culture that would develop there. It was the greatest empire the world has ever seen! And this slot captures it all. The disciplined legions, the charismatic leaders, and the rewards of loyal service.
Unfortunately, the graphics aren’t nearly as enticing. The original game came out in 2011, and it looked good for its time. However, this MAX version is launching eight years after, and NetEnt hasn’t updated the visuals at all. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you’re going to see a blurry mess or bad artwork. But compared to modern releases, especially ones made by this developer? It can’t even come close. Victorious MAX Gameplay Icon designs are a mixed bag, even if we discard how static and boring they are. Some successfully evoke the imagery of Rome. Marching legions, a soldier ready to fight, a stern-faced officer, and totally not Julius Caesar all qualify! But then the playing card royals come in and ruin the whole thing. At the very least, NetEnt had the good sense to keep them all in the same color, instead of their usual bright color schemes.
How to Play Victorious MAX
You play Victorious MAX on a 5×3 board, with a total of 243 ways to win. Depending on what mode you’re playing, your volatility will be either medium or high. This also applies to jackpots! In classic mode, you win more frequently, but only get a 1500x top prize. Meanwhile, MAX mode makes it much more difficult to score big wins, but they’re much more lucrative, going up to 7000x!
Those among you hoping for fantastic special features, we’re afraid we’ll have to disappoint you. Available bonuses are just Wilds and free spins. And Wilds only appear on the second and fourth reel, making them only supplementary special features. If you stretch the definition a little bit, you could also count the ability to swap modes as a bonus. Doubly so if you grind in classic, and successfully swap to MAX before a jackpot!
Don’t worry if the user interface looks a bit different than usual. NetEnt decided to go for authenticity, so they brought back the old user interface with minor changes. Yes, that does mean you will need to adjust both your coin value and bet level before you can start spinning. We agree, it is a slight hassle. But it also lets you bet between €0.25 and €125, and lets you be a lot more flexible with your stake.
Bonus Features
While there aren’t many special features to talk about, all of them have an important impact on the slot. Yes, even the Wilds which we called a supplementary bonus just a little while ago. After all, without Wilds in reels two and four to occasionally help you out, scoring wins would be even more difficult! Not something you want if you decide to play the MAX mode.
Mode Swapping: At any given time, you will be able to push a button and swap to Classic or MAX mode. This is a more elegant solution than completely different games, we have to admit. But it also adds a layer of strategy and luck! You could play classic, then swap to MAX if you feel a win is going to come soon. Note that how much you bet on each spin isn’t affected by changing modes. Just the variance and prizes are.
Free Spins: Collect three, four or five Scatters to win fifteen, twenty or twenty-five extra turns, respectively. Keep in mind that unlike most Scatters, these have to appear in succession, starting with the leftmost reel. Otherwise, they won’t be useful in earning you any free spins. Depending on which mode you play, the multiplier goes up to 3x or 6x for the Classic or MAX mode, respectively.
Victorious MAX Payouts
If you’re wondering: yes, this does also impact payouts! NetEnt’s release will have a different variance and jackpot depending on which mode you play. Classic has a medium variance, and a solid jackpot worth 1500x. Meanwhile, MAX mode increases the volatility to high, but also boosts the jackpot to 7000x! Your RTP in classic mode is 96.88%, while your RTP in MAX is 96.95%. Well above the current industry average!
To be perfectly honest, we were completely caught off-guard with Victorious Max. At first, we thought MAX would apply to new slots. Then, as time went on, we thought NetEnt had just forgotten the concept in favor of new things. And naturally, this raises the question: is this game just as victorious as it once was?
Being able to play an old favorite with boosted prizes was a cool idea, we have to admit. That said, we hope the developer doesn’t resort to just taking old slots and slapping a MAX button on them. Rehashing old ground isn’t something any developer should do: not without bringing some improvement to the table.