Battle for Olympus Slots - Zeus Theme Slot

The battle between good and evil has been played out across many cultures and across many belief systems, but perhaps none is as spectacular, bloodthirsty or dramatic as a potential clash between the hot-headed King of the Greek Gods, Zeus, and his hellish brother Hades. Well these two immortals are pitted against each other as the premise from the new Battle for Olympus slot from Amaya Gaming and it promises to be a hell of a fight.

Set in a suitably Olympian setting, with the gates leading to the home of the Gods at the right-hand top of the screen and the dark recesses of a orange and red hell to the left, you will bear witness to this epic clash between the two. As you play through the slot, you may get to the point of triggering a bonus game. Here you will get to pick which of the two combatants will emerge the victor. It all sounds rather epic fun if you ask me. So let’s take a look at how the slot plays in more detail.

Overview: Battle for Olympus

Set against a backdrop where Olympus meets the dark recesses of Hades domain, the Battle for Olympus is a 5×4 reel slot that features a total of 50 paylines in play. You can however select the number of paylines you want to play individually. (However, slot strategy suggests it is better practice to play the maximum number of paylines.) You can control the size of the bet you make per payline using the Bet option. This allows you to bet from $0.01 up to $10.00 per payline. The minimum maximum line bet is $0.50 and the top bet is $500.

That makes this slot affordable and accessible to all. And with the ability to select the lines and size of the bet, it’s a slot that is easily scalable to any bankroll. If there’s a black mark against the slot, it’s that it only has the one bonus feature in the slot and…shock, horror…there isn’t a free spins bonus round to aim for.

Who will the Battle for Olympus slot appeal to?

Battle for Olympus is one of those slots that is perhaps more appealing to the older style slot fan. This is someone that enjoys a base game and perhaps a bonus game which has nothing to do with free spins but offers a different way to wins some cash. It may seem retro. But in amongst the myriad of free spins slot, at least Battle for Olympus offers a different way to win cash compared to the vast majority of others and this is to its credit.

Certainly in terms of involvement and features, Battle for Olympus is a slot that doesn’t pack a huge amount into the game. It’s most definitely suited to players who prefer simpler slots. It’s also good for novice slots gamers who are looking to play a simple, enjoyable slot before moving to more complex slots with lots of different features.

Gameplay: Battle for Olympus

The gameplay of the Battle for Olympus slot is all rather simple. You essentially have two parts to the slot. First there is the base game (which is what you will play for the vast majority of the time). Then there is the bonus feature (which is triggered when you land a trio of symbols on the reels).

The base game itself is nice and simple. The graphics are well presented, although it’s difficult to make out what some of the symbols on the reels actually are. (Though the more familiar you are with Greek myths and legends, the easier it will be.) The low value symbols are playing card lows from 10 through to Ace. These offer wins of up to 150 coins if you land five aces on a payline.

There are five higher value symbols and all are taken from Greek mythology. There is a trident, a winged helmet and what appears to be some kind of unidentifiable lion creature. The Zeus and Hades symbols are the two highest value symbols. They offer rewards of up to 2,000 coins if you land five of a kind on a payline.

However, with these top two symbols you can also land a mix of the two on a payline. With these you’ll win between 20 and 1,000 coins, depending on how many mixed symbols you hit on the payline in question.

Additional features

To help you land bigger wins there is a Wild symbol. This is the three-headed dog Cerberus. This symbol can replace any high or low value symbol to award additional wins. It also triggers a 3x multiplier on any win that it helps complete.

There is also a Scatter symbol, which is a goddess with a shield. She awards a cash win of up to 250x your bet if you land between three and five of her on the reels on any spin.

To trigger the bonus game you need to land the three symbols that spell out “Battle For Olympus.” These appear across the first, third and fifth reels on a single spin. If you do this you’re taken to the bonus round. Here you get to select either Zeus or Hades as your champion. You can then watch as the two gods battle each other over four rounds.

In the bonus game, there is a slight skill element involved. When it’s the turn of your selected God to strike, you have to click a moving slider when it is in position near the center of the reel. If you do this then your God will deliver a more powerful blow to his opponent and you’ll win more money. After four rounds, the God still standing is the winner. If you win the battle, you’ll earn an additional bonus on top of the cash you earn for each of the four rounds of battle.

Special Features: Battle for Olympus

Scatter

There is the Goddess Scatter symbol. When landed three, four or five times across the reels, it awards a payout of either 2x, 25x or 250x your wager.

Cerberus Wild

The Cerberus Wild symbol appears on all reels. It can be used to replace any of the high or low value symbols to create a winning payline. Any win that uses a Wild will also receive a 3x multiplier on the standard value win.

Battle for Olympus Bonus

Land the three symbols that spell out Battle For Olympus on the first, third and fifth reels and you trigger the bonus feature. Pick either Zeus or Hades as your hero. Then use your skill to click the pointer when it’s near the center of the meter. Every round of fighting earns you a cash prize. If you can beat your opponent, you win an additional prize at the end of the bonus.

What works?

Bonus feature

I like the fact that the Battle for Olympus slot offers something totally different to a standard free spins bonus. The fact that there is a small skill element in the slot also appeals. This is something you tend not to find on slot games. I think the bonus, while unusual, works very well indeed.

Good value wins

One of the more pleasing aspects of the slot is that the size of the wins you tend to hit are decent value. That 3x multiplier on any Wild win really does help ramp up the value of the slot. There’s also a good mix of low, medium and higher value wins as you play through the game.

Easy to understand

With its simple bonus game and the fact that there is an equally simple base game to enjoy, the Battle for Olympus slot is very easy to play and simple to follow.

What doesn’t?

Too simple for some

While simplicity may be good for some slot players, those that enjoy a game that is more complex with some additional features will not find that here. Battle for Olympus is simple, retro-styled gaming, not a modern slot with a twist and multiple features.

No free spins

The lack of a free spins round may well put off many players who view this as the most exciting bonus feature you can land on a slot game. Although the bonus game you can play is good fun, a lack of free spins does mean the slot has limited appeal.

Small jackpot

2,000 coins isn’t a massive jackpot nowadays on any slot. As such, players that want to try and hit a big jackpot win are not likely to be attracted to play the game.

The Scores

Graphics & soundtrack 2/5

The graphics and sound are adequate but I think some of the symbols on the reels are pretty unclear and the graphics and sound are now starting to look somewhat dated compared to newer slots.

Originality & creativity 3/5

I’ve given Battle for Olympus a couple of extra marks for introducing a skill element, regardless of how small it is, into the bonus round. I think that is genuinely appealing and clever. However, the rest of the slot is somewhat generic.

Play value 3/5

Overall the play value on this slot is pretty good. It is a medium to low variance game, and it can have periods where wins are hard to come by. But on other occasions you can hit decent-sized wins almost immediately and relatively frequently too.

Jackpot potential 1/5

A 2,000 coin jackpot isn’t going to win any awards in the modern slot gaming industry. It is a small jackpot in a niche game that is targeted mainly at retro slot gamers and those that want something a little different to free spins bonuses.

Repeat play 2/5

I’d certainly give Battle for Olympus another few spins after my initial session, but I’m not sure it has the depth or the appeal to be a game that you are going to come back to play time and time again.

Total score: 11/25

Battle for Olympus isn’t a bad slot, it is just a simple, easy to play game with an unusual and innovative bonus features. However it is starting to look its age and it doesn’t compare well with the majority of modern slots available today.