Yggdrasil Gaming are among the Premier League of developers when it comes to design and they’ve hit the target once again in Champions of Rome. You won’t find many better looking and sounding slot games than this. The setting is the Coliseum which is packed full of spectators. The reels themselves are set within marble columns and include 4 lower value coin symbols followed by 3 stone gargoyles and a trio of gladiators. The best of these pays 2, 6 or 60 times your stake if you land 3, 4 or 5 on the same payline.
There are some cracking extras on offer in Champions of Rome too. First up is the Gladiator feature which is triggered by landing 2 of the free spin symbols on the same spin. You’ll then receive 1 of the following 3 wild extras:
- Swords - 1x2 and 2x1 wilds are added to the reels.
- Mace - a block of 2x2 wilds are added.
- Trident - 4 single wilds are added in random positions on the reels.
A new payout calculation is made once all the extra wilds are in position.
There are also 2 free spins round which are triggered by landing 3 or free spins symbols on the same spin. After a payout of 1, 15 or 600 times your stake, you’ll then be offered the choice of 2 features. The Training Free Spins feature gives you 8 free spins – everything you win is yours to keep.
The best is the Deathmatch Free Spins feature - your choices here are 7, 6 or 5 free spins with a 2x, 3x or 4x multiplier (respectively). This option isn’t without risk though. If you win 22.5 times your stake or more during your free spins, then that amount will be boosted by the multiplier.
If you don’t reach 22.5 times your stake though, then your winnings are lost and all you’ll receive is a consolation prize. This could be anything from between 2 and 10 times your stake or 5 free spins in the Training Free Spins feature.
In the free spins features, the higher value symbols are replaced by a single Gladiator, complete with his wild extra. Look out too for the Beast symbol - if the Beast is struck by the gladiator’s weapon, 1 extra free spin is added to your total.
We really liked Champions of Rome. The sound and visuals are spectacular and there’s gameplay and features to match. The wild extras liven up the base game and the risk/reward element to the Deathmatch Free Spins feature adds an extra layer. Finally, there’s a Buy Bonus feature which gives you access to the free spins features – it will set you back 50 times your stake.
If you fill the reels with the highest value gladiator, you’ll win 1,200 times your stake – if you get this in the Deathmatch Free Spins feature with the 4x multiplier, you’ll win 4,800 times your stake (on every free spin potentially). There’s no shortage of similarly themed slot games – such as Quickspin’s Tiger’s Glory. Champions of Rome is one of our favourites and gets a big thumbs up.