Everybody's heard about sibling rivalries. Arguing over who gets the remote, who gets the bigger slice of pie, or who rides shotgun on family road trips. Now, imagine this on a cosmic level. We're talkin' about the legendary bros, Zeus and Hades, throwing down for ultimate bragging rights in the "Gods of War" slot by Pragmatic Play. This high-octane game lets you fight the good fight in 2 different modes, and it's best known for its Expanding Wilds with Multipliers feature that could shake the pillars of heaven.
These almighty gods also have a third bro, Poseidon, but he didn't get the invite to this smackdown. Despite his absence, the game's steeped in classical Greek imagery. The artistry is spot-on, but don't expect a full-on sensory dive into ancient mythology. The visual appeal is there, but it's more like a friendly nod to the theme rather than a deep dive. Bonus? When you switch modes, the scenery changes – from the chilly blues of Olympus to the fiery oranges and reds of Hades.
But before you get to that, you've got some decisions to make. The regular bet selection is pretty straightforward, ranging from 10 p/c to £/€100 per spin. Then, you pick your mode – Olympus or Hades. Olympus gives you a higher chance of triggering free spins, but the average win's a tad lower. With Hades, free spins are harder to trigger, but the average win's higher. The game's been rated as high volatility, with Hades being the more volatile of the two. RTP for Hades mode is slightly higher at 96.07%, compared to Olympus's 96.07%. There are lower RTP models too, so you might wanna check out the paytable.
Either way, the showdown happens on a 5x5 gaming panel with 15 fixed bet ways. Regular paying symbols total up to 10, half low, half high. The low ones are 10-A card ranks, awarding 1x the bet for 5 of a kind. The high ones, themed picture symbols that depend on your mode, are worth 2-20x the bet for 5 of a kind. Regular wilds show up on all reels, either substituting for any regular pay symbol or equaling the value of the top premium.
The main features – Expanding Wilds with Multipliers, free spins, and bonus buys – don't change regardless of mode. Expanding Wilds can land on any reel in both the base game and bonus round. They're worth up to 20x the bet for 5 of a kind, and they cover their entire reel. Whenever they hit, Zeus and Hades go toe to toe, and the winner throws in a multiplier of x2 to x100. This multiplier applies to all wins, and if there's more than one Expanding Wild, the multipliers stack.
Scatter symbols are found on reels 1, 3, and 5 in the base game. When you get 3, you score 10 free spins. During free spins, any Expanding Wilds that hit stay put until the feature ends. Like in the base game, they cover their reel and have a multiplier of x2 to x100. Unfortunately, free spins can't be retriggered.
So, what's the final word on Zeus vs Hades Gods of War? It's got potential, that's for sure. The Expanding Wilds, for example, could turn out to be a game-changer, especially in free spins when they stay in place until the feature ends. Get three or more of them, and you might be looking at something big. The game's got a max win of 15,000x your bet, so there's room to grow before you hit that cap.
Having two modes is interesting, though it might not matter much if you prefer to buy your bonus rounds. Still, it's a shiny, polished release from Pragmatic Play. It might not be the most innovative game out there, but it has enough thrills to attract players ready to pit these two gods against each other.