Sword of Shoguns Slot Review
Sword of Shoguns from Thunderkick marks an exciting continuation of one of their best games to date, Sword of Khans.
Sword of Khans dared to build upon the popular book-style mechanic with a popular 2 scatter retrigger mechanic, which only enhanced its popularity further.
Our first impressions of Sword of Shoguns suggest that Thunderkick has opted for something very recognisable but on a grander scale.
Base Game & Features
Sword of Shoguns is a 6-reel slot with up to 5,040 ways to win. Winning combinations are formed when 3 or more of the same symbols (or 2 or more of the Highest-paying symbol) land from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel.
The minimum bet available here is £.€0.10 per spin and the maximum bet available is £.€100 per spin, with plenty of other options in between the two. This game has a theoretical RTP of 96.15% and a max win cap of 25,200x.
In terms of symbols, the highest-paying regular symbol here is the Shogun, followed by the Helmet, Armour, Fan, and Weapon. Low-paying symbols are standard Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, and Nine. Sword Scatters act as Wilds, substituting for all symbols except the Expanding symbol.
With each spin, the reel set triggers random reel heights of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 symbols high in random order, up to a maximum of 5,040 ways to win.
Free Spins
Landing 3 Sword Scatters across the reels triggers the Free Spins round, awarding a random number of Free Spins between 5 and 12.
During Free Spins, a random High or Low-paying symbol (excluding Sword Scatters) is chosen to become an Expanding symbol for the duration of the round. The chosen symbol will be shown in the Meter below the reels.
A total of 4 Expanding symbols can be activated during Free Spins, and the reel heights during the triggering spin will be the reel configuration for the entire round.
Expanding symbols are only able to expand if the expansions form winning combinations, according to the paytable. Expanding symbols do not need to be next to one another in order for an expansion to occur, with expansion occurring only once per symbol on each reel.
Landing 3 Sword Scatters during this time will award an additional +3, +4, +5, +6, or +7 Free Spins at random. Once up to 4 expanding symbols have been activated, the Sword Scatter is removed from play.
Bonus Buy
Those outside the UK will benefit from a Bonus Buy option. Thunderkick has granted players access to the Free Spins round for a total cost of 120x your current bet. (RTP 96.40%)
Our Verdict
Sword of Shoguns certainly doesn’t reinvent the genre that Sword of Khans capitalised on all those years ago, but it does enough to make it quite an appealing alternative.
Perhaps there’s some bias on our part because of how much Sword of Khans made an impression on us, and we’d be lying if we said our eyes didn’t light up when we spotted a sequel, and we think many others will feel that way too.
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and Thunderkick was quite right to bolster the popularity of Sword of Shoguns by making it related to an already popular game, but will new players love it as much?
If you have an affinity for book-style games but you’re bored of the conventional 10 pay lines, then Sword of Shoguns has the answer. Thunderkick isn’t the first to try it, but many don’t, and they seem rather popular to those craving a change. Expanding the number of available ways has boosted Sword of Shoguns’ potential significantly, with up to 25,200x as a maximum win.
To get this, you’ll need max ways and the best symbol, but best-case scenario aside, Sword of Shoguns really is quite capable.
Overall, it’s not a game-changing slot with unique and mind-blowing features, but it’s a fine ode to the original game and a worthy successor.
