Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi

Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi: Slot Overview

One of the towering intellectuals of the Middle Ages was Italian philosopher, writer, and poet Dante Alighieri, who was responsible for penning one of the world's most influential works of literature. 'The Divine Comedy' is an epic poem divided into three canticles describing Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. What does it say about humanity's attraction to the shocking and macabre that the Inferno is the most popular canticle by far? In it, Dante describes a descent through the Nine Circles of Hell, each circle focusing on a different sin and its corresponding punishment. The Nine Circles are the subject of developer Play'n GO's slot, Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi (Divine Comedy The Nine Circles), where players may encounter free spins with modifiers, Souls, Lanterns, and Lucifer.

Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi opens up with a cinematic scroll through the dark wood found at the start of Dante's journey before passing through the Gates of Hell and entering the underworld. What greets players on the inside is a grim, grey, stony world, an elaborately embellished game grid presided over by Lucifer, all three-faced and bat-winged as Dante described Satan in the poem. Choral music completes a scene that recreates parts of the Inferno quite well, so kudos to the studio for employing such an original, high-brow topic for a slot.

The play area is a 5x3 grid with 10 paylines while its action is governed by a medium volatile math model. At best, the RTP clocks in at 96.2%, along with four lower configurations to be aware of. Bet selection consists of choosing a stake of 10c to $/€100 per spin, and that's it, Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi has just one way to play.

On the paytable, we find lower value X, J, Q, K, and A symbols paying 3x to 5x for 5 OAK, then four characters as the higher value symbols, awarding 10x to 25x the bet for 5 OAK. Wilds hit on all reels. They substitute for all symbols except scatters and pay 40x for a 5 wild winning line.

Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi: Slot Features

From the base game, it is possible to collect Soul money symbols, activate a modifiable free spins feature, or a hold 'n' win round, randomly triggered when Lucifer collects Souls.

Lantern

The Lantern symbol collects Soul symbols on the reels. Souls land displaying a cash prize, which is awarded when collected by a Lantern.

Free Spins

Players win 9, 12, or 15 free spins when 3, 4, or 5 scatters land in the base game. A random modifier is awarded when entering the bonus round, determined by spinning the Modifier Wheel:

• Win Multiplier Modifier - all wins are multiplied by the awarded value.
• Soul Modifier - lower value Souls are replaced by higher value Souls. Default Soul values are 1x to 100x the bet.
• Lantern Modifier - Lanterns become more common.

Collecting 4 Lanterns during free spins awards extra free spins and modifiers. Modifiers can be upgraded, too, if the base modifier has already been obtained. The effects of upgraded modifiers do not stack on the base modifier, meaning the base modifier is not active after it has been upgraded.

Lucifer

When Souls land on the reels without a Lantern, they are collected by Lucifer. When this occurs, there is a chance the Hold & Win bonus starts. When triggered, players are initially awarded 3 respins which reset if any Souls land. Filling the reels with Souls awards 1,000x the bet, plus the value of all Souls on the reels.

Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi: Slot Verdict

Various reactions arose when reviewing Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi. The initial reaction was a positive one, enthused about such a unique topic, and eager to see how Play'n GO made use of it. And while Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi might not seem like the sort of place where souls are tormented for eternity according to the sin committed in the three-dimensional world when the session begins, the free spins descent through different levels is quite intense. Hunting around for a competitor, a game like Devour the Weak might be extra diabolical, Hades Gigablox is hard to beat for underworld vibe, and Darkness has more of an insidious infernal flavour, but as far as literary hells go, Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi has a despairing weightiness.

Much of the gameplay isn't as creative as the theme, however. Souls and Lanterns are a standard money symbol collection feature; the Lucifer-triggered round is a standard hold 'n' win, with an extra prize for filling the reels. Free spins are more involved since they don't only come with modifiers, but modifiers can be upgraded, and descending through levels adds a thrill. Win multipliers are always a welcome addition, and being able to improve Soul values and the number of Lanterns might be a welcome boon as well. Don't be expecting colossal rewards in this pit, though, as max exposure is capped at 3,000x the bet.

The stats let Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi down. It's kind of odd that a slot based on the Nine Circles of Dante's Inferno gets a rather low max win and a medium volatile math model. The Gate of Hell in the Inferno might have borne an inscription that read 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.' Maybe the gate of Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi should have something like 'Abandon all hope of hitting enormous wins, ye who gamble here.' The theme was well chosen and executed, but Divina Commedia I Nove Cerchi could have been a much heavier-hitting game than the one it turned out to be.