Rise of Olympus 1000

Rise of Olympus 1000: Slot Overview

While bigger doesn't automatically mean better, software providers often display a tendency to push their slots to ever greater extremes. A prime example of power creep is Play'n Go's 100 range, which are remakes of older games that have been expanded to deliver bulkier experiences. The studio has gone one further in this instance by producing Rise of Olympus 1000, an online slot that is orders of magnitude greater than Rise of Olympus or even the Rise of Olympus 100 remake. In an intriguing twist, the studio has not reused the original gameplay but completely overhauled the technical components to create an experience that is closer to a certain competitor than its predecessors.

Rise of Olympus was the 'manly' remake of Moon Princess, populating its screen with three buff deities - Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, rather than dainty anime princesses. Each god pops in and out; however, this time, none of them are linked to specific features. This means no Hand of God, which feels a bit weird, but change can be good sometimes. As well as Greek deities, players get the chance to inhabit a classically inspired world of clouds, waterfalls, and floating rocks in the base game, and grand columned buildings in the bonus round. So, while the visuals have connections to previous Rise of Olympus slots, the mechanics deviate a lot.

As a scatter paying game this time, winning combinations are formed when 8 or more matching symbols are in view in any position on the 6x5 grid. Winning symbols vanish from view, and the grid is refilled by symbols cascading down. If a new win appears, the cascade mechanic triggers again. This the game does under the power of a highly volatile math model, generating five possible RTPs, where 96.24% is the preferred configuration. When picking a stake, the options are $/€0.10 to $/€50, and another available option here you don't see in Play'n GO slots a lot is an ante bet.

Three gods are the three highest paying symbols, followed by helms, tridents, and lightning bolts, then four gems as the lowest value symbols. Landing 8 OAK combinations pays 0.1x to 0.8x, while the biggest combinations contain 12 or more matching symbols and are worth 0.9x to 9x the stake. Rise of Olympus 1000 is a scatter paying slot without a wild symbol.

Rise of Olympus 1000: Slot Features

It's all about the multiplier here, which can land and be upgraded in both phases of play, and during free spins, they are accumulated in a total multiplier. On top of this is an optional Go Ultra ante bet.

Multipliers

There are 15 stages of multipliers ranging in value from x2 to x1,000. Multipliers multiply the total win at the end of a round. If more than one multiplier is present, the values are combined before being applied to the win. The highest total multiplier sum possible is x3,013. When there are no multipliers on the grid, then multipliers can land at any time. When multipliers land and the round cascades, there is a chance to upgrade it by +1 stage. When a multiplier is upgraded for the first time, it increases by +1 stage up to the maximum x1,000. When a multiplier has already been upgraded once, and a cascade occurs, there is a chance to trigger the super upgrade. The super upgrade randomly upgrades the multiplier from 1 stage higher up to the final stage. While cascades occur, the super upgrade can trigger multiple times to multipliers that have been upgraded at least once. The x1,000 multiplier cannot be upgraded.

Free Spins

Landing 3 or more scatters in the base game triggers 12 free spins. The round retriggers by landing 3 or more scatters to award a further +3 free spins. Multipliers are cumulative during the round. Any multipliers that are used in a win are carried over until the last free spin. Multipliers that have landed or upgraded but did not form a win with any symbol are not carried over. When multipliers are carried over, they are added to the total multiplier container. When a win occurs, the sum of values of all multipliers on screen plus the multiplier container is applied to the total symbol win. Free spins are capped at 36.

Go Ultra

The Go Ultra is an ante bet feature which can be activated in the base game, increasing the stake by 50% when switched on. The benefit of doing so is that multipliers which land in the base game are guaranteed to upgrade by +1 stage higher if there are wins in the same round. The same occurs during free spins. Multipliers are not carried over to the next free spins round if there are no wins in the same round. The total sum of multipliers possible per round with Go Ultra active is x3,054.

Rise of Olympus 1000: Slot Verdict

Like animals of the Galápagos Islands, Play'n GO's Rise of Olympus range continues to evolve. Evolution in the gambling industry often occurs by following others, and this time, it would appear something like Starlight Princess 1000 may have served as the underlying DNA template, rather than anything Moon Princess or Rise of Olympus has done. By extension, then, Rise of Olympus 1000 presents itself as a challenger to Pragmatic Play's monolithic Gates of Olympus and its ilk juggernaut, with many mechanics in common.

So why would a picky gambler choose Rise of Olympus 1000 over the competition? One reason could be that winning potential, on paper, technically speaking, is a monstrous 60,000x the bet, keeping in mind Play'n GO's max win achievement reputation which does make this number questionable. Multipliers can be huge, and the surprise inclusion of an ante bet helps raise the multiplier ceiling level even higher. As for the rest, the cascade, multiplier symbol, and persistent total win multiplier in free spins have proven to be a successful match on many occasions, and it works like a well-greased engine in Rise of Olympus 1000, too. The super upgrade adds a dash of randomness, but it has to be said that the gameplay otherwise is quite predictable, if enjoyably so.

For scatter paying enthusiasts who happily embrace change, Rise of Olympus 1000's shock deviation from its past might be what they’re looking for. The final result is a game that feels familiar yet distinctly ambitious. It was odd seeing the three Greek gods pop in and out but be unable to bestow Hand of God features, and the pay system switch might take time to adjust to, yet the biggest eyebrow raiser was the aggressive way Play'n GO has gone right after Pragmatic Play with this one.