Wild Hammer Megaways

Wild Hammer Megaways Overview

iSoftBet's new online slot is inspired by the well-known myths and legends that come to us from the Norse culture. These include those of Thor, Odin and Loki, which, thanks to Marvel, are now some of the most well-known names in the world. This game is a Megaways slot, too, meaning that the number of symbols that fall onto the reels changes with each spin. With plenty of features, a classic but well-executed theme and with a superb top win of 50,000x your stake, there is a lot to like about Wild Hammer Megaways.

The features for this game are many and various. The first feature, as is almost obligatory with Megaways slots, is a cascading reels feature that removes winning symbols to be replaced by new ones. This mechanic gives players extra chances at forming wins from the same spin. Next is the Wild Match feature, which involves the horizontally spinning reel on top of the regular reels. If two matching symbols appear here, the same symbols will be made into wilds on the reels below. Lastly, there is also a free spins bonus. All bonuses will be explained in more depth later in this review.

Theme and Symbols

The theme for this game is Norse Mythological tales. Norse Mythology consists of a collection of stories from Scandinavia and North German Folklore, consisting of narratives about various deities, monsters, heroes and fantastical creatures. The most famous of these characters and the one that most people will be familiar with is Thor, the hammer-wielding Thunder God, played in the various Marvel films by Chris Hemsworth. In this game, he and his other mythological counterparts are represented by well-drawn cartoons.

The background for the base game of this slot is a valley somewhere in the northern European area. The screen at this stage of the game is dominated by large cliff sides and dense green forests typical of the Scandinavian Fjord areas. However, when players enter the bonus free spins round, the background changes to the mystical and eminent world of Asgard, home to the Gods. Asgard is often described as gleaming gold and a wonderful fortress only enterable via the Bifrost (the rainbow bridge from the mortal world).

The board has been created to look as though it is a Norse Temple or outpost, guarded on each side by winged Valkyrie, the choosers of the slain in battle and the evaluators of who shall enter Valhalla. The statues and board are all rendered in incredible detail, from the tiles on the outpost's roof to the fine carving of the tablets on the playing board.
The symbols for this slot are split into low-paying, high-paying and special symbols. The low-paying symbols comprise the 10 to A in card royals, each displayed on a Viking shield. The high-paying symbols, on the other hand, are the various Norse legend characters. The least valuable of these is Fenrir, the mighty wolf, which pays 3x the stake for the top combination. Next in terms of value is Loki, followed by Freya and Thor. However, the most valuable of these symbols is Odin, who is worth 25x the stake for the top combination. The specials for this game are the wild symbol represented by Thor's Hammer and the bonus scatter, which is displayed as Yggdrasil, the world tree.

Game Play

Wild Hammer Megaways is played on a 6-reel, Megaways machine, meaning that the number of symbols on each reel varies with each spin. When the maximum number of symbols is placed on the reels, there is a maximum of 117,649 pay lines available. To create winners in this game, players must match 3 or more symbols in combination from left to right on the reels.
The betting range for Wild Hammer Megaways is 20p to as much as £20 per spin. To change your betting level per spin, use the bet adjuster tool located at the bottom of the playing window.

Further information regarding the slot, including a display of the paytable, can be accessed by clicking on the settings menu. The spin button is located to the bottom right of the reels. You can set up auto spins in the game's menu.
The volatility for this slot is rated in the high end of the spectrum. The return to player percentage for Wild Hammer Megaways is 95.78%, which is slightly under average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 50,000x your total stake.

Features

The first feature that players should be made aware of for this game is the cascading reels feature. After a winning combination is formed, the cascading reels feature is triggered. The winning symbols in this combination are then removed from the board and replaced by a new set.

A new payout calculation and a new cascade will follow if another winning combination is found. However, if a winner is not found, the feature terminates, and the accumulated win is paid out.

The next feature is called the Wild Match feature. This feature is triggered when 2 or more matching symbols appear on the horizontal reel spinning on top of the regular reels. If this should happen, a bolt of lightning will strike the board, and those matching symbols and any other instances on the board will be transformed into wilds. A new payout calculation will then follow.

Finally, there is the free spins feature. To trigger this feature, players must land 4 of the bonus scatters anywhere on the reels at the same time. Do so, and the following free spin rounds will be offered to choose from:
10 free spins with a 1x starting multiplier
8 free spins with a 3x starting multiplier
5 free spins with a 5x starting multiplier

There is also a mystery option that combines a random selection of spins and a multiplier from the above. During these bonus rounds, every time a cascade win has registered, the value of the attached multiplier increases by 1x. Unlike in other games, the multiplier also does not reset if a winless cascade occurs. More free spins can be added by landing additional scatters.
In some countries, there is also a bonus buy feature; however, this feature is not available in the UK.

Conclusion

There is little one can fault about Wild Hammer Megaways. The theme is strong and well-executed, the top payout is impressive, and the features are generous and entertaining. The only issues arise due to the incredibly high variance of the slot, which unfortunately can't be solved by using the bonus buy feature unavailable in the UK. Overall, though, this is still a terrific game from the iSoftBet studio.