Strength of Hercules

The theme of the slot is decisively Greek mythology. It specifically focuses on the legendary hero or demi-god Hercules. The theme has several references to Hercules performing the 12 Labours, the difficult feats he had to do because of killing his entire family. In this game, he even has the strength to flip the grid and turn low-paying symbols into wilds!

The slot’s theme is strong and in line with the themes of other games by Hacksaw Gaming, like Phoenix DuelReels and Rise of Ymir. I indeed found it attention-grabbing. If you are a history buff or a fan of ancient legends, Strength of Hercules is one of the most gripping free-to-play games from this leading game provider that you can explore.

A single look at the game gave me a great first impression of the graphics and overall game design. Hercules definitively looks like the mighty son of Zeus. Everything, from his trusty lion’s skin, ferocious spiked club, and the ancient background, enriches the game’s ambiance. The cartoon graphics and the amusing feel add to the game’s character.

The music is upbeat and perfectly aligned with the cartoonish look and feel of the game, unlike Rise of Ymir by Hacksaw Gaming, in which the soundtrack is dark and broody. Moreover, I loved how the music became peppier every time the wins were made.

Animations are top-notch and play a massive role in keeping the player hooked. From symbols dropping and replacing, grid rotation, and Hercules hitting the grid with his club, all happen fluidly. It made me greatly appreciate the intense effort taken to create animations and make them gel with the game mechanics.

Strength of Hercules offers a range of RTP from 92.26% – 96.31%. When playing Bonus Hunt Feature Spins, RTP depends on the bonus choice if a bonus game comes automatically. Here’s a breakdown:

• Labors or Godly Labors: 96.28%
• Labyrinth or Godly Labyrinth: 96.28%
• RotoGrid Feature Spins: 96.30%
• Extreme RotoGrid Feature Spins: 96.32%

The maximum payout is 10,000x your bet. Suppose you bet at $100 per spin, the winnable jackpot becomes $1,000,000. This is good, but not on par with slots like Tombstone Slaughter: El Gordo’s Revenge and Tombstone RIP, which have a maximum payout of 500,000x and 300,000x, respectively.

The game has medium volatility. Winning combinations form after every 2.72 spins. The hit frequency rate is 36.76% for the highest RTP setting. This medium volatility math model is appealing to moderate risk-takers.

The Strength of Hercules slot features innovative game mechanics. It is played on a 5×5 grid and gives 3,125 ways to win. Winning spins are formed when 3 or more matching symbols across any game’s multiple ways to win combine.

I found this layout to provide a variety of combinations and potential wins. This slot also has the unique RotoGrid feature, similar to what you can see in Hacksaw Gaming’s Twisted Lab RotoGrid, where symbols can rotate to create new winning combinations.

Wild symbols connect across the grid, while random strikes by Hercules can change low-value symbols into Wilds. The low-paying symbols that can be replaced are as follows:

• 1O
• J
• Q
• K
• A

A lion, a bull, a hydra, Cerberus, and Hercules himself indicate the high-value symbols.

Wild and RotoGrid symbols appear more frequently when you choose the Godly Labors Bonus Game from the Bonus Choice menu. Upon selecting the Labors Bonus Game, you receive 10 free spins. This bonus feature keeps the base game’s mechanics intact but with greater chances of landing RotoGrid and Wild symbols.

If you land additional free spin scatter symbols during this feature, you will get extra free spins as follows:

• 2 FS symbols award 2 extra spins
• 3 FS symbols award 4 extra spins

Additionally, to enhance the gameplay and the potential of winning, a menu of 5 buy options is available. Strength of Hercules by Hacksaw Gaming has many features. Each offers different bonuses and enhancements to enrich the winning potential.

Strength of Hercules is feature-packed; it’s no surprise it is available at some of the top new casino sites today. At first, you may consider these features similar to those found in other online slots. But soon enough, RotoGrid, connecting wilds, Might of Hercules, and various bonus game features will change your perception. The multiple features put the slot above many standard casino games. They facilitate quite an entertaining experience.

RotoGrid Feature

RotoGrid symbols activate after wins on the current grid have been given. The symbols give 1 to 3 clockwise grid rotations kept a meter outside the grid. The RotoGrid symbol changes into a wild. Each rotation of the grid turns it clockwise, a quarter turn, and brings more winning chances.

Wins are evaluated before the upcoming turn. If more than one RotoGrid symbol is there, they activate one by one after rotations from the previous RotoGrid symbol are over. Up to 3 RotoGrid symbols can land simultaneously. The RotoGrid feature was a hit in Hacksaw Gaming’s Twisted Lab RotoGrid. In this game, too, it is a fantastic way to earn big wins.

Connecting Wilds

After each rotation, the wild symbols on the same reel connect and fill the positions between with more wild symbols. If the grid rotates again, the original and new wild symbols can connect with other wild symbols on their reels. The grid then fills with wilds.

Might of Hercules

After the grid settles, Hercules might hit it with his club. The action changes all the instances of a random low-pay 10-A symbol on the reels with wilds.

Bonus Choice

The Bonus Choice menu opens up if you land 3 or 4 free spins scatter symbols in the base game. If 3 scatters are behind it, you can choose Labors or the Labyrinth bonus game. If 4 free spin scatters trigger it, your options include Godly Labors or the Godly Labyrinth bonus game.

Labors Bonus Game

This feature has 10 free spins. It offers a higher chance of landing RotoGrid and wild symbols. Hitting 2 free spins scatters rewards the players with +2 free spins, and 3 free spins scatters awards +4 free spins.

Godly Labors Bonus Game

This is similar to the Labors Bonus game with the difference in the frequency of RotoGrid and wild symbols. They occur more frequently.

Labyrinth Bonus Game

This bonus game gets you 8 free spins. It features these symbols:

• Skull Block (non-paying)
• Cracked Stone (non-paying)
• FS
• Adding and Multiplying Coin

The bonus game aims to collect Coin and FS symbols in the Treasure Chests at the end of the grid.

When a Coin or FS symbol comes above a Cracked Stone symbol, the symbol will crush and vanish. It keeps repeating until a Skull Block symbol comes or a Coin or FS symbol goes to the bottom row of the grid. This symbol is collected in the Treasure Chest for the corresponding reel.

Every Treasure Chest has a progressive multiplier, paid at the end of the bonus. It is multiplied by the player’s bet amount to determine the ultimate win. When you collect Coin symbols, their value is added to the existing value on the Treasure Chest or multiplied with the existing value.

• The value of adding coins is as follows: 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 100x
• The value of multiplying coins is as follows: x2, x3, x4, x5, x10, x20
• Each collected FS symbol awards 1 additional free spin.

After all Coin and FS symbols have moved as far as possible, the grid can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. Then, the Coin and FS symbols will go to a new position by breaking the Cracked Stone symbols. They will be led through the “labyrinth” of Skull Block symbols towards the bottom portion of the game’s grid.

The labyrinth Bonus game feature is pretty complex and involves several mechanics. This labyrinth-style symbol shifting introduces a layer of strategy and unpredictability seen in very few slots. Also, the progressive multipliers offer a high potential for big wins, making the slot appealing.

Godly Labyrinth Bonus Game

This feature in the Strength of Hercules awards 10 free spins. It is not very different from the Labyrinth Bonus Game, except that the higher-value Coins have more probability of occurring.

Bonus Buy

The Bonus Buy feature enhances the gameplay in many ways:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins – For 3x bet per spin, each spin is 5 times more likely to prompt a bonus game.
• RotoGrid FeatureSpins – For a 60x bet, a spin guarantees a minimum of 1 RotoGrid symbol and 2 Wilds.
• Extreme RotoGrid FeatureSpins – For a 60x bet, a spin guarantees a minimum of 1 RotoGrid symbol with higher volatility.
• Strength Is My Legacy – For a 100x bet, the bonus choice is prompted with 3 scatter symbols.
• Victory Is My Destiny – For a 200x bet, the bonus choice comes with 4 scatter symbols.