Gladiator

Playtech is well-known for its ability to bring popular films to life in its video slots, such as those featured in the Gladiator film, a smash blockbuster from the early 2000s that continues to be popular today. This slot captures the spirit of the modern movie classic, with an emphasis on the dramatic Colosseum combat in which gladiators competed for the audience’s favor.

Step into the past with the Gladiator slot, where the echoes of ancient Rome come alive through sight and sound. This Playtech creation captures the essence of the legendary gladiatorial battles, transporting players to the magnificent setting of the Colosseum. 

The Gladiator slot features straightforward yet effective graphics that vividly bring the ancient Roman arena to life. While the visuals are not groundbreaking, they successfully create a setting that complements the game’s theme. The color palette is rich and earthy, evoking the dusty arenas of Roman times.

As for the audio, the soundtrack consists of typical slot game sounds—chimes and spinning reels—that, while not extraordinary, provide a familiar backdrop that slot enthusiasts will recognize. These noises work nicely with the gameplay, adding to rather than detracting from the experience. There was a chance to make the sound palette a little bit more dramatic but the sound bites from the movie add to the atmosphere in certain scenarios, like when you land a five-symbol win.

To get into the arena you can place a minimum bet of €0.01 per payline, or go up to the maximum of €1 per payline, with options to select between one and 25 paylines per spin. Thus, the highest possible bet per spin is €25, when all settings are adjusted to their maximum values and all 25 paylines are activated.

There’s a very handy feature for setting the desired number of paylines. There are two columns of numbers set at the side of the grid that you can select. Even though the numbers seem random, they are there for you to select a number of paylines, and there’s a neat graphic representation to show just what paylines are activated. 

Casual players who are in for a bit of fun and Gladiator trivia will enjoy the medium volatility of this slot. This setting allows for an even distribution of wins, delivering constant action, but may lack in landing huge wins. I found that there is plenty of action to be had, with two bonuses and the possibility of winning a progressive jackpot. 

With an RTP of 94.1%, slightly below the industry standard, this game still maintains good playability due to its balanced volatility. It’s well-suited for players who appreciate consistent action and entertainment, even though the opportunities for large payouts are limited.

To start playing, first set your budget and decide how many paylines you want to have activated. I found out that having more paylines available worked better. Once you setup your bet value, you’re ready to spin.

The game features five high-paying symbols that are characters from the movie. The standout symbol is the gladiator mask, which serves as the wild. This mask substitutes for all symbols except the scatter, and landing three on the reels triggers the Gladiator Bonus!

No Gladiator game is complete without the legendary Colosseum, which serves as the scatter symbol. Landing five Colosseum symbols delivers a 100x multiplier, but three or more also trigger the bonus round, where you may earn multipliers, free spins, and other prizes.

The Emperor Commodus symbol holds the key to the highest payouts during regular gameplay, offering a massive 5,000x your stake for landing five on the reels. Other notable characters also provide significant rewards: Lucilla offers up to 1,000x your bet for five, while Senator Gracchus awards 350x. Both Proximo and Juba contribute 250x for a full line of five and 20x for three, making them valuable symbols to watch for as you spin.

The lower-paying symbols, which appeared more frequently on the reels, offered reasonable payouts. Below is an overview of the values associated with the card suite symbols:

• A and K: Starts with 15x for three matches and goes to 200x for five matches.
• J and Q: Starts with 10x for three matches and goes to 120x for matching five.
• 9 and 10: Starts with 8x for three matches and 75x for five matches.

With a well-balanced symbol layout, this game may deliver quite a bang for your buck. However, if you’re looking to start off with a risk-free experience, check out the free version at the top of our page to play Gladiator without any commitments. As I always say, playing demo games are the best way to judge whether or not a game has what it takes to keep you engaged.

The Gladiator slot offers a few unique features that dramatically increase your chances of landing huge winnings, including the progressive jackpot as the ultimate prize:

Coliseum Bonus

Landing three scatters triggers the Coliseum bonus round where you can choose stones and pick between four types of prizes: free games, free game multiplier, extra scatter symbols, and extra wilds.

Gladiator Jackpot Bonus

If you land three or more wild symbols on the reels, you’ll activate the bonus round, where nine gladiator helmets await you. These helmets are crafted from gold, silver, and bronze, each carrying different values: gold helmets are worth 100, silver 50, and bronze 25. In this straightforward bonus feature, you simply collect the total value displayed across the nine helmets.

However, for landing nine gold helmets in this bonus round, instead of getting the payout, you receive the massive progressive jackpot as your reward.

Commodus Feature

Although Emperor Commodus wasn’t particularly charming in the movie, he certainly wins over players in the game with small favors. When a Commodus symbol lands on the third reel during the free games, it triggers three free spins, giving players additional chances to rack up wins on the reels.