The message seems to have gotten through to the makers of Play’N Go: With Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena, it’s back to the roots of Book of Dead. The fifth Rich Wilde video slot is equipped with 6 reels, 4 rows, 12 paylines and high volatility with an RTP of 96.26%. We take a closer look at all that, the spins and the features in this review.
Highlights
- The definitive successor to Book of Dead
- Good re-spins and free spins
- Nice design
- High volatility
Shield of Athena base data
- Name of the game Shield of Athena
- Game developer Play’N Go
- Volatility H 10/10
- Payout rate 96,26
Features
- Re-Spins and Free Spins
- Shields and Rich Wilde as Wild Symbols
- Cat Wilde as Scatter Symbol
- Paylines 12
- 6 reels
- Minimum bet
- Maximum bet USD 0.15 – 105
- Biggest possible win 15,000x
Shield of Athena Basic Features
Three matching symbols on a payline win. Divided into five low and four high payouts are these symbols. Low payouts are the 11-A royals made of beautiful colored stone. The high wins are represented by golden owl, pendant of courage, ring of wisdom, helmet of Athena and finally the top prize, the shield of Athena.
For fans of normal play and high volatility, Shield of Athena is a nice slot for fans of normal play. This setting creates a strong combination with the rest of the elements of the game. Equally nice is the RTP value of 96.26% in the default setting (value can be lowered) a review of the paytable is therefore recommended as always
The Medusa Re-Spins
Re-spins and free spins work individually and together. The Medusa Re-Spin can be activated in any spin when the Shield of Athena lands on a reel.
During the Re-Spin, Shield of Athena symbols and winning symbols are kept. Other shields and winning symbols are also tagged while the remaining reels restart. The whole thing ends with the payout once no more Shield of Athena symbols or winning symbols appear. It is also important to note that all (Rich) Wilds or Cat Wild Scatters are converted into Wild Shields.
Wilds and Re-Spins
Five Shields on a payline pay 600 times the bet and double if they turn into Wild Shields. Rich Wilde is the regular wild and worth 1000 times the bet when he appears five times in a row.
Shield of Athena RTP/ Payout Rate, Volatility, Hit Rate.
Play ‘n GO has provided The Shield of Medusa video slot with 10/10 and thus a high variance. With 96.3%, the RTP is in the upper good standard payout.
The Slot Features
Among slot fans and connoisseurs there is hardly any doubt that Play’n GO has probably produced the ultimate front-runner in the eternal best list of the most popular video slots with Rich Wilde and the slot Book of Dead. The latest variant takes the adventurer to the depths of Atlantis.
Shield of Athena Design and symbols
If Tome of Madness wasn’t exactly stunning in its cascading grid format, Shield of Athena comes back with a classic configuration, i.e. 5 reels, 3 rows and 10 fixed paylines. A sign that this video slot is meant to be a sequel to Book of Dead and a gesture of reconciliation to Rich Wilde fans. The ancient feeling is provided by Greek-style columns and a mystical waterfall in the background.
The game theme
Readers of ancient sagas know, the rest of us will take it as read: Pallas Athena possessed the shield Aegis, which she lent to her favorite protégés. Old Odysseus could certainly have used it, but she probably forgot it during the distribution, the rest is known.
Perseus had it much better, but as Athena’s chosen avenging angel he also had a rather nasty task and received the shield to protect him from Medusa’s petrifying gaze. His victory is represented by the snake-haired Gorgon on the shield. The other powers of the shield are hidden and Rich Wilde is on the trail of them. This time, for reinforcement, daughter Cat Wilde is with him. Cat looks like a mixture of Jennifer Aniston and Lara Croft, and we assume that her skills are just as well developed.
Min/ Max Bet, Autoplay Option ?
With a minimum bet of USD 0.15 and maximum bet of USD 105 per spin, the betting range is as standard as the auto-play feature, which allows you to play up to 105 auto-spins. For this, individual win limits can be set or stops can be set for loss or win.
Graphics & Sound
As usual from Play’n Go, and given the theme of adventures with Mr. Wilde, the graphics are high definition, anything else would be embarrassing. The sound is as crystal clear as a Steven Spielberg movie.
Free spins
As with Re-Spins, there is an unlimited type of free spins here:
The Gaze of Medusa
The Medusa Re-Spin is feature no.3, this time for free spins. Unlike the classic one, which turned its victims to stone, this Medusa’s Gaze is far more enjoyable: the feature is started on 4, 5 or 6 Cat Wilde scatters, which bring 11, 13 or 16 free spins. Very ingenious: the Medusa Re-Spin remains active even during these free spins. For this, the feature can still be activated, so 4, 5, 6 scatters bring another 11, 13 or 16 free spins.
Bonus Games
For this video slot, Play’n GO has dispensed with bonus games and limited itself to re-spins and free spins.
Similar Slots – Rich Wilde
In the adventure Entedcker saga theme and also in video slots in general, Rich Wilde is the undisputed number one on the charts. There is not much to say about Book of Dead: Play’n GO had released three more video slots with the protagonist Rich Wilde character after the mega success with Aztec Idols, Pearls of India and the rather lukewarm Tome of Madness. For all fans of archaeologists with rather undogmatic approaches to solving problems, we recommend all slots in this series. For beginners, first and foremost, the original Book of Dead and, of course, this video slot here is ideal, as it goes back to the roots of the simple slot game as described.
Conclusion
Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena is a very nicely designed video slot without any great visual fuss and that’s exactly why it’s class… With a high quality graphics all elements mesh nicely, the paytable is great, the features working classics because they spice up the gameplay great especially with the Medusa Re-Spins….
After the matrix format of the last Wilde slot, Shield of Athena has returned to the roots of Book of Dead as said before: So simple gameplay in traditional set-up with great winning possibilities.