Age of the Gods Norse: Ways of Thunder

Age of the Gods Norse Ways of Thunder is a 5-reel, 720 playline slot developed by Playtech as the sequel to Age of the Gods Norse King of Asgard, one of the newer slots in the iconic Age of the Gods series. 

This slot takes players on a high volatility trip to the frozen wastes where Vikings rule the lands, here players will benefit from the lightning feature which sees the ways to win gradually increase up to a maximum of 3,125 ways to win. There's also a lucrative free spins round with unlimited re-triggers and of course a hugely attractive 3-tiered progressive jackpot.

Design

It hardly comes as a surprise to us that Age of the Gods Norse Ways of Thunder looks as good as it does, all of Playtech's recent Age of the Gods Norse slots are known for being visually spectacular, and this one is certainly no different. 

Behind the reels is a stunning mountaintop village covered in snow that is constantly falling from the top of the screen down onto the ground below. Flaming torches and ruins inscribed with ancient runes are nestled into the snow, you'll also spot the shadow of a Viking hammering away at an anvil inside a torchlit home. 

On the reels there are a number of different symbols, low paying ones are ancient Norse letters, whilst high paying symbols are different animals, two crows, two rams and what we think is a very angry looking wolf. There are also two expanding symbols, this is an ancient serpent and the God of thunder himself, Thor (who is of course wielding his famed hammer).

In terms of sound, the game features an atmospheric soundtrack that plays in the background during spins, it reminded us somewhat of the buildup to an epic battle in a Marvel film.

Gameplay

Age of the Gods Norse Ways of Thunder sees players unlock more ways to win every time they land a winning spin. Players initially start out with just 45 ways to win, but this can be expanded to 3,125 as the frozen blue symbols thaw away. Whenever players register a losing spin the ways to win resets back to 45. The ways to win unlocked on each level are as follows:

• Level 1 - 45 ways to win
• Level 2 - 135 ways to win
• Level 3 - 405 ways to win
• Level 4 - 675 ways to win
• Level 5 - 1,125 ways to win
• Level 6 - 3,125 ways to win

In terms of navigating the slot, it could not be simpler, as it follows the same format as most Age of the Gods slots. There's an action bar below the game reels. 

On the left-hand side of the action bar is an info button (that allows players to view bonus features and the paytable) and the stake selection (that allows players to set their stake between 0.20 and 150). On the right-hand side of the action bar players can set up to 100 automated spins and hit the spin button.

On the far left-hand side of the game reels players will spot three Age of the Gods Norse Progressive Jackpots, the Daily Jackpot, the Extra Jackpot and the Ultimate Jackpot. 

Win Potential

Despite having a solid RTP of 96.20%, which is fantastic for a slot that features progressive jackpots, this slot sadly falls short on win potential, with players only able to win a maximum of 1,500x their stake when playing this slot.

Our Verdict

As far as Age of the Gods slots go, we'd probably put this one somewhere amongst the middle of the pack. It's got some decent features and we love the fact we can trigger a maximum of 50 free spins on one single spin (with more after that a real possibility), but the low win potential (other than the progressive jackpots) lets it down.