Rage of the Seas Review
Renowned for their disdain of landlubbers and affection for copious amounts of rum, pirates have been icons of pop culture stardom for years. In Rage of the Seas from NetEnt, familiar characters of the high seas now get the video slot treatment.
The stern of a pirate galleon is the setting for our swashbuckling slot adventure. Gently bobbing in the ocean, distant voices can be heard over the crashing waves as gunpowder ignites while swinging ship lanterns cast moody shadows over ornate gilded carvings.
Shipmates to similar offerings such as Pirate’s Charm from Quickspin, Hook’s Heroes from NetEnt and Pirates’ Plenty from Red Tiger, Rage of the Seas is off on its very own adventure, with tasty cash spoils for every intrepid old salt.
Design
Illustrated with the skill usually reserved for the most accomplished of shipmasters, Rage of the Seas is a sight to behold.
With lively and somewhat unexpected animations, among other spectacles, Rage of the Seas brings us a dapper young spider monkey dressed to the nines in a snazzy crimson waistcoat nimbly scampering upwards. Octopus Wilds are similarly enthusiastic and reach out from within the bowels of our brig to slap a symbol firmly in place on the grid.
No pirate slot would be complete without some colourful voice work flexing that West Country pirate twang and Rage of the Seas is no different. Affectionately voiced characters bring Rage of the Seas to effervescent life, accompanied of course, by jaunty sailor shanties lasting long into the night.
Gameplay
Ahoy me hearties, shiver me timbers, it’s now time to batten down the hatches and walk the gameplay plank.
With a bounty of bonus features (often appearing as features within features), Rage of the Seas is as gungho as a buccaneer with a belly full of rum.
In this oceanic opera of villainy and deceit, reels 1 to 3 is where the main action occurs.
Random Features
Once the monkeyfied Boost symbol lands, 1 of 5 of the following features triggers randomly:
Spreading Wilds, Multipliers, Minor Reel Upgrade, Major Reel Upgrade and Stacked Wilds.
Free Spins
Players have two methods of accessing the Rage of the Seas Free Spins round, when one or both of the following outcomes occur:
1. 3 baboon-like boost symbols get collected during the base game or with feature spins on reels 2 to 4, with the reels expanding
2. A minimum of 3 Skull Scatter symbols land on the reels with a single spin.
● 3 Skull Scatters = 5 Free Spins
● 4 Skull Scatters = 8 Free Spins
● 5 Skull Scatters = 12 Free Spins
During the Free Spins 3 of the 5 Random Features will be active. Should you be left with Feature Spins on the counter, these are added the total number of Free Spins.
Boost Feature
When the Monkey Boost symbol lands on reels 2 through 4, the corresponding reel expands to 7 rows and subsequently unlocks 4 Feature Spins. To add to the magic and mayhem of Rage of the Seas 1 of the 5 Random Features are activated starting from the next spin.
3 Boost symbols on reels 2 to 4 inclusive, reels expand and Free Spins are unlocked.
Win Potential
96.04% high volatility Rage of the Seas has minimum and maximum bets set at £0.20 and £400 respectively across an upper limit of 5,488 paylines. With an astounding 27,440x maximum win exposure, Rage of the Seas is a slot with potent prize potential.
Our Verdict
What a ride. Rage of the Seas is a slot that not only challenges expectations, it also sets a new benchmark for the video slot production industry.
With character design to rival any major animation studio and background art so emotive is a rare find in a slot.
While some slots will come guns ablazing with nifty animations and admittedly very sweet graphics, the gameplay often doesn’t match up. It often feels like a trade off between gameplay and visuals, and it shouldn’t. Players deserve more. Here, Rage of the Seas delivers, and then some.
Much like a chest discovered at the floor of Davy Jones’ locker, herein lies real video slot treasure.
A keen sports bettor, Sam took his first foray into the world of online slots when Bonanza Megaways caught his eye, he’s never looked back since! He joined the team in 2019 and has developed an encyclopedic knowledge of online slots, he isn’t afraid to voice his honest opinion when reviewing new games, even if it does ruffle a few feathers.
Learn more about Sam here