Gladiator Slot Review – Thumbs Down

Basic Features

This isn’t Playtech’s first tango with movie-licensed slots – they’ve had quite a lot of those over the years, most famous of which are the slots based on various Marvel properties. Some of those, such as The Avengers, are really, really good, while others, like Iron Man 2 are… Well, not. But while the Marvel slots are generally hit and miss, I’m happy to say that “Gladiator” is most definitely a hit. Sure, it’s not the greatest slot ever made in the history of the universe, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t absolutely solid and definitely worth your attention. For the most part, it’s a pretty standard 25 payline slot, but the care with which it has been crafted truly makes it stand out.

Gladiator Slot
		Software:	Playtech	Double option:	No
		RTP:	88.00% – 96.00%	Mobile version:	No
		Progressive:	Yes	Coin value:	£0.01-£5
		Autoplay:	Yes	Bet value:	£0.01 – £1,250
		Quick spin:	Yes	Max. bet:	£1,250.00
		Reels:	5	Free spins:	Yes
		Paylines:	25	Bonus round:	Yes

I really have to give “Gladiator” props for using its license to the fullest. While Russell Crowe’s mug is nowhere in sight, most likely due to licensing issues (sometimes big-name celebrities refuse to sign their likeness to a product, which is why sometimes action figures of popular movie characters don’t look too much like them), but everyone else is back in business, including Joaquin Phoenix as the always wonderful Emperor Commodus – the original ruler everyone hated before King Joffrey of King’s Landing took his crown. The symbols consist of rather well-made photos of the characters, and when you get a few of them aligned the slot plays a short clip from the movie for you. The surrounding area is rather clean – just a black background and very few details surrounding it, which actually works to the slot’s favour, as it makes the symbols really pop out.

Paytable

There are eleven symbols in Gladiator, without accounting for the Scatter and Wild symbols. Six of them are, unfortunately, just letters and numbers – 9, 10, J, Q, K and A. It’s always a little bit sad to see a slot that has to resort to using those in lieu of actual symbols, but I suppose they’re one of those unavoidable slot traditions that nobody really likes, but are there to save money. From those, the least you can earn is 8 times your bet (which isn’t bad considering the fact that you can choose how many paylines you play on, so if you’ve got less than 8 paylines you’ll be profiting no matter what you hit) and the most, 5 As or Ks, will get you 200 times your bet. Most of the characters from the movie aren’t going to give you that much more from the letters, with 5 in a row giving you between 250 and 350 times your bet.

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The two exceptions to the rule are Lucilla, the Empress of Rome, who gives you up to 1000 times your bet, and Commodus, the Emperor, who’ll give you a thumbs up and also up to 5000 times your bet. Overall, the paytable is quite pleasing – the lower end is rather average (that is to say not low, but not too high), yet the higher end is pretty impressive. Keep in mind that after each win you can gamble your earnings in a “double or nothing” bonus game in which you need to guess whether a randomly drawn card would be red or black. I, personally, would not recommend that you play this, however.

Bonus Rounds/Free Spins

There are two bonus rounds in “Gladiator”, though only one of them gives you a game and free spins. One of them is called the “Gladiator Bonus” and is activated by getting 3 Wilds (represented by Maximus’ trademarked helmet). After that, it’ll automatically give you 9 helmets – bronze, silver and gold, all of which give you different amounts. Keep in mind that the helmets you get are completely random, and while in theory, you can get all bronze or all gold, you’ll most likely get a nice, roughly even combination of all three, alongside a clip from the movie to make you feel good about it.

Now, the bigger bonus, better known as the “Coliseum Bonus”, has a whole game attached to it. When you trigger it by getting 3 Scatter symbols, you’re treated to a 4 by 5 board full of concealed symbols. Your job is to pick at least one symbol from each row, starting with the lowest one. The thing is, each row gives you a different bonus – the lowest one gives you free games, the one above it – the multiplier, while the third and fourth ones determine how many Scatter and Wild symbols you get, respectively. Behind each of the 5 blocks in a certain row is a number that determines the variable associated with that row. Alongside that number, you might also get a bonus (yes, a bonus bonus!). Most of them have a positive effect, such as allowing you to pick an extra block in the same row or the row above (or even to get ALL the blocks in the row), but if you get the Collect bonus you won’t be allowed to pick any more blocks even if you haven’t reached the top yet.

Experience of Playing the Slot and Other Recommended Games

Overall, “Gladiator”, while certainly nothing too flashy or spectacular, is still a magnificent slot that’s most definitely worth your time. The clips from the movie are crystal-clear, the winnings are relatively frequent, the amounts can keep you going and the bonus game is pretty interesting and unique. While I did have some issues with the slot, such as the ill-thought-out “gamble” option (which to me seemed more like a scam than a genuine feature), those aren’t enough to prevent me from recommending “Gladiator” to anyone who wants a solid game to spend an afternoon on. If you’re new to the world of licensed slots, then I’d also recommend that you try out The Avengers, which is utterly brilliant and is probably the only movie-licensed slot that I think is superior to “Gladiator”. If instead, you’re interested in something different, then maybe Gonzo’s Quest is the one for you – a whimsical slot inspired by puzzle games with a nice multiplier feature.