Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon Megaways

Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon Megaways Slot Review

Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon Megaways from Triple Edge Studios via MGS is game two in the Ancient Fortunes family, after Ancient Fortunes: Zeus from a few years ago. Venture deep into the aquatic realm of Poseidon where the god of the sea awaits you with Megaways and Jackpots!

Read on for the full review.

SLOT FEATURES	Megaways, Free Games, Unlimited Win Multiplier, Jackpots
RELEASE DATE	25th May 2021
GAME PROVIDER	Triple Edge Studios via MGS
SLOT TYPE	Video Slot
THEME	Mythology
REELS, ROWS, PAYLINES	6 Reels, Up to 7 Rows, Up to 117,649 Ways
BET LEVELS	0.10 – 20.00
MAXIMUM WIN	Not Stated
SCATTER SYMBOL	Yes: G-O-L-D Letters
WILD SYMBOL	Yes: COIN
BONUS GAME	No
FREE SPINS	Yes
RESPINS	No
MULTIPLIERS	Yes
JACKPOT	Yes
RETURN TO PLAYER	95.98%
VOLATILITY	Medium

Features

Let’s see an overview of all slot features and see what they bring!

Extra Reel

• The extra reel above reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 adds a symbol to the reels.

Rolling Reels

• Winning symbols from wins are removed to make way for new symbols,
• Rolling Reels can award multiple consecutive wins.

Free Games

• 4 Scatters awards 12 Free Games,
• Every extra scatter awards an extra % of Free Games,
• The win multiplier starts at 1 and increases after every roll of the Rolling Reels,
• During the Free Games, Scatters only appear in the extra reel,
• 3 or 4 scatters in the Free Games awards an additional 5 or 10 Free Games respectively.

Jackpots

• Jackpots can be won in the Base Game and Free Games on any spin,
• Wilds are collected throughout Rolling Reels play,
• Once the Rolling Reels feature is complete, the Jackpot Pick game has a chance to trigger,
• The more Wilds collected, the higher the chance of triggering the Jackpot feature,
• 12 tokens are shown face-down,
• Select a token to reveal its associated jackpot element,
• When 3 matching tokens have been revealed, the corresponding jackpot will be awarded and the feature ends,
• Jackpots are multiplied by the total bet.

Paytable Review

The increasing win multiplier in the Free Games is an RTP hungry feature, hence the high feature hit rate typically seen in Megaways games. The math needs more spins between features to afford those increasing win multipliers. This game, however, has a 4-level jackpot to accommodate and somehow afford it while keeping its RTP in check.

Looking at the paytable reveals something interesting. Poseidon’s prizes are almost identical to Big Time’s Bonanza, and those that are not the same are only slightly different. This similarity suggests the RTP gained from prize reduction is insufficient to fund a relatively frequent triggering 4-level jackpot. The other areas to gain RTP are hit rates (extending either or both the Win Hit and Feature Hit rates and, it seems, Triple Edge has done both).

Playability

Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon Megaways plays as you would expect; very much like Big Time’s Bonanza. The addition of jackpots over an already hefty math model is a challenging inclusion for a developer to undertake, considering the juggling needed behind the scenes to make them fit.

The longer Feature Hit rate is very noticeable as the Base Game play seems to drag on forever, as you wait for those elusive G-O-L-D scatters. Although the Win Hit rate seems less affected, the Win Hit rate within the Free Games feels as though is it much higher than the Base Games making wins rarer than you would expect.

Poseidon has a ‘filling’ pot mechanic akin to Shufflemaster’s 88 Fortunes. WILDs appear only in the extra top reel. They substitute for paying symbols and are collected in the jackpot chest beside the reels. Gradually, coins appear to fill the chest, giving the impression that you’re closer and closer to triggering the jackpot. This is an illusion, however, and one should not believe a fuller chest has any better chance of triggering the jackpot than an empty chest.

A line in the jackpot rules states, “The More Wilds Collected the Higher the Chance of Triggering” which is not completely true. If, as the rules also state, “Jackpots Can Be Won on Every Spin”, the number of collected WILDs does not influence the chance to trigger. You should be able to trigger a jackpot feature on the next spin after a jackpot trigger.

Note: As these jackpots are non-progressive and adjust in size proportional to your bet, the chance to win a jackpot is unaffected by bet size.

The game rules regarding jackpot triggering are vague. The game says, “Jackpots Can Be Won in Base Game and Free Spins Every Spin” but it does not state whether a WILD is required to be collected to first qualify. Although, after playing the game, it seems a WILD in view is indeed required to trigger the jackpot feature.

• WIN HIT: 1 in 4.5 spins (estimated)
• FEATURE HIT: 1 in 480 spins (estimated)

Build quality is wonderfully precise. There are lots of little elements that come together to deliver an intense gaming experience. Little flames beneath each reel as they land; the inwards vibrating reels in an anticipation spin; the symbols slightly reacting as a winning combination is popped away; and Poseidon’s epic congratulatory announcements causing the music to intensify. All packaged in a tidy, well-planned game.

The Glory Spin

There is no specific Glory Spin. As the Free Game win multiplier is potentially unlimited, the max win can climb. Landing a couple of wins early on in the Free Games helps build that multiplier quickly.

Delights and Surprises

• Well-built game from Triple Edge,
• Lots of little surprises and reactive events,
• One of only a few Megaways games with jackpots.

Shortcomings

• The jackpot component eats a significant amount of RTP (affecting the game’s hit rates),
• Wins bigger than the jackpots are possible in the Free Games,
• The lengthened Win Hit and Feature Hit rates.

Conclusion

We all love the volatility of Megaways and the allure of jackpots, and Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon Megaways delivers the goods. Two well-developed, tried and true game features married with an epic underwater mythological theme surely must be a safe bet for the developer. Well, on paper it is a safe bet, but there’s little else to get excited about. A great theme and a polished build are definitely nice and contribute to playability, but in the end it’s the run for your money that truly wins a player’s favour. If you’re playing close to 500 spins to hit a Free Game feature only to find the wins in Free Games are noticeably less frequent than what you’ve experienced in the Base Game, then you might feel a little disappointed and perhaps reluctant to return. In Poseidon, the added jackpots are intended to compliment the game it is built upon, rather than compete with its features.

Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon Megaways gets 67 Spins out of 100 based on the following ratings:

PLAYABILITY	90
ORIGINALITY	25
BUILD QUALITY	90
MARRIAGE	90
IMMERSION	85
RUN FOR MONEY	25
INTEGRITY	65
TOTAL	67