Rise of Samurai IV: Slot Overview
If you’re eager to encounter warriors who stand tall, Rise of Samurai IV from Pragmatic Play is the online slot for you. This marks the fourth installment of these persistent samurai, following Rise of Samurai, Rise of Samurai Megaways, and Rise of Samurai III. Along with the depiction of Asian warriors, the series has consistently incorporated some form of multiplier action, and in Rise of Samurai IV, multipliers come into play on wild symbols that can expand to cover entire reels. The game offers two different modes for players to choose from.
For those who have experience with Zeus vs Hades, Rise of Samurai IV is a clone of that game. Players are prompted to select one of two profiles, Date or Sanada, at the beginning. Interestingly, these choices go beyond cosmetics. In Date mode, there’s a higher chance of triggering free spins but with a lower average win, while in Sanada mode, the chance of triggering free spins is lower, but the average win is higher. If you’re not satisfied with your initial choice, don’t worry; the profile can be changed during the base game. Additionally, there’s a cosmetic distinction between the two modes, with Sanada taking place indoors in a dojo-like setting and Date occurring outdoors in a Forbidden Palace-type location.
Regardless of the chosen profile (Date or Sanada), players can place bets ranging from 10 cents to $/€100 per spin, and there is no ante bet option available. However, players have the option to buy a bonus at a cost of 75x the bet in Date mode or 150x the bet in Sanada mode. Another buy option exists in both modes, allowing players to purchase free spins with one guaranteed expanding wild on the first spin at a cost of 300x the bet, offering a highly volatile experience. Rise of Samurai IV has been rated as high volatility (5 out of 5), and the RTP ranges from 96.01% to 96.14%, depending on the chosen profile and bonus buy.
While there is a technically different set of symbols for each game profile, they are quite similar. The low-paying 10 to A card ranks are identical, followed by drums, chests, swords, masks, and a character symbol as the high-paying symbols. The game is played on a 5×5 grid with 15 paylines, and achieving a 5-of-a-kind low-paying win awards 1x the bet, while a 5-matching symbol high-paying win rewards 5 to 20 times the bet. Wild symbols can land on all reels and substitute for any regular pay symbols, with the same payout value as the character symbol.
Rise of Samurai IV: Slot Features
Expanding Wilds with Multiplier
In Rise of Samurai IV, expanding wilds can appear on all reels during both the base game and free spins. When an expanding wild lands, it covers its entire reel, and if this expansion results in a winning combination, the wild receives a multiplier ranging from x2 to x100. This multiplier applies to all wins that the expanding wild is a part of. In cases where more than one expanding wild contributes to the same winning combination, the multipliers are added together. Additionally, expanding wilds have the same payout values as the character pay symbol.
Free Spins
Scatter symbols in Rise of Samurai IV appear on reels 1, 3, and 5 during the base game. If you land 3 scatter symbols, it triggers 10 free spins. In the free spins round, any expanding wild symbols that land will expand, receive a random multiplier ranging from x2 to x100, and stay on the grid until the end of the free spins. It’s important to note that free spins cannot be retriggered in this game.
Rise of Samurai IV: Slot Verdict
It was somewhat surprising to see the Rise of Samurai series continue with a fourth release. Previous installments were influenced by other Pragmatic Play games, and Rise of Samurai IV follows this trend by being a rehash of the mythologically themed slot, Zeus vs Hades: Gods of War.
The dual profile system has been retained, allowing players to choose between Date and Sanada modes. Examining the figures from Zeus vs Hades might be helpful, as free spins triggered more often in Olympus mode (Date) but with worse odds of achieving the max win, compared to Hades mode (Sanada) with more favorable odds. The same 15,000x max win remains in place, and both free spins modes can produce good results, thanks to high-value wild multipliers.
While Rise of Samurai IV may lack extra originality, it combines exciting gaming ideas with nicely executed features and alluring winning potential. If you’re interested in expanding wild multipliers, other Hacksaw Gaming slots might also be worth exploring. Overall, Rise of Samurai IV offers an engaging experience for players.