Roman Legion Slots
It’d be fair to say you know what to expect with a slot named Roman Legion. It’s a well-worn theme within a well-worn gambling genre, but that’s no crime.
It’s tough coming up with a video slot theme that hasn’t already been done to death after all. Assuming an “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mindset, Gamomat (formerly Bally Wulff) have decided to pitch in with a Roman legion game of their own. This one unfolds in a 5x3 layout on a screen that is in places detailed and immersive and in others flat and lackluster.
To be frank, Gameomat aren’t known for creating the nicest looking slots, and much of this game – especially the playing card symbols – is underwhelming. Other elements, however, primarily the game title and background image, depicting the standards of a Roman legion raised aloft as they march into battle, are very good, and suggest that Bally Wulff are capable of better than the substandard graphics that are their stock in trade.
A Legion of Knock-Offs
Taken as a standalone game, Roman Legion is a perfectly functional, if unexciting, video slot. When compared against the rest of Bally Wulff’s oeuvre, however, it’s clear that Roman Legion is just another knock-off, with the exact same features and layout as its peers.
In fairness, Gamomat are by no means the only developer guilty of this sin. It’s common practice for software developers to release thinly disguised versions of existing games, changing nothing other than the theme.
Controls and Settings
The following information will be only too familiar to anyone who’s spun the reels of a Gamomat slot before, but needs stated nonetheless. At the top left of the screen lie two icons, a full screen button and a cog wheel that opens a window with 3 controls. You can elect to spin with space bar, a feature that’s enabled by default. You can enable automatic free games entry and you can activate turbo spin.
The rest of the game controls and displays are sited at the bottom of the screen. There are 6 buttons in total to be found below the reels, split into 3s and separated by a display showing your total bet value and balance.
The blue button on the bottom left of the screen opens a window displaying the pay table. Selecting the “i” icon within this window will provide more extensive information about ways to win. The next button to be found at the bottom of the screen displays the number of active lines but this can’t be adjusted – it’s set to 5.
You can adjust the bet though, taking it from as low as 50 all the way up to 5,000. Thanks to the game’s 5 active lines, this works out as a bet per spin of anywhere from 250 - 25,000.
To the right of the screen, the final 3 buttons comprise max bet, auto play and play, the latter appearing as an interlocking white arrow against a bright green background.
Roman the Reels
The bog standard playing card symbols are worth anywhere from 500,000 - 750,000 for 5 in a row, depending on their respective value (A and K naturally occupy the top spot).
Gold coins or the winged golden eagle are worth 3,750,000 for 5 matching symbols, while 5 Roman standards command 5,000,000 for 5.
At the top of the heap is the Roman centurion, shouting his cohorts on as they charge into battle. Five of these in a row will fetch 12,500,000. The centurion also serves as wild, substituting for any of the regular playing symbols.
Naturally, there are more ways to win at this game than by merely matching symbols on the reels. The most obvious route is through scatter, a symbol which appears as a rearing horse with a battle-clad Roman soldier upon it.
Land 3 scatters and you’ll be awarded 10 free games. The scatter symbol, incidentally, will only appear on reels 1, 3 or 5. The other ways to win with Roman Legion are via either the card gamble or the ladder gamble. With the former, it’s a case of guessing the color of the next card to double or forfeit your winnings. The ladder gamble can be activated by clicking on the gamble button where you see the ladder symbol. It operates in a similar fashion.
Roman Legion is a pretty mediocre game from Gamomat, but if faux Roman motifs are your thing, you might derive fleeting pleasure from spinning its reels.