Hacksaw Gaming’s latest online slot pits the polar opposites of fire and ice against one another. In Stormforged, a game that closely references Norse mythology, players will eventually cross up with a man named Surtur who isn’t too thrilled about things, as well as three Viking warriors. If you are unfamiliar with Surtur, sometimes known as “the swarthy one,” he was (or is) a fire giant who lived in Muspelheim. Stormforged takes players to two separate realms—Muspelheim and Midgard—and each has its own unique free spins bonus round with its own unique set of features.
The majority of Stormforged takes place in the cold, snowy, and icy land of Midgard. It’s easy to understand why the Vikings had such a reputation for toughness; this is no place for wimps. Back then, you couldn’t just run to Lidl and pick up some chops on the fly. This is the kind of spot where you better have your winter supplies in order or else things may become tough, fast. Muspelheim, on the other hand, is swelteringly hot while the rest of Stormforged is freezing cold. The gameplay may be either extremely hot or extremely cold, mirroring these two poles.
Before choosing a wager from 10 p/c to £/€100 per spin and/or activating 1 of 6 options from the bonus purchase menu, players are welcome to rub their hands together to get the blood flowing. There is a default RTP value of 96.41% while gambling, and a Volatility score of 4 out of 5 indicates medium-high volatility (lower RTP variants are available, so beware). Stormforged may be enjoyed on any device, and it features a game panel with 5 reels, 4 rows, and 14 fixed paylines.
Slots that are “battle ready” include images of weapons and armor on their reels. The J through the A card values, swords, an axe, a helm, a goat, a bird, and a wolf are listed below in ascending order of value. If you get 5 of these symbols in a row, you win 4x to 50x your wager. Stormforged has a lot of wilds, and they show themselves in many different forms. In its simplest form, the 1×1 regular wild may substitute for any pay symbol and awards 100x the wager for a winning line consisting entirely of wilds. Treasure Chests pay 4x the stake for 5 OAK, while the Hand of Surtur and Ice Brand both pay 100x for 5. The next section will discuss how these last three symbols contribute to Stormforged’s characteristics.
Slot Functions in the Stormforged
Stormforged’s features, including its two bonus games, its Portals to Muspelheim and its Treasure Chest Symbols, and the realms to which they transport players when triggered or purchased, are located in two separate worlds.
The Muspelheim Gates
Scatter symbols for the Hand of Surtur, when activated, shred downwards, opening a Portal to Muspelheim. Wild portals can be used in place of any other pay sign. In order for the Hand of Surtur to kick in, the resultant Portal must be used to complete a winning combination. If the Hand of Surtur rips through a wild symbol, it will disclose a multiplier value between 2x and 200x for all winning lines that include that symbol. If a winning line is affected by several multipliers, just the sum of those multipliers is used.
Symbols of a Treasure Chest
If the Hand of Surtur lands on a Treasure Chest icon, the chest is opened and the prize within is given to the player. Prizes ranging from 5x to 2,500x the initial wager are the subject matter here. The multiplier from the Wild is added to the monetary prize from the Treasure Chest if the Hand of Surtur passes through both at the same time.
Bonus Game: Surtur’s Revenge
Any combination of 3, 4, or 5 Surtur symbols triggers 10, 12, or 14 extra spins. For the duration of the feature, the first wild that appears on each reel will remain stuck there. If there were any wilds on the reels in the main game when the free spins were triggered, they will remain in place during the bonus round. However, there can only be one sticky wild on each reel. Like the Portal to Muspelheim described above, the Ice Brand scatter opens a Portal to Midgard when it appears, slashing to the bottom of the reel and destroying any wilds or Treasure Chests in its path. Additional free games of 2, 4, 6, or 8 are awarded for seeing 2, 3, 4, or 5 Surtur symbols.
Bonus Game: Warrior of the Storm
Players receive 10, 12, or 14 bonus spins when they hit 3, 4, or 5 Viking symbols, respectively. If the Hammer of Thor symbol appears during this round, it will turn the reel it lands on into a Storm Reel for the duration of the feature. Full reels of wild symbols, Storm Reels, can replace any other pay icon. At the end of each spin, either a Storm or a Viking Warrior appears on the Storm Reels. During a storm, the Storm Reel turns completely wild, and it and any other Storm Reels in its path are pushed to the left by one place for the following free spin. If there is nowhere for them to go, they will stay put. A Viking Warrior’s revelation might result in a multiplier anywhere from 2x to 200x. When more than one multiplier is employed, the values are summed together before determining whether or not a line is a winner. Additional free games of 2, 4, 6, or 8 are awarded for seeing 2, 3, 4, or 5 Viking symbols.
Spend Money on a Bonus
Stormforged has no fewer than six distinct bonus purchase possibilities. The highest possible returns from them are as follows:
Every spin during BonusHunt FeatureSpins increases your chances of triggering the bonus game by a factor of 5. Extremely risky with a return of only 96.27 percent.
For every spin, you’re guaranteed to get at least 2 Hand of Surtur Symbols, multiplying your wager by 20 times. Extremely risky with a return to investment of only 96.35%.
Every spin during the 3 Hands of Surtur FeatureSpins awards 50x the wager if at least 3 Hand of Surtur Symbols appear. Extremely risky with a return of only 96.43 percent.
The Fury of Surtur awards 100 times the wager for a minimum of 10 free games. Extremely risky with an RTP of 96.24 percent.
The wrath of Surtur awards 200 times the wager, at least 12 free games, plus a sticky wild symbol. Extremely risky with a return of only 96.29 percent.
Free games on “Warriors of the Storm” might award up to 200 times your wager. Extremely risky with a return to player of 96.34%.
Slot Decision for Stormforged
The first several minutes of the testing session passed without incident, suggesting that the powers of fire and ice had reached a balance. There were few successes, many ineffective spins, and a growing sense of unease. There was a great buildup of tension throughout Stormforged, as though two explosive forces were just waiting to explode. When that happens, the action picks up well, but the game never truly commits to the spectacle. The traditional Hacksaw Gaming beep noises added an awkward element to even the most exciting triumphs. Because there are no arguments against the fact that Stormforged is a well-presented slot, this is more of a remark than a critique. Stormforged is absolutely worth getting geared up for if you’re interested in delving deep into Norse Mythology, however additional celebratory explosions at the final moments would have been welcome.
It’s neat how well the motif and the functions have been integrated by Hacksaw Gaming. For example, expanding wild symbols wouldn’t perform the job as well as Portals that open to different worlds. Luke vs Darth Vader, Harry versus Voldemort, Rocky versus Ivan Drago, and Surtur versus the Viking Warriors are all examples of epic showdowns that have been favorably received. Hacksaw Gaming can provide each of the two rivals a unique bonus game, and the visual contrast between them is compelling. Although Surtur’s Vengeance Bonus was mentioned more frequently in the review, we found that the Warriors of the Storm Bonus worked better in practice. One of the highlights was locking in a pair of full reel multiplier wilds on reels 2 and 3, which, to use a common phrase, made for an exciting round of printing. Not to discount the other elements, though; Portal multipliers have a ton of potential, and opening large Treasure Chests can provide even more loot if a multiplier is applied.
With a maximum prize of 12,500 times the stake on the line, Stormforged has the potential to perform as well as any other slot machine from Hacksaw Gaming. While Stormforged isn’t always easy to play, it does demonstrate the developer’s skill at creating games that combine challenging gameplay with fast cash reward boxes and wilds that roam, extend, stick, or double.
