Vikings Go Berzerk Slot

Vikings Go Berzerk in a Nutshell

A sequel to the original Vikings Go Wild slot, Vikings Go Berzerk is one of Yggdrasil Gaming’s most popular titles. It takes the essence of the original game but jam-packs it with new bonus features. As for the basics, it’s a 5-reel game featuring 4 rows and 25 paylines. The RTP stands at a smidge above the average at 96.1%, while the volatility is in the medium to high bracket, making it a suitable game for most types of players but still leaning towards the riskier side. There are free spins and lots more to explore in Vikings Go Berzerk, and the design will be great fun for fans of a Norse theme.

• Software dev – Yggdrasil Gaming
• Type – Slot game
• Reels – 5
• Paylines – 25
• Min bet – $0.25
• Max bet – $125
• Release date – 23 November 2016
• RTP – 96.1%
• Variance – Medium to High
• Rows – 4
• Min coins size – 0.004
• Max coins size – 5
• Max payout – 4,000x

Features

• Free spins – Y
• Progressive – N
• Bonus rounds – Y
• Multipliers – Y
• Mobile – Y
• Wild symbol – Y
• Scatter symbol – Y

Ratings

• Gameplay, RTP and variance – 7
• Bonus features – 9
• Mobile and tablet experience – 8
• Design, graphics, and sound – 7

Gameplay, RTP, and Variance

As a game of medium to high volatility, Vikings Go Berzerk leans towards larger, less frequent payouts, without being too extreme in that regard. There might be more winless runs than a low volatility slot like NetEnt’s Starburst, but fewer than the likes of Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass Bonanza. Those of you who played the original Vikings Go Wild game may notice a slight difference, as the original was a little less volatile. Overall, we found there was a good balance in the new edition with some sizable wins up for grabs.

The Return to Player (RTP) rate sits at pretty much the industry average at 96.1%. This refers to the amount of cash on average that is paid back to players, out of all the wagers the slot takes in. It’s only a theoretical average based on the lifetime of the game, so it’s nothing to be relied on. Still, it’s always good to know the RTP doesn’t fall below the average.

Bonus Features

As well as giving the graphics a significant revamp, Yggdrasil also bolstered this sequel with a bunch of new and exciting bonus features. First off there’s the Free Spins mode, which you’ll activate by filling up one of the four viking’s rage meters. This will turn the viking into Berzerk mode, defeating the siren and turning into a sticky wild for each of the free spins.

Whenever a treasure chest symbol lands on the fourth reel, you’ll unlock this next feature where you can choose a card to reveal either an instant bonus prize of up to 40x your stake, or a pack of 7, 14, or 21 free spins. There’s also a golden treasure chest that appears on the fifth reel and ups the ante. Here there are two additional potential prizes: a 25% rage boost for each viking; and activation of the Ragnarök Free Spins feature.

In the Ragnarök round, all four of the vikings will go berzerk, meaning the reels will be packed full of sticky wilds for the subsequent free spins.

Mobile and Tablet Experience

Yggdrasil is one of the industry’s top software providers, so it’s no surprise they have a handle on bringing this slot to mobile users. While the imposing viking longship arguably doesn’t have as much impact on a smaller screen, it is clearer when playing on mobile that you’re on a moving ship sailing through the ocean, which is a pretty cool feature. 

Mobile users also benefit from being able to play in either landscape or portrait mode — the spin button will move either below or to the side of the reels accordingly. 

Design, Graphics, and Sound

We like the fact that the four vikings featured below the reels not only add to the imposing aesthetics but also incorporate the bonus meters. Taking one of these volatile vikings through to the bonus round helps to create a narrative, as they fight battles to become one of your sticky wilds.

The graphics here are decent, with some nicely designed cartoon-style characters featuring on the reels, but there are slots out there that feel more immersive. Underwater-themed slots like Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass Splash use transparent reels to incorporate more of the backdrop and drag the player into the action.

The soundtrack here is a highlight though, as it builds the tension nicely until you reach the climax of the Ragnarök free spins bonus. At that point, the music is about as impactful as it comes, with low chanting underpinning a chorus of battle sounds and raining coins.

License and Audit

Yggdrasil Gaming is licensed in several locations, such as in Malta by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), one of the iGaming industry’s most renowned regulators. Its wide selection of slots, including Vikings Go Berzerk, feature at a range of sites that are licensed by other prominent bodies, such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), and The Curaçao Gaming Control Board. What’s more, it has partnerships with online casinos that work with auditing bodies, such as eCOGRA, to ensure regulatory compliance in relation to fair play. 

Yggdrasil also adheres to UKGC standards regarding responsible gambling practices. Specifically, this includes requirement 13B of the Remote Technical Standards in relation to reality checks informing players of the amount wagered in the current session and their current balance. 

How Does it Compare to Other Yggdrasil Titles?

Yggdrasil has consistently won awards recognising its efforts to push the boundaries of what a slot game can be. In fact, it picked up the Innovator of the Year accolade at the International Gaming Awards three years on the bounce.

It’s safe to say, then, that while Vikings Go Berzerk offers a fun gaming experience, it came a little too early for Yggdrasil’s peak in terms of slots development, particularly if you’re into alternate game mechanics that offer something different. 

Hades Gigablox uses the exciting Gigablox mechanic to offer a high volatility game based on the king of the underworld. To form wins, you simply need to form blocks of adjacent symbols, rather than left-to-right along a traditional payline. 

There’s plenty up for grabs in the way of free spins too, but ultimately it’s the extra excitement found in the base game that sets games like Hades Gigablox apart from the likes of Vikings Go Berzerk, along with the fact that the graphics are more impressive on account of it being released in 2020 rather than 2016.

However, it’s by no means a guarantee that a more complex, flashier slot is better than a simpler one — for us, there’s a real charm to Vikings Go Berzerk that has so far helped it stand the test of time.

How Does it Compare to Other Slots on the Market?

Vikings Go Berzerk naturally faces some competition in terms of its Norse theme. Heavyweight developers NetEnt brought out the Vikings slot in 2018, which is based on the hit TV show of the same name. 

NetEnt’s Vikings has a gloomier feel than the light-hearted Vikings Go Berzerk, so which one is best for you really comes down to personal taste. However, while they both have epic soundtracks, the ultra-realistic design of some of the characters in Vikings does set it apart.

As for the bonus features up for grabs, there isn’t too much to separate these two slots as both have plenty to offer. NetEnt’s Vikings does offer some innovative features by way of the Raid Spins round, where the reels expand to a 7×5 grid with 78,125 ways to win. A few spins of this alternative, however, and you may find yourself missing the longship and our four crazy Norse heroes.

What We Think

Vikings Go Berzerk has plenty to offer slots fans and is certainly a step up from its predecessor. With an average RTP rate and medium to high volatility, there’s nothing too untoward about the gameplay of the base game. Indeed, it’s in the bonus rounds where this slot really comes into its own, with the raging vikings bringing plenty in the way of personality and payouts.