It’s here! Yggdrasil has released the long-awaited sequel to Hades entitled Champion of the Underworld slot. If you’re confused, then you’re not alone. I don’t remember Hades making a particular splash when Yggdrasil released it two years ago this month. And why wait so long to release a “sequel.”

Are you ready to get into the ring?

Champion of the Underworld slot offers a number of bonus features that can be triggered in both the base game and during a round of free spins.

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The most notable mechanic of the Champion of the Underworld slot is the trademarked Gigablox feature. This feature transforms a 1×1 symbol into a 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4 symbol which represents four, nine, and sixteen of the same symbol respectively.

The Wild Fight feature is a little more confusing at first glance. Once triggered on a random spin, Hades will fight each of the monster symbols appearing on the reels and for every monster he defeats, a wild will appear in its place. What makes this feature confusing is that Hades never appears on the reels. It’s just never really clear what’s going on or who is winning the fight. The feature is an interesting one, but the implementation just feels a little half-arsed.

If you’re looking to grab a round of free spins the old-fashioned way, you’ll need to grab five or more scatter symbols. This sounds like a steep ask but thanks to the Gigablox symbols it’s easier than you may think. The number of scatter symbols you use to unlock a round of free spins will equal the number of free spins you receive. Once triggered, you’ll also get a chance to gamble your free spins for a shot at even more spins. The free spins feature is also retriggerable.

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During a round of free spins, the Wild Fight feature will be triggered on each and every spin. Each fight won will help you unlock the next level of the multiplier ladder that starts at 1x your winnings and progresses all the way up to 25x your winnings. There are five levels of the multiplier ladder that are unlocked with 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17 successful fights.

There is, however, no meter to track how far you are towards unlocking each multiplier ladder level leaving you to try and keep count yourself. I don’t understand why it has been implemented like this. It’s like the multiplier ladder was a last-minute addition.

If you’re not keen on waiting ringside, you can also select to purchase a round of 5 or 20 free spins at a cost of 90x and 1,000x your bet respectively.

Is Champion of the Underworld slot a winner or a loser?

I’ve always loved Yggdrasil slots because they’re packed with personality and amazing illustrations. Champion of the Underworld slot doesn’t disappoint on the illustrations side but on the personality side, it just seems to fall flat. I know that’s vague and unhelpful, but I can’t really explain why this one feels so lifeless. Maybe it’s because there are no real character moments. The only time you see a character is a transition between the base game and free spins and at that point it just feels out of place.

Then we get to the bonus features. They are plentiful but they are so convoluted. It took me longer than I’d care to admit to figure out how some of the bonus features work. It all just feels a little unnecessary. I’m all for creative bonus features but if you’re counting on players to read the information section to understand a bonus feature, chances are most won’t.

Then we get to the slot’s underlying stats. Champion of the Underworld slot also has super high volatility. This means that you’ll be waiting far longer than you’d like between wins. However, thanks to the buy bonus feature you can enjoy some action if you have the balance to afford it. And if you just want to give the bonus feature a try, you can bet at the €0.20 a spin minimum and buy the 5-spin package. If you’re playing the old fashion way, however, you can expect a 96% RTP with a chance at scoring a 10,000x max multiplier.

If you’re looking for a few dark Yggdrasil slots this Spooktober that don’t suck, I recommend giving Vikings go to Hell, Baron Samedi, or Cthulhu a try. And if you’re looking for something a little lighter, Easter Island is well worth a spin or two.