Rulers of the World: Empire Treasures

If there is one thing that has been of significant interest to many people over the years, it’s who the rulers of the world, both past and present are. And, it's fair to say that this is the first time we have seen the whole idea of world leaders brought to life in the form of a slot game. So, credit must go to Playtech for their innovative thinking here and their desire to bring forward fresh ideas for players to get stuck into when they're spinning the reels. The rulers of the past are on show in this slot, which also brings in a bit of a history theme, which is more than welcome.

What is often the case with Playtech slot releases is that they're excellent all-rounders. And what we mean by that is that effort has gone in across the board, rather than most of it being on an area such as the design or theme. So, while you will already be able to tell that the genre of this game is essential, it's also going to be an excellent slot in terms of the gameplay on offer, features, prizes and so on. It's the approach we prefer as reviewers and players of slot machines ourselves.

We don't really see anything significant in terms of innovation with the slot's set-up. There are five reels and forty paylines, which is pretty much standard procedure these days. However, before you go off thinking this is just a typical run of the mill slot with a fresh theme, what if we told you there isn't one, or two, or even three free spin modes? There are six. And, if that wasn't enough to really whet the appetite, how do four progressive jackpots sound? Oh, and the max bet is 2,000, which is another massive plus to take forward.

We've got to say, before we come onto the icons that you will see on the reels, we really like what Playtech have done in terms of the design work. Starting with the backdrop, which is, of course, made up of land, ensures everything you see is tied into the idea of rulers of the world. If you have a theme, you want all the visuals to relate to it as best as possible, as it will create an immersive experience for players to enjoy.

The icon selection begins with four simple etchings that, in our opinion, are there instead of royals. They include the Eye of Ra, a sword, a dragon and an eagle, and they pay the least. Things then develop further with the world leaders themselves – Egyptian Pharaoh, Roman Emperor, African King, Chinese Empress, Indian Sultan and the British King. Everything looks great, and that’s arguably the biggest plus here.

There are three bonus features in Rulers of the World: Empire Treasures, with plenty of perks to enjoy along the way. Beginning with the Ruler Respin bonus round, when a frame appears at the bottom of reel five and a leader lands within the space, all instances of that ruler will become wild. The frame locks into place for the respins, too, of which there will be up to 5, so you could land another ruler and more respins in the process.

Scatter icons landing on reels 1, 3 and 5 simultaneously will get the free spins underway. The first time this event is triggered, players will only have access to Egypt Mode, which means fifteen free turns, and the feature frame will lock in place at the foot of column five.

The further a player goes, the more modes that will become available, which often include a combination of free spins and additional perks. So, it’s an incentive to keep playing, at least.

We also mentioned that there are progressive jackpots up for grabs: Mini, Minor, Major and Grand. The jackpot feature will trigger at random, but once you're in, you're going to be collecting one of the four prizes.

You could look at this game and think the innovation is the theme because it’s not a typically common one to come across when playing video slots. Instead, however, Playtech tie the theme into some epic features – free spins and respins. And then they also give players the chance to win some serious money via four progressive jackpots.