Rise of Samurai IV from Pragmatic Play has 5 reels and 5 rows with 15 paylines. The RTP sits at 96.05% and we did not find any RTP ranges which is good.
Now, the word “Samurai” refers to the elite warrior caste in Japan during medieval times. Two Samurai warriors battle it out across the reels for supremacy. Will you join Red (Date) or Blue (Sanada)?
The jackpot it offers is 15,000x the stake or $1.5 million, it’s huge, to say the least. When we played the slot, we noted that the volatility was sharp.
To that end, it’s great for casual players looking for that odd big win and for high rollers. The Whizz team rates the slot a 9/10 on their slots scale – so pretty brutal.
The special features include Expanding Wilds with Multiplier, and Free Spins. There’s a buy option as well for quick free spins trigger for a price.
Moreover, they run daily promotions where active players score comps and earn free spins bonuses. The site also has a cracking VIP program that looks after its high rollers.
Graphics, Sound, and Symbols Rise of Samurai IV
Pragmatic Play does the basic right with the slot and the visuals are just right. The audio track gives the slot’s theme that extra spark.
While the symbols comprise two Expanding Wilds with varying multipliers. The low-value symbols are from 10 to Ace, they’re more “filler” than anything else.
While the high-value symbols pay up to 20x the stake for 5. The Scatter symbol is the Dragon which is responsible for triggering the free spins feature.
The symbol you want to see on the reels is the shield symbol because it’s the expanding wild.
Rise of Samurai IV Bonus Rewards
The slot has a lot of moving parts and we kindly remind you of its volatility again. The upside is that it gives you a choice between two free spin features.
Both pivot around the two Samurai Warriors which serve as expanding wilds. Furthermore, the Date or the Blue Samurai free spins feature is easier to trigger with smaller payouts.
The Sanada free spins option is pretty hard to initiate, but wins are substantially bigger.
Expanding Wilds With Multiplier
In both the main game and the free spins, Expanding Wilds play a crucial role. The wilds cover an entire reel, significantly enhancing your chances of winning.
What makes them even more appealing is the range of multipliers from 2x to 100x. When these Expanding Wilds contribute to a winning combination, they amplify your winnings with their multiplier value.
Even better, if multiple wilds appear, their multipliers stack up, combining their values for potentially bigger wins. This feature adds an exciting layer to the gameplay, offering players the opportunity for significant payouts.
Free Spins
The free spins feature triggers 10 free spins when 3 Dragon scatters appear on the reels. When an expanding wild pitch it drops a multiplier of 2x to 100x.
Better still, any expanding wild remains on the reels until the bonus round ends. The only thing we don’t like is that there are no free spin retriggers.
Buy Option
It so happens that players don’t always want to wait for 3 scatters to land. As such, the buy option allows you to buy your free spins immediately. If you play for the maximum wager the red samurai option costs $7,500.
The Blue Samurai free spins option is more expensive at $30,000 but guarantees you an expanding wild.
Paytable
Paylines
What We Like and Don’t Like About Samurai IV
Samurai IV is not the type of slot you play for fun; you play this slot to win money. The volatility stings and it’s hard to trigger the free spins feature.
Tips & Strategy
Now, the best way to play the slot is with free credits. Since it allows you to experience the graphics, volatility, and bonus triggers firsthand.
A small budget at the lowest stakes also gives you an idea of what you’re up against. Unfortunately, Samurai IV is not the type of slot we’ll play with a casino bonus.
The wagering requirements alone make it hard to plow through let alone the volatility.
How to Play & Win Money Samurai IV
If you want to win money playing this slot there are two ways, and both of them are risky. The first is to play for higher stakes than you normally do.
Wins may be infrequent, but when the slot pays it could be a big win. The other way is to use the buy option. The buy feature did not turn out so well for us after several tests.
We tested both the Red and Blue Samurai options with no luck. The latter Free Spins feature is far more expensive as it guarantees you an expanding wild.
We anticipate that 1 in 7 buy options will deliver a massive payout. Then again we could be wrong, use the buy option with discretion.
Verdict: Rise of Samurai IV Slot
Any slot that offers a jackpot of $1.5 million or more comes with extreme volatility. Though it has all the goodies such as free spins, expanding wilds, and a buy option, beware!
The average free spins trigger does not come around often either. It could take as many as 200 spins or more to trigger the bonus. Moreover, it’s not to say you’ll receive a large payout.
So, where does that leave Samurai IV in the grander scheme of things? A great slot no doubt with phenomenal winning potential, but, you’ll have to grind it out.
Another online slot with similar features is Viking Forge also from Pragmatic Play. What makes it unique is that we won $42,000 via the buy option during the testing phase.
Therefore, it’s a great slot with huge winning potential for casual players and high rollers.
Mark Taylor, the chief author at Casino Whizz, is a dedicated gambling expert with over a decade within the casino world. His passion for poker, slots, and table games has fueled his career, where he shares invaluable insights, tips, and detailed game and casino reviews.
