Army of Ares (Hacksaw Gaming) Slot Review

Army of Ares: Slot Overview

Army of Ares is a video slot developed by Hacksaw Gaming, released on 2025-12-04. The game draws on a Greek mythology theme centered around an ancient battlefield, featuring the god of war Ares leading soldiers into combat amid smoke, dust, and clashing weapons. It employs a 5×4 grid with 14 fixed paylines, where wins form from three to five matching symbols across adjacent reels starting from the left. The action comic book-style presentation delivers an intense, immersive atmosphere suitable for players who enjoy mythological epics, mid-high volatility gameplay, and Hacksaw Gaming’s signature expanding wild mechanics with multipliers. Targeted at enthusiasts of high-stakes battles and feature-rich slots, it supports play across desktop, smartphone, and tablet devices with bets ranging from €0.1 to €50.

Design and Graphics

The visual design of Army of Ares immerses players in a chaotic ancient battlefield, dominated by red and grey hues evoking fire, smoke, and destruction. On the left side of the screen, a row of Greek soldiers in iconic armor wield spears, poised for battle, while Ares appears on the right as a towering, muscular figure with a piercing red gaze. The 5×4 grid overlays this dynamic backdrop, where subtle animations like marching battalions and mournful chants enhance the tension.An action comic book aesthetic integrates bold outlines, dramatic shading, and flashy effects during wins, creating a cinematic feel. Symbols include low-paying steel card royals (10, J, Q, K, A) and high-paying thematic icons such as a shield, battleaxe, sword, horse, and Ares portrait, all rendered with metallic textures and intricate details. Wilds appear as a red-circled “WILD” emblem, Wrath Scatters as a winged dagger, and FS Scatters as golden “FS” letters with red outlines. The soundtrack of war cries and clanging weapons complements the visuals, contributing to a highly engaging, device-optimized experience without performance issues.

Gameplay Mechanics

Army of Ares features a straightforward base game on a 5-reel, 4-row grid with 14 paylines. Wins occur when three to five matching symbols land on adjacent reels from left to right along any payline. The paytable divides symbols into low-payers (10, J, Q, K, A, paying 1x the bet for five-of-a-kind) and high-payers (shield at 4x, battleaxe at 5x, sword at 6x, horse at 8x, Ares at 10x for five-of-a-kind). The Wild symbol, marked “WILD” in a red circle, substitutes for all regular symbols and pays 10x the bet for five-of-a-kind independently.

The Wrath Scatter (red winged dagger) triggers the Wrath Reels feature upon landing, expanding to cover an entire reel as a Wild Wrath Reel. This full-reel wild substitutes for regulars, carries a random multiplier from 2x to 300x, and may spawn up to five single Wild symbols in random grid positions. Multipliers from multiple Wild Wrath Reels on the same win add together before applying to the payout. FS Scatters (golden “FS” with red outline) appear anywhere and trigger bonus rounds based on their count: three for Fear and Flame Bonus, four for Wrath and Ruin Bonus, and five for Ares Ascends Hidden Epic Bonus. The base game flows with standard spins punctuated by Wrath Reels for heightened win potential, maintaining a mid-high volatility profile focused on larger payouts over frequent small wins.

Bonus Features

Army of Ares packs multiple interconnected features, emphasizing expanding wilds, multipliers, and reel-specific collectors.The Wrath Reels activates on any Wrath Scatter landing, transforming it into a Wild Wrath Reel with a 2x–300x multiplier and potential for up to five extra Wilds. Multipliers sum across contributing reels per win.

Landing three FS Scatters triggers the Fear and Flame Bonus with 10 free spins. Here, Wrath Reels function as in the base game, but spawned single Wilds carry 2x–100x multipliers.

Four FS Scatters award the Wrath and Ruin Bonus, granting 3 refilling lives on a grid without regular symbols—only special discs, Battle Horses, or blanks drop. Each reel starts with a 1x total multiplier that builds via:

Reels respin until lives deplete; final totals sum and multiply the bet.

Five FS Scatters unlock the Ares Ascends Hidden Epic Bonus, mirroring Wrath and Ruin but guaranteeing a first-spin full grid of Discs plus one Battle Horse.

The Feature Buy menu offers instant access:

Note: Ares Ascends Hidden Epic Bonus is unavailable via buy.

Betting Options and Payouts

Bets range from €0.1 to €50, accommodating low- and high-stakes players. The default RTP stands at 96.26%, with operator-selectable variants of 94.34%, 92.28%, and 86.22%—always verify the active version. Mid-High volatility prioritizes substantial wins over frequent hits, culminating in a 15,000x max win potential per round. Payouts scale with bet size, with high symbols offering 4x–10x for five-of-a-kind, Wilds at 10x, and features amplifying via stacked multipliers up to 300x on Wrath Reels or compounded reel totals in bonuses. The payline structure ensures balanced win evaluation, though specifics like hit frequency remain undisclosed.

Conclusion

Army of Ares excels in its atmospheric Greek warfare theme, bolstered by striking comic book visuals, a fitting soundtrack, and seamless mobile compatibility. Strengths include potent Wrath Reels for base-game excitement, escalating free spin bonuses with multiplier variety, and a lucrative 15,000x max win capped by robust math. The Wrath and Ruin Bonus and its epic variant innovate mildly on familiar cash-collector mechanics via Battle Horses and refilling lives, while Feature Buy options enhance accessibility. Weaknesses lie in familiar feature compositions drawn from prior Hacksaw titles, potentially lacking novelty for veterans, and undisclosed metrics like hit frequency or bonus frequency limiting precise expectation-setting. Players can test the slot risk-free using the built-in demo available on this page. Overall, it delivers reliable, immersive mid-high volatility action for mythology fans seeking high-reward potential without groundbreaking innovation.