A Comprehensive Look at Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena
Rich Wilde has cemented its place as a highly successful series from the creators in Sweden. Play’n GO In the fifth chapter, Rich Wilde embarks on a journey to uncover the mysteries of Atlantis in the game titled Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena. Legend has it Athena wielded the Aegis, a unique shield she occasionally lent to her favored heroes.
Among the most renowned borrowers was Perseus, who cleverly used the shield to avoid Medusa's lethal gaze, leading to his triumph. This triumph might be why Medusa is depicted on the shield. The shield's additional powers remain enigmatic, waiting for discovery on Rich's quest.
In the Shield of Athena, participants align themselves not only with the determined explorer Rich but also with his daughter Cat Wilde, who embodies a combination of Jennifer Aniston's charm and Lara Croft's adventurous spirit. Curiously, she appears somewhat mature to be Rich's daughter, but we chalk it up to creative liberty.
After the cascading grid format of Tome of Madness , Rich reverts to a more traditional framework with 5 reels , 3 rows , and 10 fixed paylines , offering a setup reminiscent of a true Book of Dead sequel. Adorning the surroundings are Greek-inspired columns, accompanied by cascading waterfalls in the backdrop. It's a dramatic setting, mirroring Rich's intense, thoughtful expression. Choose a stake ranging from 10 p/c to $/€100 to initiate your dive into adventure.
The rules are straightforward: align three identical symbols from left to right on a payline to earn rewards. The symbols are artistically designed, organized as 5 low and 4 high value symbols. Low-value symbols might include the familiar card royals, 10-A, intricately carved to resemble elaborate stone structures. High-value symbols present enticing visuals such as a Golden Owl, the Pendant of Courage, the Ring of Wisdom, the Helm of Athena, and the Shield of Athena.
Significant rewards await, particularly when 5 standard Shields appear on a payline, yielding 500 times the stake, doubling when transformed into a Wild Shield. Rich acts as the regular wild, with a potential of 1,000 times the stake when appearing in quintuple formation on a line. Wilds can stand in for any pay symbol to assist in crafting more winning combinations.
Enthusiasts of fundamental gaming paired with high volatility will find a fitting match in Shield of Athena. Play’n GO evaluates the volatility at the maximum level of 10/10, establishing a powerful alliance with other game elements. The RTP stands robust at 96.25% , default setting, though it can vary, necessitating a quick review of the paytable for confirmation.
Features of Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena

This portion delves into the functionalities of respins and free spins, designed to work seamlessly alone or together. The initial feature is the Medusa Respin feature , which may activate during any spin if the Shield of Athena Wild lands on the reels. Upon activation, a respin is awarded, transforming the standard Shield of Athena symbol into a wild.
During the respin phase, all Shield of Athena symbols, in addition to any winning symbols, are fixed in place. Emerging additional Shields or winning symbols during the respin will also lock, triggering further respins. Respins continue until no more Shield of Athena or winning symbols appear, allowing for payout calculation thereafter. Additionally, Rich Wilde wilds or Cat Wilde scatters become Wild Shields.
The Medusa Respin feature reappears in the second feature, termed Medusa’s Gaze Free Spins . Contrary to the mythological Medusa turning heroes to stone, this encounter is much more rewarding. Activation occurs when 3, 4, or 5 Cat Wilde scatters appear, granting 10, 12, or 15 Medusa’s Gaze Free Spins, with Medusa Respin remaining active for the duration. This feature can endlessly retrigger, with an additional 10, 12, or 15 free spins awarded for 3, 4, or 5 scatters respectively.
Final Thoughts on Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena
Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena represents an expertly crafted slot game. While it doesn’t introduce groundbreaking innovations, what it does, it does exceptionally well, harmonizing its components from the brilliant visuals to the paytable and standout features. Despite having just two features to shake things up, they can lead to explosive results, especially when Medusa Respins start stacking Wild Shields.
In contrast to the previous grid slot adventures, Shield of Athena signifies a revisit to the Book of Dead style origins. It offers straightforward gameplay with a classic setup, promising numerous opportunities for substantial wins, maxing out at a possible 10,000 times the stake .
It could be argued that Shield of Athena ranks among Rich Wilde’s finest adventures to date. It's simple and features finely-tuned mechanisms with no significant drawbacks. The mathematical structure can be challenging for unprepared players, yet others will relish its depth. In total, the gameplay aligns perfectly with the mathematical model and high-value symbols, resulting in outstanding experiences. As things stand, Shield of Athena is a commendable sequel to Book of Dead. Whether it will achieve classic status remains to be determined.
In Short
Adventurer Rich Wilde returns for a fifth escapade, delivering robust entertainment in Shield of Athena, a slot focusing on straightforward, engaging gameplay.
(1 = worst / 10 = best)