Samurai Ken from Fantasma Games: Slot Review - enter the dragon!

In ancient Japan, the samurai were the best of the best when it comes to elite warriors on the battlefield. These fearsome warriors could cut you down with their sword in the blink of an eye. Swedish-based games provider Fantasma Games invites players to live the life of a samurai in a fantasy world set in ancient Japan in this new online slot. Get ready to step into the shoes of Samurai Ken, a renowned samurai warrior who sets off an epic journey to defeat a very fearsome looking dragon who is laying waste to the land. Can Ken defeat the dragon, claim a bountiful treasure, and save Japan before it is too late?

Samurai Ken is a 5 reel slot with 20 paylines and comes with Wild Multipliers, Sticky Win Respins, and Free Spins.

Special Features

Winning combinations in this slot are created when you land 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols falling from left to right of the screen on an active payline. Keep your eyes peeled for the highly lucrative golden treasure chest symbol as if you are lucky enough to land 5 of these symbols on a winning payline then you will bag yourself a massive 37.5X your stake!

Whenever you land a win in this game then the random Sticky Win Respin feature might trigger. Once activated, all positions that give you a win will lock into place with the other symbols respinning. The great thing about this neat little feature is that it keeps on going until no new wins are formed to really increase your chances of landing a big payout on the reels.

The Free Spins feature triggers when you land 3 Scatter symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5. The Scatter symbol is represented by a blue war flag. This excellent feature involves Ken duking it out with the Dragon where the number of Free Spins awarded depends entirely on how the battle pans out as a meter swings from left to right as the fight rumbles on. During Free Spins, the 5th reel is covered entirely by either the Ken or Dragon symbol and a Wild symbol comes into play in this feature as well. The Wild symbol is illustrated by the word ‘Wild’ with a black and red background. It substitutes for all other symbols except the Scatter and if 2 Wilds appear on the reels then a Respin will be awarded. Land 3 more Scatters to retrigger the feature. Free Spins ends when the meter hits either end.

Theme, Graphics and Sound

It has to be said but the graphics in this slot are absolutely out of this world as it is clearly inspired by popular Japanese Anime and Manga such as Bleach and Gintama. The game takes place on a green field complete with cherry blossom trees in the distance and a small lake with a tiny footbridge. Symbols are intricately detailed and consist of Samurai Ken, a Dragon, Dragon Claws, a Dragon Eye, a Samurai Helmet, a Bronze Token, a Sword, and a Treasure Chest. The animations are visually stunning as symbols flip on the reels similar to comic-book panels and flash brightly when part of a winning payline. A special mention goes for the Free Spins feature as the animations here are outstanding as Ken and the Dragon battle it out on the reels as the meter swings furiously from left to right.

The music is atmospheric with an Asian-inspired soundtrack. It complements the samurai theme of the game superbly.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game has 20 paylines, a very reasonable RTP of 96.35%, and a maximum payout worth 750X your initial bet.

Below is a summary taken from the PayOut Table from the game. The amount won for each combination depends on the value of the bet when you spin the reels.

Bet Range: 0.20, 0.40, 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00, 10.00, 20.00, 40.00, 60.00, 80.00, 100.00

Based on a bet of 0.20:

• Treasure Chest Symbol: 1.00 for 3X, 2.50 for 4X, 7.50 for 5X
• Samurai Ken Symbol: 0.20 for 3X, 0.50 for 4X, 2.50 for 5X
• Dragon Symbol: 0.15 for 3X, 0.40 for 4X, 1.00 for 5X
• Dragon Eye Symbol: 0.15 for 3X, 0.40 for 4X, 1.00 for 5X
• Sword Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.25 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X
• Dragon Claws Symbol: 0.10 for 3X, 0.25 for 4X, 0.50 for 5X
• Samurai Helmet Symbol: 0.06 for 3X, 0.15 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X
• Bronze Token Symbol: 0.06 for 3X, 0.15 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X

Our Verdict on Samurai Ken

This game is produced by up-and-coming software developer Fantasma Games and is an action-packed gaming experience we thoroughly enjoyed. Samurai Ken features some of the best graphics you are ever likely to come across as it looks and plays just like a real Japanese Manga. The Bonus features keep things lively on the reels and you will accumulate quite a few decent wins with the Sticky Wins Respin feature. The Free Spins feature, on the other hand, took some time to trigger but is entirely worth the wait as you finally get to take on the Dragon with Ken with Wild Spins present and no limit as to how many Free Spins you will be awarded! In terms of variance, I found this slot to be Medium so you will find that wins are evenly distributed the more you play and there's a maximum 750X your stake to aim for on each spin. For a slot with a similar samurai theme, check out Samurai Split.

Defeat a huge dragon to win a massive fortune when you play Samurai Ken!