Mercy of the Gods Slot Review

Are you looking for an online slot that not only provides nonstop entertainment but can be highly rewarding, too? We have one in mind that not only fits that description but has the potential to exceed your wildest expectations. But there is only one way to find out for sure. Put the game’s title–Mercy of the Gods–to the test and see for yourself!

Mercy of the Gods Basics 

Mercy of the Gods is an online video slot consisting of five reels, three rows, and 20 fixed paylines. It is one of many products that you can access on PA gambling sites from the internationally renowned game manufacturer NetEnt, but only one of a handful of NetEnt slots that feature a progressive jackpot.

In fact, NetEnt released Mercy of the Gods in 2019 as the sequel to another progressive slot that we have reviewed separately called Divine Fortune. Both games get their inspiration from ancient mythology, and the layout, gameplay, and special features of the two games are also very similar. So if you have already tried your hand at Divine Fortune, you have a good inkling of what to expect when you start exploring the uncharted waters of Mercy of the Gods.

But there is one important difference between the two games. Mercy of the Gods comes with the potential to score even bigger wins, which should thrill the fortune seekers among you. But the downside is that, compared to Divine Fortune, this game also has much higher volatility. You don’t necessarily have to bet big for a chance to win big.  But if you’re accustomed to playing conservatively, this game may require to take bigger risks with your bankroll than you would ordinarily.

So brace yourself for what could be a very bumpy ride. You are after all at the Mercy of the Gods!

The theme is ancient Egyptian mythology

NetEnt builds all of its slots around a clearly identifiable theme, and Mercy of the Gods is no exception. Ancient history and mythology are frequently represented. Perhaps it’s because, besides being fascinating subjects, they offer a great way to escape into a world that is about as far removed from a boring or stressful everyday routine as you can get.

But while the theme for Divine Fortune is ancient Greek mythology, the theme for Mercy of the Gods will have you traveling even further back in time. Your task is to try to unlock the mysterious treasures being tightly guarded by the ancient Egyptian gods.

In that respect, this game is no different from many other online and land-based slots that have an ancient Egyptian theme. But what sets Mercy of the Gods apart from the pack and elevates it to the highest echelon of online slots are its special qualities. It is one of only a handful of online slots that offers both an exceptionally high return to player (RTP) and a shot at a progressive jackpot.

Is there a jackpot in your future, and how much can you win? 

You will get the answer to that question in due time.

First you will have to muster up enough courage to go past two fierce-looking Anubis gods guarding the entrance to an ancient pyramid. But that shouldn’t be too hard because you will find all the incentive you need at the top of the richly ornamented screen, where the amounts of the three possible jackpots you can win are prominently displayed.

The minor jackpot, which is displayed on the right, is the smallest of the three. It is fixed at 20x your bet. Then there is a major jackpot, shown on the left, which is fixed at 100x your bet. The jackpot shown in the middle is the mega jackpot.

Unlike the other two jackpots, the mega jackpot is a progressive jackpot that keeps growing steadily every time you or any other player spins the reels until eventually it is hit. Then the sequence starts all over again.

Mercy of the Gods bet size

You can play Mercy of the Gods either in demo mode (with no risk) or for real money. Of course, the only way to cash in on a jackpot or any other winnings is to play for real money.

One particularly nice feature of this game is that offers a wide enough range of bet sizes to work for almost anyone. So whatever your bankroll and playing preferences might be, it is very easy to adjust the cost accordingly.

You cannot reduce the number of paylines you activate, as this number remains fixed at 20. However, you can adjust both the bet level (anywhere from 1 to 10) and coin size or line bet. The latter can be any of the following values: .01, .02, .05, .10, .20, or .50.

To determine the cost of each spin, simply multiply the bet level x the line bet x 20. Using this formula, the minimum bet per spin is only 20 cents, while the maximum bet per spin is $100.

Is Mercy of the Gods the right online slot for you?

Your answer to that question will depend largely on your own personal tastes and preferences and how much of a gambler you are. If you think you can handle the risks that your luck will not go your way, go for it and see where your adventure takes you. If not, you might be more comfortable playing a slot without a progressive jackpot but less variance.

What this game’s high RTP and medium-high volatility means for your bankroll

It’s hard to go wrong with any NetEnt slot because one feature that NetEnt never compromises on is quality. All NetEnt slots, without exception offer a well above average RTP of at least 96%. Mercy of the Gods has an RTP of 96.64%, which is in the upper range even for NetEnt slots.

What makes this figure even more impressive, however, is that it applies to a slot with a progressive jackpot. Much more often than not, progressive jackpot slots have a lower RTP than the average for slots that do not offer a progressive jackpot.

The exceptionally high RTP of Mercy on the Gods does not assure you of a favorable outcome each time you play. Individual session results might deviate significantly from this theoretical long-term expectation in either direction. But even when you don’t win, provided you don’t overbet your bankroll, the higher than average frequency of small payouts should keep you in the game for a long period of time.

However, this slot also has a medium-high volatility rating. This means that over the course of your play, you could experience some big bankroll swings. Prolonged dry spells consisting of many spins in a row that either come up completely empty or where the payout is only a fraction of your bet size are also quite possible. Ideally, sooner or later, you will enjoy the thrilling experience of a huge win, but during what could be a long stretch of time when the gods are not treating you mercifully, you will need nerves of steel.

Mercy of the Gods symbols 

Mercifully, Mercy of the Gods keeps the total number of symbols to a reasonable number: eight regular symbols plus a wild symbol, scatter symbol, and bonus symbol. The four higher paying regular symbols and the three special symbols all relate in some way to the ancient Egyptian mythology theme.

Regular symbols

The four higher paying regular symbols, in descending order of value, include a female explorer, a Horus Falcon, a scarab, and Tutankhamen. The remaining four lower paying regular symbols are the playing cards J through A.

As with most online slots, to form a winning combination, you need three, four, or five matching symbols to land adjacently on consecutive reels starting with the reel farthest to the left. If you’re lucky enough to have five female explorers land across a payline, you will win 80x your line bet or coin size. In contrast, five jacks across a payline only return six coins. See the paytable below for all of the possible payouts for each of the regular symbol.

Special symbols

The three special symbols can also play a key role in the outcome of the game. They have the power to greatly enhance your winnings.

Wild symbol

The symbol marked WILD can appear on any reel in both the main game and during the free spins. It can substitute for any other symbol except the scatter symbol and bonus symbol to help form or add to winning combinations.

In addition, the appearance of one or more wild symbols triggers the gift of life re-spins (see details below), where the wild symbol turns into a walking wild that moves down at least one position vertically.

Scatter symbol

The scatter symbol is a tile with the Eye of Horus. Three, four or five of them appearing simultaneously anywhere on the reels during the base game or gift of life re-spins will trigger the free spins bonus round consisting of 5, 8, or 12 free spins, respectively.

Bonus symbol 

The bonus symbol is a golden heart. Your goal is to collect three or more in the main game and/or gift of life re-spins. That will trigger the gift of wealth jackpot feature, which will give you a possible shot at one of the three jackpots up for grabs. Even then, winning a jackpot is far from guaranteed, but even the minor jackpot of 20x your bet would be nice, while the major jackpot of 100x your bet would be especially nice. Or if you’re super lucky, you might even win the mega jackpot!

Mercy of the Gods paytable

No. of  Coins Paid Out for Different Winning Combinations

Mercy of the Gods special features

Mercy of the Gods comes packed with special features. In fact, they are the same four that Divine Fortune offers.

Gift of life re-spins  

This feature is identical to the falling wilds re-spins feature in Divine Fortune.

If one or more wild symbols land on the reels, your opportunity to win doesn’t end with the paying combinations they create on that spin. Each wild symbol also becomes a falling wild that moves down one row for a re-spin. The higher up on the reel the wild symbol is initially, the more re-spins you get, as the re-spins feature keeps repeating itself until the wild symbol drops off from the reel completely.

Of course, one or new wild symbols could appear during a falling wild re-spin to activate even more falling wilds re-spins.

Gift of double wilds

This feature is identical to the wild on wild feature in Divine Fortune.

During the gift of life re-spins, if an overlay wild symbol lands on top an already existing wild symbol, it will expand to make the entire reel wild!

Free spins

As mentioned above, anytime 3, 4, or scatter symbols land simultaneously anywhere on the reels during either the main game or the gift of life re-spins, it will activate 5, 8 or 12 free spins, respectively.

The free spins cannot be retriggered. However, anytime a wild symbol shows up during the free spins, it will expand to cover the entire reel, thereby triggering multiple falling wilds and gift of life re-spins.

Gift of life jackpot 

What you’re really hoping for is a chance to win the gift of life jackpot. In order to have that chance, first you will need to collect three or more bonus symbols in the main game and/or gift of life re-spins.

Then the screen will switch to a new 5×3 grid that contains only bonus symbols. Each bonus symbol has a random coin value assigned to it of 10-200x your bet level. You get 3 spins to start. If a bonus symbol lands, you win the designated amount, and the symbol stays in place, and you get to spin again. As long as at least one new bonus symbol appears on a sequence of 3 spins, you can keep going.

The object is to fill at least one of the three rows with bonus symbols before your free spins run out so you can win one of the three gift of life jackpots.

• If you fill one row, you win the minor jackpot worth 20x your bet.
• If you fill two rows, you win the major jackpot worth 100x your bet.
• If you fill all three rows, you win the progressive mega jackpot!

The bottom line

You can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of online slots that not only offer a progressive jackpot but have a high enough RTP to produce a great outcome even if you don’t win a jackpot. Mercy of the Gods is one of those rare games.