300 Shields Slot Review

300 Shields is one of those games that’s critically received – no matter what market you’re looking at, or what type of slot player you talk to. It’s been one of my personal favourite games for almost a decade, so I’m delighted to be able to tell you all about it in this 300 Shields slot review.

The insane win-potential found within the game has meant it’s built somewhat of a cult following. Today, 300 Shields can be found at virtually all online slots sites, and it’s one of the most popular and (commercially) successful video slots in history.

The game itself is themed around the Persian God, King Xerxes, and you’ll see quite a few similarities between the game and other popular creative releases, including the original comic book “300” and the blockbuster 2007 film of the same name.

Like the comic and book, 300 Shields sees you playing alongside King Leonidas as he leads 300 Spartans into battle against King Xerxes.

The theme is impeccably designed, and the game’s developer – NextGen Gaming – has done a phenomenal job in setting the tone; everything from the music, the game’s animations and graphics are designed to immerse the player into the game.

When it comes to the actual layout of the slot, 300 Shields is built around a 5-reel, 3-row format. There’s a total of 25 paylines in play, and I should point out that these are fixed paylines; that is, you won’t be able to adjust the number of lines you play.

The game should also not be confused with 300 Shields Extreme; a sequel that NextGen Gaming released in 2019. However, I will be talking about this a little later on in this review, as it offers one additional feature which I feel is worth pointing out. For now, let’s take a look at the classic 300 Shields slot and how to play it!

How To Play

If you’ve ever played one of NextGen Gaming’s slots before you’ll know that they have kind of an old-school vibe going on with them. It’s not to say the games don’t look good, but the betting interface can – at first – appear a little clunky and old-fashioned.

Thankfully, when NextGen Gaming ported their games over to HTML5 this sorted the bulk of issues, and now, it’s pretty easy to play their games without interruptions. I should also point out that NextGen Gaming formed a partnership with Microgaming.

This means that 300 Shields is often distributed via Microgaming’s Quickfire platform. Generally, this is a good thing, as it increases the speed of the game and also presents you with a more well-laid out betting interface, ensuring it’s smoother and simpler to adjust your bet size and actually play the game.

Regardless of whether you’re playing NextGen Gaming’s version of the game or the one available on Microgaming’s Quickfire betting platform you’ll see a variety of stake options available to you. The minimum stake to play 300 Shields is 0.25 credits, so while it’s not super low, it should still suffice for the vast majority of players.

The maximum bet, however, is very low compared to most games – and the majority of online casinos cap it at 12.50 credits. The reason for this is due to the insane win-potential which is found within the slot’s bonus round; online casinos simply can’t afford to take on too much liability.

If the maximum stake was any higher than this, lucky players could potentially bankrupt smaller casinos if they were to hit one of the maximum wins.

You won’t find a huge selection of in-game adjustments available, but NextGen Gaming do offer the usual variety of options you’d expect. This includes the ability to toggle on/off the music.

There’s also a fairly comprehensive paytable which you can read. This tells you more about the game, and it’s also dynamic, meaning you can see exactly how much all the symbols pay depending on the stake size that you’ve currently selected.

Symbols and Payouts

Following most major software providers today, NextGen Gaming has opted to incorporate lower-paying symbols in the form of playing card values; these include 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

To be honest, during the base-game, these are all relatively worthless, and forming even 5-of-a-kind combos won’t pay much. It’s the premiums you’ll want to pay close attention to (particularly during the bonus round, which I’ll talk about in the section below).

The higher-paying symbols in 300 Shields are all theme-specific and include an Arrow Cluster, a Double-Edged Sword, a Wooden Ship and a Spartan Warrior.

The Warrior is the game’s wild symbol, and plays a crucial role during the bonus round.

There are also scatter symbols on the reels which are Red Spartan Shields. As you can imagine, these are the key to triggering the main free-spins bonus round which I’ll cover in the following section of this review.

Bonus Features

Virtually the only reason to play 300 Shields is to try and trigger the free-spins bonus. It’s what has made the game famous, and below, I’m going to be showing you what this bonus is, how it works – and what you can expect when you manage to trigger it!

Free Spins

In order to trigger the main free-spins bonus round you’ll need to land 3, 4, or 5 of the scatter symbols anywhere in view. Do so, and you’ll be awarded with 5 free-spins. Now, you’ll then notice that a special screen pops up, and to the right-hand-side of the reels you’ll notice a metre appears.

Each time you collect one of the scatter symbols during the bonus it will add to this metre, and if you manage to collect five shields you’ll then be awarded an additional 5 free-spins, with all wilds formed using the wild symbol then subject to a 2X multiplier. You will then proceed to the next stage.

During this next stage, any wins formed with one of the wild symbols will be multiplied by 5X. This is where things can really start to get interesting – and you can, if you’re lucky, start to pick up some pretty decent-sized wins here.

However, you’ll still be wanting to keep an eye on the Shield symbols, as collecting another three will advance you to the next stage – during which all wins formed using the wild symbol are multiplied by 25X!

It’s not easy to do, but if you manage to collect a total of 12 Shields, you’ll unlock the final round – and here, you’ll again be awarded 5 free-spins. During this final round, any wins formed with a wild symbol will be multiplied by a massive 300X – and this is where the game’s legendary win-potential can be found.

I should also point out that if you manage to land three or more of the scatter symbols anywhere in view you’ll re-trigger the feature, and be awarded an extra 5 free-spins for the level you’re currently on.

Clearly, there’s huge benefit to landing a re-trigger in the 300X stage, and even a 3-of-a-kind combo of the playing card value symbols can result in wins well upwards of 100X your stake!

Jackpot and How To Win

It’s the win-potential that makes 300 Shields such a big hit with players from around the world.

It’s possible (and, as I’ve seen myself, actually achievable) to hit 5,000X+ wins, and there’s theoretically no cap on the maximum amount you can win; if you’re lucky enough to keep landing re-triggers during the 300X stage of the bonus round you may well find yourself able to reach wins worth even more.

As always, there is no “sure fire” way to win while playing 300 Shields. However, there is a way to increase your chances of hitting a decent bonus, and that’s by playing NextGen Gaming’s “revamped” version of the game, known as 300 Shields Extreme.

This modernized version of the classic allows you to pay 100X your stake to purchase entry to the bonus round immediately – a feature buy – although I should point out that due to UKGC compliance rules, UK players won’t be able to buy the feature.

Software

NextGen Gaming aren’t a game developer who spring immediately to mind when it comes to well mobile-optimized games, and their older software was known for looking (and feeling) pretty dated to play.

Thankfully, the vast majority of their games have now been ported over to HTML5 and 300 Shields is no exception. This ensures that you’ll be able to play the game from whatever mobile device you like, including both mobile phones and tablet devices.

I tried the game on my Android phone and iPad and was able to run it perfectly using the Chrome and Safari browsers.

Summary

It’s a legendary game for good reason; 300 Shields is capable of producing some monster wins, and if you’re looking for a volatile machine that’s more than capable of churning out 1,000X+ hits it’s a game you’ll want to check out for yourself.

Compare the Best Mobile Slots Apps

The Extreme version is ideal for non-UK players who want to skip the base-game and enter the bonus round directly, although I’d advise you to be careful as a few poor bonuses on the trot can see your balance quickly eroded!

More Slot Reviews

Last Updated on February 21, 2021