Raven Rising Pokie Review

 

Raven Rising is an online pokie from Quickspin that adopts some of the elements of Norse mythology. This 3×5 tumbling game puts two Vikings on an epic quest as they get caught up in the events of Ragnarok. Luckily, a mystical raven is willing to act as their guide.

There are 20 paylines for starters, but you can also look forward to tumbling reels, progressive multipliers and a bonus buy feature. If you’d like more information, please continue reading for my Raven Rising pokie review.

RTP

For those who are new to online gambling, RTP stands for “return to player.” This is expressed as a percentage, and it indicates the average payback you’ll receive for every $100 wager. Of course, short-term variance is a factor, so you’ll need to play thousands of games in order to reach this goal.

According to the Quickspin site, there are three versions of Raven Rising. While their gameplay is identical, each one has a different RTP. These include 87.15%, 94.19% and 96.07%.

Therefore, playing the lowest version of the game will earn you an average of $87.15 for every $100 wagered. Meanwhile, the highest is worth an average of $96.07 for every $100 wagered.

While the highest available option is average for an online pokie, the other two are well below that mark. In fact, the 87.15% machine is insultingly low and shouldn’t even be allowed.

Volatility

Quickspin gives Raven Rising a 4.5 out of 5 volatility rating. This means the payouts tend to be larger, but you’ll probably have to wait longer for them to turn up.

Tumbling

With most pokies, you’ll get the standard spinning reels. However, this is not the case with Raven Rising, as it prefers a tumbling model.

Basically, symbols fall in from the top of the screen. When a winning combination is made, those symbols disappear and are replaced by new ones. As long as winning lines are being generated, more symbols will tumble in from above.

Increasing Multiplier

During the base game, this multiplier grows by +1 each time a group of winning symbols is removed. However, it’s also reset between each spin.

When the bonus round occurs, the multiplier grows by +1 for each individual winning symbols that’s removed. Even better, this multiplier doesn’t reset for the duration of the bonus.

Virtual reels on the Raven Rising online pokie

Ragnarok Free Spins Bonus

This bonus triggers when the player gets three or more raven scatter symbols during a single spin. The number of ravens will determine how many free spins the player receives.

  • 3 Ravens – 7 free spins
  • 4 Ravens – 10 free spins
  • 5 Ravens – 15 free spins

You can also re-trigger the bonus. In order to accomplish this, you need to get 3 or more ravens during the bonus spins.

  • 3 Ravens – 3 free spins
  • 4 Ravens – 5 free spins
  • 5 Ravens – 7 free spins

Buy Feature

If you don’t want to wait for the bonus round, you can trigger it instantly by paying 100x your wager. You’ll receive three or more raven scatters, although the exact number (and resulting spins) will be determined at random.

While this option is tempting, I suggest passing on it. Sure, you’re bound to pick up some money in the bonus round, but you’ll need to get a lot in order to recoup the 100x wager price tag.

Gamble Option

Once you’ve triggered the Free Spins Bonus, you’ll have a chance to make a wager in order to gain additional spins. This is a 50/50 proposition, and a successful attempt results in an additional Raven scatter (and, therefore, more free spins). However, guessing incorrectly results in a loss of all current free spins.

If you’re successful, you can choose to make another wager. This can continue until you’ve reached the maximum of 5 scatters. At this point, the bonus spins will begin.

Final Thoughts

Quickspin has turned out a lot of quality online pokies over the years, and Raven Rising is no exception. The game has a great look, and fans of Thor and/or Norse mythology are sure to be pleased.

My only real complaint with the game is the presence of three return-to-player percentages. The lowest option (87.15%) is especially glaring, and even most land-based pokies have a superior return.

Unfortunately, your casino of choice is unlikely to tell you which version is being used. If you’re willing to accept the risk, then go ahead and give it a try. Otherwise, you may want to look elsewhere for a game with a higher average payback.