Wings of Horus

If you thought Ancient Egypt was all golden sands and sunny dispositions, Hacksaw Gaming is here to firmly correct that notion with Wings of Horus. Following in the rather gloomy footsteps of Hand of Anubis, this slot drops us into a monochromatic, gothic underworld that feels more like a revenge party than a holiday destination. It is moody, it is atmospheric, and frankly, it is exactly the sort of dark aesthetic I have come to expect from this studio. The 5x6 grid sits amidst a desolate landscape, flanked by two decomposing pharaohs who look like they have seen better days.

While the visual comparison to its predecessor is inevitable, Wings of Horus tries to carve out its own path. It ditches the cluster pays for a massive 7,776 ways to win, which sounds impressive on paper. However, having spent some time spinning these reels, I must say the base game can feel a bit stark. The atmosphere is top-tier, but the gameplay loop in the base mode can occasionally drag, leaving you praying for an Orb to land just to break the monotony of the grey tiles.

The mechanical heart of this machine beats through its Orb symbols. You have the Orb of the Moon, which selects a random symbol and upgrades all instances of it to a higher payer or a Wild, and the Orb of the Sun, which does the same but for two symbol types. It is a system built on brute force transformation rather than the multiplier madness we often see. When it works, it is brilliant, flooding the screen with premium symbols and creating winning ways out of thin air.

That said, I found myself missing the dynamic multipliers from Hand of Anubis. The Orbs in Wings of Horus can feel a bit clumsy; they do not always interact with each other in a satisfying way, often picking unrelated symbols that fail to connect. It is a sweet feature when the stars align, but it takes a bit longer to click with than the immediate gratification of a massive multiplier. It is explosive, certainly, but it requires a bit of patience to appreciate the chaos.

Hacksaw has done something rather clever with the low-paying symbols here. Instead of the bog-standard royals, we get stone tablets engraved with H, O, R, U, and S. It is not just for show; if you manage to land them horizontally to spell HORUS, the game awards an instant 'Sacred Scripture' prize of 500x your bet. It is a nice touch that adds tension to otherwise low-value spins. The high pays include the usual suspects like the Ankh, Eye of Horus, and various skulls, with the top symbols paying up to 2x for a five-of-a-kind combination.

The main event is split into two tiers: 'Revenge of the Pharaoh', triggered by three scatters, and the elusive 'Rise of the Falcon', requiring four. Both rounds operate on a progression system that I found both thrilling and incredibly stressful. You fill a golden bar with wins to level up a purple bar. The purple level determines how many Orbs are dumped onto the grid for the final spin. It is all about that climatic finish.

The tension builds nicely towards that final spin, but I must warn you, it can be a double-edged sword. If you have spent 10 spins building up a massive stash of Orbs only for them to transform symbols that do not connect, it is a proper damp squib. However, the 'Rise of the Falcon' mode starts you at level 2, guaranteeing at least two Orbs for the finale, which significantly softens the blow and ramps up the potential.

For those with deeper pockets and less patience, the Bonus Buy menu offers a shortcut. You can purchase the features directly, with the top-tier bonus costing a hefty 250x your stake. It is a gamble, obviously, but considering the volatility, bypassing the base game grind might appeal to the high rollers among us.

Make no mistake, Wings of Horus is a volatile beast, rated 4 out of 5 on the volatility scale. It creates long dry spells punctuated by moments of absolute madness. The theoretical maximum win stands at a formidable 15,000x your stake, which is nothing to sniff at. However, keep a sharp eye on the Return to Player (RTP). While the default sits at a respectable 96.33%, some casinos might run lower settings, so do check the fine print before you commit your bankroll.