Great Guardians - Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Introduction

Great Guardians is influenced by Chinese mythology. The makers have introduced the theme of the Four Guardians or Four Gods; four symbols representing mythological creatures which are perceived to be guardians, each offering a cardinal direction and linked to a specific colour. The beasts include the Black Tortoise (sometimes called Black Warrior) of the North, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the Azure Dragon of the East and the White Tiger of the West.

We see these four guardians from the off with icons displaying them on the loading screen. You can be sure from this moment that this will be a fascinating game filled with myths and legends from the East.

This game and other free Konami slots are available to play for free in demo mode above and we recommend you do this to get a feel for the game before you decide to play for real money at an online casino. If you like this one, then there is another game based around the same theme which you'll no doubt love too. It's called Four Guardians and it's made by Spin Games.

Theme, Graphics & Soundtrack

As we have now educated ourselves on Chinese mythology and have discovered the Four great Guardians, we can now appreciate the design and theme of this game.

The reels are made up of a gold scroll from ancient times set against an opulent red backdrop which is so synonymous with China. This is quite a contrast to the fantasy effect that the blues and green hues had on the loading page, yet in keeping with the bright, vivid colours that the developers have chosen to use throughout.

Some of the lower paying symbols are the usual playing card icons, but each made to look slightly oriental in appearance. The four creatures themselves appear on the reels as well in a dramatic way - showing off the fact that they are impressive mythical beasts. They are displayed using bold colours once again, plus detailed features such as fire to make each beast stand out on the reels in their own special way.

What's more, Great Guardians features a fantastic Asian-inspired soundtrack in the background, which adds to the theatrical theme. When spinning the reels, however, they jingle and beep just like any traditional slot. A great reminder of the task at hand and a wake-up call from the dreamlike vision you have entered.

Great Guardians RTP & Volatility

Great Guardians by Konami has an overall average RTP or Return to Player of 96.02%.

How to Play Great Guardians

The game is played like most casino slots, with the player seeking winning combinations on an active payline.

As with many Konami games, Great Guardians features their signature action stacked symbols. How this works is that a random animal symbol is picked to appear stacked with each spin. When in play, the other three creatures won’t appear, making it easier to land a high-paying multi-symbol combination.

A Mystery Multiplier feature is another of Konami's specialities, here. Spaces on the reels fill with multiplier values ranging from 1x to a whopping 125x. If one of the Great Guardians creates a winning combination whilst also landing on one of the multiplier positions, the win is boosted by whatever amount they are sitting on (this can be more than one multiplier).

Here are a few quick steps to get you started with playing this Great Guardians slot:

1. When the game loads, check out the paytable and other important information. Click the "Help” symbol in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen and then follow the links to review the payouts and game rules, etc...

2. While in the settings pages, you can also adjust the visual/sound effects.
 
3. Adjust your total wager at the start of the game if playing for real money. There's the option to increase or decrease your maximum bet along the bottom bar.
 
4. Once happy with your session settings and ready to play, press the spin button and enjoy the game!

Bet Sizes & Paytable Wins for Great Guardians

Minimum stakes for Great Guardians start at 0.45, rising at intervals to the maximum of 90.00 per spin. Each spin uses 45 credits and you win your stake times the coin value when matching symbols from left to right across an active payline.

There is a Wild which is represented by a symbol featuring all four of the colourful beasts and which can fill gaps to make winning lines. The Scatter is represented by the traditional black and white Yin and Yang symbol, and this icon is the key to triggering the main bonus feature of the game. As it’s a Scatter symbol, it can appear in any position on the reels.

Here is a list of the payouts for x5 matching symbols on a payline:

Black Tortoise & White Tiger = 40 coins

Azure Dragon = 50 coins

Vermillion Bird = 60 coins

Great Guardians Bonus Features

Free Spins

If you can manage to land 3 scatters in view at once, then you'll win yourself 10 free spins, while 4 or 5 scatters award you with 12 or 25 bonus games respectively. If you are lucky enough to get 6 or more at once, you will be faced with the exciting situation of having 100 free spins to play!!

The Mystery Multiplier, which is a random feature in the base game of Great Guardians, occurs in every single free spin and can help to really boost wins.

Overall Review

With such great bonus features, there's a lot to love. However, the only downside to the additional features is the lack of any Wild appearing. The Wild does appear during the base game, however, and is brilliant at helping to create winning lines where they are needed.

In terms of the visuals, we are fond of the vivid colours however the graphics are fairly basic.

Disclaimer: Great Guardians trademark / license is owned by Konami. This site is not endorsed by Konami.