While many can learn a craft, to truly master it takes time and years of experience. To learn all the little nooks and crannies of your art, to let it become a part of you, to become a wise teacher many will seek. But with such talents and knowledge, you can only pass your skills down to ones who are worthy, who are most dedicated to the craft, just as you were. And so, our four competitors find themselves in Hanzo’s Dojo, where they face off against each other and many challenges to earn the master’s favor. The game offers players a medium volatility and a jackpot worth a whopping 2,100x, alongside an extra 3x1 slot on top of the regular playing field from which extra special features can be drawn.

We have to admit, we quite like the way Yggdrasil approaches graphics. They don’t over-do things. They allow small details and animations to bring things to life, while making sure everything is polished and up to snuff. The falling leaves of the gorgeous pink tree will no doubt draw your eyes at some point, as will the fact both it, the less glamorous tree on the left, and the four balloons that indicate various boosters all move together in the same tune when the wind blows across the reels. The game splits its symbols into lower paying icons designed as markings for the four students and the clans they represent, as well as the four competitors himself – the masked shinobi, the dangerous geisha, the fierce samurai and the gargantuan sumo wrestler. Each warrior’s color corresponds to that of their respective sigil, so you won’t ever be confused which is which. While this is a neat visual detail, it sadly doesn’t carry over into gameplay. That said, with the amount of special features included as part of Hanzo’s Dojo, we feel anything more would probably have gone into over-kill territory and detracted from your enjoyment. There is too much of a good thing, as well.

Some special features require the small 3x1 rooftop slot which can award bonuses, while others don’t. For example, Wilds will complete their role of replacing all regular symbols with ease, but if a Wild appears in the rooftop slot, it will expand to cover all the reels beneath itself. Regular free spins symbols need three or more to trigger the extra turns, but if players manage to secure Scatter in the 3x1 reel, the number of free spins goes up and gamblers are given access to a booster, which can be extra free spins, winning both ways, a 3x3 symbol nudge, a 2x multiplier to all wins and a guaranteed Wild fifth reel. During free spins, the center reel spins massive 3x3 symbols. It is possible to have up to three boosters available at once. The final feature are Hanzo Spins, which reward three spins with a random locked 3x3 icon on the playing field if you collect three Hanzo symbols in the rooftop slot section.

The features are rather extensive. Although it can be somewhat intimidating at first glance, if you stick with it, you’ll find a rather interesting title. The features are all rather strong, and thanks to a medium variance, they’re never too far away. It offers a 96.1% RTP, which is above average for video slots. All in all, quite easy to recommend this Yggdrasil release.