Greek mythology has always been a popular idea with developers. Its hall of heroes, gods, and monsters runs very deep, giving slot developers a chance to pick their next project with ease. While most pick Zeus – which is uninspiring – there are studios such as Relax Gaming that try making something different. The studio did that with Hercules Unleashed, part of the Dream Drop series of slot games with stacked symbol respins, grid expansions, and multipliers.

The popular hero makes a glorious return to the slot industry. I haven’t seen a slot based on the hero for quite a while. This Dream Drop machine has 259 ways to win, a highly volatile math model, and plenty of surprising features. What’s more, it sees Hercules in the middle of an epic battle against all kinds of monsters, and you’re there to profit from it.

While it has a familiar 5x5 setup, the features make it different from others. It’s not the first time Relax Gaming has used the Dream Drop engine. But, considering the slot’s entertainment value and the features, it might be best used in this case. You can try the Hercules Unleashed Dream Drop demo at most Relax Gaming casinos or play it for real money if you prefer.

While most Greek mythology slots for real money have cartoonish vibes, Hercules Unleashed Dream Drop focuses on lifelike graphics. The symbols – including the hero himself – are sharply designed and look realistic. And a bit scary, if I might add, particularly the monsters. The reels are set against a blurred background, partly showing what looks like the pantheon. Monster statues flank the reels, and they are in stark contrast with their lively counterparts gracing the reels.

Some of those monsters feature the fiery Cerberus, the Lernaean Hydra, the Cretan bull, and the Nemean lion. The mighty Hercules, with his sword, lands in stacks and is key for triggering one of the slot’s top features. A Beast Slayer bonus symbol also appears, with a trio of beast skulls that can trigger the bonus.

It’s fair to say that the graphics and animations are a blast. The lifelike graphics instead of cartoonish visuals look much better and are more suitable for such a slot.

Before you embark on the beast-slaying adventure, I suggest taking a look at the bets. The bet levels range between 20c and $100 per spin. As you can see, it’s a slot suitable for new and seasoned players. The 259 ways to win mechanic requires at least 3 matching symbols to land on the reels for a win. Hercules is the highest-paying symbol, but a bit strangely, there’s no wild to help complete wins.

The lack of a wild has been substituted with other great features. That includes the streak respins feature with sticky symbols, grid expanders, and multipliers, too. These features are active from the get-go, so you don’t have to wait for the bonus round to get them all.

First up are the streak respins, which are triggered by stacked premium symbols (Hercules) on the first reel. Whenever he lands, he’ll nudge to fill a reel. Either way, the other reels will go for a respins at that point. All matching symbols will turn sticky while the reels go for another respin. As long as new matching symbols appear, reel expansions will continue with a new grid added on top of the others.

With this mechanic, the grid can be expanded up to 10 rows and 664 ways to win. All matching symbols can land with multipliers up to x5. These are only applied if you score a win involving the multiplier symbols.

Besides the streak respins feature with sticky symbols and multipliers, there’s a random Dream Drop jackpot game. When triggered, it plays after a regular spin. Only blanks and jackpot symbols can land on the reels, and you win the DD jackpot by landing 5 such coins. There are 5 different jackpots to win, displayed in value beneath the reels.

The aptly named Beast Slayer bonus round is triggered by 3 scatters. Instead of free spins, the bonus starts with 3 respins. You lose a spin when a symbol doesn’t land. When one does, the respin tally is reset back to 3. This is very similar to Hold & Win bonus rounds, except this time, the slot includes all its other specials.

The stacked lion symbol on the first reel is upgraded when you collect enough of them in the meter. You can also land shield symbols with different values. Regular symbols can land with multipliers up to x5. If you happen to trigger the bonus round with 4 or 5 scatters – like I did – you start with higher value symbols.

Hercules Unleashed Dream Drop might end up among my favorite Dream Drop slots. I really liked the whole package, including the visuals and gameplay features. I was impressed with the addition of 5 jackpots despite the fact I never managed to trigger this feature or win one. The bonus round was the highlight during my playthrough as I was lucky to trigger it with 4 symbols.

This meant higher-value symbols. It's not the highest, which comes with 5 scatters, but it's relatively high and rewarding. The bonus round grid expansions and stacks and multipliers were more than enough to hit the right note, making it a very rewarding experience.

The Hercules Unleashed Dream Drop RTP is set to 94%, which includes a 12% contribution to the jackpot. It’s a highly volatile slot game with a maximum projected win of 10,000x the bet.

Hercules Unleashed Dream Drop has plenty going on in both visuals and gameplay features. The slot takes direct inspiration from ancient Greek mythology monsters and the epic beast slayer Hercules in a slot that doesn’t shy away from special features.

You get stacks, multipliers, respins, and 5 jackpots on top of it all. It’s one of the most rewarding slots in the Dream Drop series and possibly one of the best in Relax Gaming’s stacked catalog.

If you’re looking for alternatives, there are plenty to pick from. Pragmatic Play’s Gates of Olympus is a good pick, and so is NetEnt’s Divine Fortune. If you’re looking for more Relax Gaming action, try Beast Mode – it’s a blast.