Shields of the Wild introduction

NextGen is a bit like a Kinder Egg in iGaming: you never quite know what you’ll end up with. Sometimes it’s unexpectedly solid (though not often), and other times it’s simply terrible. With titles such as 300 Shields, Medusa II and Cash Stampede, new releases from NextGen usually come with at least some anticipation and optimism. The issue is the inconsistency—quality varies a lot, and sadly we haven’t had anything on the level of those games for years.

Shields of the Wild runs on a 5 reeler setup with 3 rows and just 10 pay lines. The stake range sits between €0.10 and €100, so it works for both smaller budgets and high-rollers. NextGen slots also tend to come with a slightly lower RTP than many other established studios, something they share with Novomatic. The 95.5% RTP here isn’t the worst we’ve encountered, but it’s definitely not what most would call generous today.

Rolling green hills and mountains set the scene, while a knight and a king stand on either side of the reels, suggesting an epic clash has already taken place. Visually, it’s a bit of a standout for this provider, and it even comes with an intro that feels inspired by Vikings Go Berzerk.

Shields of the Wild symbols

Wins are shown in coin value, which is a pointless relic from the old days that mostly serves to confuse players. And this pay table isn’t exactly going to spark excitement. With so few pay lines and even weaker symbol values, it’s hard to get enthusiastic. There’s also no clear separation between low-value and premium symbols—everything kind of blends together. As an example, the top symbol (the wild) only pays 250 times the stake for a full screen.

There are 8 in total regular symbols, all depicted as shields in different designs. The wild shield carries the game’s logo, and the scatter appears as a sword. An upgrade symbol also exists, but it shows up only during the free spins.

Shield Wall Feature

The Shield Wall feature can trigger at random in the base game. When it kicks in, a volley of arrows hits the reels and every symbol receives an upgrade. This can happen up to 8 times, after which the final result is calculated following the last upgrade. With the right luck, you might end up with plenty of wilds and reach the top payout of 250 times the stake.

Marching Stacks Free Spins

The Marching Stacks free spins round is a little tricky to describe, so stick with us. Upgrade-style mechanics aren’t new in slots, but this one takes a slightly different route. To enter the free spins mode, you must land 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. There isn’t a fixed number of free spins awarded; instead, the feature is driven by the upgrade process until it naturally finishes.

When the feature begins, a stacked set of symbols is placed on reel 5. Which symbols are used depends on how many scatters triggered the free spins. For instance, landing 5 scatters results in the 2 symbols of least value are removed completely, while also boosting the chance of an early upgrade as far as the Silver Wolf Shield symbol.

On each spin, the stacked symbols shift one reel to the left. So after 2 spins, you’ll have two full stacks of the same symbol on reels 4 and 5. If a scatter lands during the feature, the stack stops moving and the stacked symbols are upgraded instead. You can track the upgrade path in the display beneath the reels. The Marching Stacks free spins game ends once stacked symbols have filled all 5 reels.

Once the free spins conclude, you may receive a retrigger, restarting the entire sequence—but beginning from the symbol level you already upgraded to. This is what gives you a realistic chance at the slot’s full potential. There doesn’t seem to be any cap on how many retriggers can occur.

Shields of the Wild Conclusion

To genuinely reach the top end of what’s possible, you’ll either need upgrade symbols to land constantly in the free spins from the very beginning—ideally pushing upgrades all the way to the Wild symbol—or you’ll need favourable retriggers. After playing roughly 25+ bonuses, we only managed to upgrade to the second-best regular symbol, which ended up paying around 100 times the stake, so getting a strong return from this game is tough.

Shields of the Wild is excellently put together and, to us, one of the best-looking titles NextGen has ever released. It’s also more fun than expected, with a feature that feels genuinely tense, and the possibility of a random retrigger at the end adds an extra layer to chase. It probably won’t be a slot that regularly produces 2000x+ wins, but it does seem like a reasonable wagering game with fairly high entertainment value.

We don’t know exactly when NextGen will release Shields of the Wild, but it should arrive within the next couple of months. Want more NextGen Gaming slots? Visit our NextGen page.