Lets be honest: no one expects Skull and Bones to be a hit, let alone a masterpiece. It has faced numerous delays, which is usually a bad sign. That said, after a lengthy development process, the pirate game will be released very soon.
Considering it focuses on a rarely explored niche, you might be curious about it. What if its good? What if the world is crazy, and its actually a great game? Miracles happen, and crazier things have happened in this industry.
Recently, Ubisoft invited us to try its endgame, and truth be told, its better than we expected… but does that mean its worth it? Lets talk about it.
Related Video: Skull and Bones E3 2017 Trailer
Skull and Bones has good ideas and some potential
First off, what is Skull and Boness endgame? Its the content youll enjoy once you finish the main missions. In other words, its everything that caters to high-level players and shapes their gameplay operations as a service. Ubisofts plan is to release multiple seasons with new and powerful pirates to defeat, keeping all human pirates hooked by investing time and money.
So, in the demo, we controlled a high-level pirate with various ships and weapons already unlocked. This means I didnt have to worry about sailing to gather resources and unlock the best gear. I just needed to select what caught my attention and then set sail to face the dangers of the open sea.
As soon as I customized my ship with weapons and cosmetic items, Ubisoft showed me one of Skull and Bones strengths: it has a lively and dynamic world. The point of this pirate adventure is for you to create your own stories by entering a server populated by other players and reacting to what the game throws at them. It could be PvPvE events, completely cooperative situations, or moments when each pirate has to fend for themselves.
"Skull and Bones has a concept with potential"
This is where I had the opportunity to see that Skull and Bones has a concept with potential. Ubisoft Singapores idea was to create a title full of opportunities to exploit an emergent gameplay system. Instead of being an adventure with a beginning or end, it aims to be a shared world where you have the chance to write your own story. One where they let go of your hand to explore the seas of the Indian Ocean and be the kind of pirate youve always dreamed of.
This is reinforced by mechanics such as the different ship classes. You see, no two ships are alike because there are three different classes: DPS, tank, and support. Each one offers a different playstyle, adding some depth to boat combat that initially seemed extremely bland. If you dedicate enough time, you can have a powerful ship of each class, but you might focus on just a couple. This way, you can collaborate with other pirates to defeat powerful enemies and claim a juicy treasure. However, theres no guarantee that peace will last long, and at any moment, a pirate who worked with you to defeat a massive sea creature may decide to eliminate you in a PvP event.
So far, what Skull and Bones offers doesnt sound bad, especially when considering the myriad customization options for your arsenal. Thus, its up to you to choose a ship with traditional cannons, one that can launch projectiles at water level, or even one with flamethrowers. If you prefer support, you can equip bullets that, instead of causing damage, heal other ships. Here we must commend Ubisoft Singapore for daring to think outside the box to deliver an arsenal with various possibilities.
A gameplay loop that isnt quite engaging enough
With all this, it wouldnt surprise us if you think Skull and Bones has potential, and it indeed does! Sadly, it falls short. This is mainly because its combat has a solid foundation but does little to make it interesting.
Our diagnosis is that each battle delivers the same sensations. Maybe it changes if you play solo, but at least in our group experience, each battle was a bit more of the same. It varied slightly if our role was DPS, tank, or support, but in the end, the enemies posed a similar threat. Whether it was a regular ship, a legendary pirate, or a sea monster, the battles were almost identical: approach the opponent, find the weak point, shoot as much as you can before retreating, and repeat the process.
Thus, a game with the potential to be great with a unique proposal becomes a boring one. Although we had fun at the beginning of the test, by the last half-hour, we were eager to finish and move on with our day. This is a huge red flag considering the test focused on what should be the most entertaining part of Skull and Bones: having an incredibly powerful ship to fight after hours of gathering resources and treasures.
All of this is a shame because there is no other game like Skull and Bones. Yes, we know Sea of Thieves exists, but they are fundamentally different games. In Skull and Bones, more than being a pirate on a ship, you are the ship. Thus, it is your responsibility to arrange the entire unit to shoot, whether with the front cannons, side cannons, or the one your boat carries behind. All this while deciding the speed it should go and trying to steer a vehicle that constantly battles the whims of wind and sea.
So, is Skull and Bones not as bad as we thought? Surprisingly, its not, but were not saying much. In the test, we found a game with good ideas that simply fall short.
When Ubisoft announced a game based on the naval combat of Assassins Creed IV, many were excited, and rightfully so. After all, its one of the most enjoyable parts of that game. However, its essential to consider that it was fun because it was only a secondary activity—not the entire game! Thus, it seems that Skull and Boness long development cycle is because Ubisoft Singapore didnt find a way to evolve it into a standalone experience. Its a game that sounds great on paper but needs magnificent execution to succeed.
"We found a game with good ideas that simply falls short"
This is why, although we didnt have a bad time, wealso hesitate to say that Skull and Bones deserves your money and time. We dont want to throw unnecessary hate without having tried the complete version; thats a judgment well make once we get the chance to play the final version over several hours, so stay tuned for our review.
What we can say now is that we doubt it will be a masterpiece, and its likely to fade into obscurity, especially considering the high probability that it will be another live-service game prioritizing monetization over fun. Well see in a matter of weeks when we get our hands on the final version. For the sake of the project and the efforts of everyone at Ubisoft Singapore, we hope to be proven wrong and that it turns out to be a more engaging experience than what we tested.
Skull and Bones will debut on February 16 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.