Review

Skull and Bones

Skull and Bones was initially planned as an addition to **Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag**, a highly successful pirate game. Ubisoft later decided to turn it into a standalone title with a broader scope, spending nearly a decade developing it. Despite high ambitions, the game faced numerous delays, over six in total, raising concerns about its future. So, does Skull and Bones deliver a thrilling pirate experience like Black Flag, or does it sink under its own weight? Let’s dive into the review.

Story

Set in the Indian Ocean during the late 17th century, you play as a pirate trying to make a name for yourself in a world ruled by pirates. Your goal is to rise in rank while dealing with challenges from rival factions like the British, French, and Dutch, as well as other pirates. While the game lacks a deep narrative, it offers light storytelling through events that adapt based on your decisions in the shared online world.

Gameplay

Skull and Bones focuses on PvE (Player vs. Environment) gameplay, where players team up to face challenges in servers hosting up to 20 players. PvP (Player vs. Player) is limited to specific activities for fun and competition, but it doesn’t involve major losses.

Combat is entirely ship-based, unlike Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. You can’t personally board enemy ships; instead, your crew handles everything with a single button press. Naval battles are challenging, requiring strategic use of your ship’s weapons while navigating environmental factors like wind and storms. However, movement feels restricted, as you can only explore specific areas, making the open world feel linear.

The game lets you customize your ship extensively, from its appearance to weapons and size. You can equip various weapons on all sides of the ship, allowing for flexible setups tailored to your playstyle. However, to upgrade or buy items, you’ll need to visit pirate hubs like Saint Anne Island and complete contracts or find crafting blueprints in treasure chests.

World and Content

Despite its vast open world, Skull and Bones feels empty, with repetitive missions that fail to engage players. The large oceanic map lacks meaningful activities, leaving players bored after just a few hours. The mission design is uninspired, offering little variety or excitement.

Graphics and Technical Performance

The graphics are decent but not groundbreaking, especially for a game in development for over a decade. It doesn’t deliver the visual quality expected from a AAA title. Frequent loading screens disrupt the experience, especially on older hard drives. The technical performance is inconsistent, with frame drops and occasional crashes further diminishing the experience.

Should You Buy Skull and Bones?

No, unless it’s on a significant discount. The game doesn’t justify its high price tag and lacks the engaging pirate experience offered by titles like Sea of Thieves, which provides better exploration, gameplay, and storytelling.

Final Rating

5/10

Skull and Bones fails to deliver the pirate adventure fans hoped for. With repetitive missions, an empty open world, and lackluster gameplay, it feels like a watered-down version of Black Flag or Sea of Thieves.