Five years and many, many delays later, Skull and Bones is on the verge of release, with a release date now set for November 8th on Xbox, PlayStation and PC. So how have things changed in all that time? Well, honestly, after seeing a near-version in action during a recent press preview, it’s hard to say. Despite Ubisoft insisting at one point that development had restarted to accommodate a “new vision” as it “dreamed something bigger” for the project, Skull and Bones 2022 looks a lot like Skull and Bones as it was introduced in 2017 – offering , just like the original, a combat-focused, almost exclusively ocean-based online multiplayer twist on Black Flag’s pirate core, albeit now with a seemingly greater emphasis on PvE. Which isn’t a bad thing, of course. Black Flag’s shipping was hugely enjoyable, and a meatier version of it – even five years later – has plenty of appeal, especially if you’re a snob to a point like I am. Skull and Bones – Worldwide Gameplay Reveal. There is, of course, a complication to Skull and Bones’ take on pirate supremacy in 2022. Sea of Thieves – which, unlike Skull and Bones, actually had its planned launch in 2018 – now has a almost five years in the making, providing a steadily expanding burst of good old fashioned pirate adventure. So, given Rare’s excellent work, is there still room for Skull and Bones? The immediate impression, based on Ubisoft’s latest showing, seems to be a yes, with Skull and Bones seemingly fitting comfortably into its own special niche. To be sure, Skull and Bones goes against the grain of Rare’s comprehensive pirate sandbox in many ways, including its “darker, grittier approach” to hacking, more traditional vertical progression, opt-in PvP, and its focus with lasers in naval combat, despite the fact that it takes place on an open sea map full of land. Don’t expect to dig up buried treasure or raid lost tombs in Skull and Bones. Instead, land excursions are limited to specific islands where, acting as a sort of base of operations and spawn point, you can purchase supplies – ship repair kits, ammunition and food to keep crew morale high and avoid mutiny – choose missions and prepare for your next high seas adventure. Even mining for resources – mining ore, felling trees, skinning wildlife – all seemingly happens while you’re traveling by boat, interacting with resource nodes conveniently hanging off island shores. Skull and Bones as it appeared in 2017. Skull and Bones promises a journey that will take players from humble beginnings as a shipwreck survivor washed ashore on an unknown island in the scourge of the seas, commanding an entire fleet on the waves. And it’s a journey that, as presented, seems to follow a fairly simple cycle: you set up a base, choose a mission (more of which are promised post-launch in classic Live Service style), prepare your ship, then head out to sea for some battle, before returning, ideally laden with treasure, to do it again, and then again some more. Each successful mission on the seas increases your reputation (Skull and Bones’ measure of progress), which in turn means more difficult jobs from NPCs and access to new crafting designs. As the game goes on, you’ll unlock new types of ships – from the humble dhow to brigantines and beyond, with specializations that include freighters and seagoing vessels – and an ever-expanding arsenal, including cannons, Greek fire, explosive mortars, various types of armor, even cargo bags for more loot, which can be mixed and matched to best suit the job. To illustrate Skull and Bones’ basic quest loop, Ubisoft showed off a short mission during the preview event, in which players are tasked with stealing jars of oil from a nearby island. Once the preparations are complete – that is, the ships and loading bays are chosen, supplies are on board, and friends are invited for co-op play if desired, it’s time to put to sea. At this point, the camera switches from third-person to a perspective – and indeed an overall atmosphere – that should be instantly recognizable to anyone who has played the oceanic parts of Black Flag. After setting a destination point, you’ll find yourself looking out over a deck of busy crewmates, occasionally switching to the bird’s nest for a better view of the horizon. And as you head towards your destination, there is at least the promise of extraordinary encounters. Players can use their spyglass to spot trade routes – perhaps spotting laden merchant ships accompanied by a fleet of powerful escorts – or get swept up in violent storms and monstrous rogue waves. And, of course, they’ll encounter both other ships – both passive and hostile – which can either be left alone or engage in combat to steal their hard-earned loot. Ubisoft notes, incidentally, that taking on ships much smaller than you will only earn you a small amount of fame if you win and cost you dearly if you lose (this, apparently, is also intended to bring a degree of balance between better and smaller equipped crews in PvP). In this case, however, the destination is a small port town tucked away on the edge of an island. Combat begins almost immediately upon arrival, with defensive towers on the coastline showering you with cannon fire, while AI ships move in to flank you on either side, with additional reinforcements called in along the way. There’s a loot bar that slowly fills up over time as you hold off the attack (rewarding treasure better the higher it goes), with some respite coming in the form of wrecks on the beach that can be quickly looted for emergency food, repair kits, even and merchandise that can be sold back to the hideout. It’s all appropriate, of course, with the chaos of combat conveyed with plenty of cinematic angst, but it’s also arguably a more traditional form of ship combat compared to the looser, more organic approach of Sea of Thieves. In Ubisoft’s game, there’s plenty of UI: health bars, directional attack arrows, area-of-effect indicators. Enemy weak spots are overlaid in red, while a yellow limit marker indicates how far you can travel before stopping an encounter. It’s not particularly stylish, but, overall, I’d say Skull and Bones looks good, even fun, and it’s encouraging that it’s found its own particular piratical niche to occupy. But for a game now arriving five years later than originally planned, it’s hard to ignore how limited in scope and ambition it all seems, despite Ubisoft’s earlier promises of “something bigger.” With such a narrow focus, then, everything hinges on the quality of their combat, and without time, it’s impossible to tell how successful it will be. So the question remains, is there enough meat in Skull and Bones to carry it? We will finally have an answer this November.
