It’s been a while, but the first new Skull and Bones game since 2018 has finally shown how Ubisoft’s pirated live service game turns out, and it’s much more of a survival game than some might suspect, with weird influences. Sea of thieves too.
PCGamesN was able to sample all of the new gameplay and details in Skull & Bones, and while it’s still recognizable, a lot has changed, hopefully for the better. The biggest difference is that Ubisoft now relies heavily on Skull & Bones as a survival game. Players begin the game stranded on shore with little more than a small boat and a spear to fend off wild animals.
Players then stumble upon the pirate town of St. Ann, one of the “pirate lairs” or secure outposts where players can explore on foot, and is arguably Sea of Thieves’ biggest influence. Here, players can talk to various NPCs to receive quests and contracts, craft ships and equipment, purchase various supplies, communicate with players, and even work on treasure maps. It looks a lot like the central island from the Rare pirate game.
XP in Skull & Bones is called Infamy and the main goal for players is to earn it. The more nefarious players, the better contracts they have access to, which in turn can get better blueprints to build better ships and gear.
This also prepares them for a great pirate hunter NPC Privateer, who is just one of the dangers on the high seas, he will not have reached the pirates’ lair. Combat and ship navigation are very reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, but activities like boarding ships and pillaging outposts are handled by your team of NPCs. Make sure to keep an eye on your ship’s morale, otherwise you could cause a mutiny.
While Ubisoft confirms that every part of the game can be played solo, Skull & Bones is still a multiplayer game at its core. PvP is available on individual servers, but cooperative play teams are available to complete missions or engage in battles. Also, if something happens to your ship, your character will spawn at the nearest outpost, but your hard-earned cargo will be left behind, easy prey for any other player.
Character and ship customization is still available, and it seems like it has a little more to offer than just turning your ship into a floating, shell-covered beauty. Like Starfield, everything has a trade-off: build a heavily armed warship with the most powerful weapons and you’ll find yourself unable to move or maneuver properly, and you won’t have much room for cargo. On the other hand, there are the pirate cats.
We’re a bit worried about the UI, which feels as cluttered with information icons and on-screen clutter as many Ubisoft titles. Hopefully they can be turned off and there are alternatives so you don’t lose important information if you turn them off. I’m looking at you, Far Cry targets don’t just disappear, they’re constantly flashing on screen.
However, the reopening of Skull & Bones seems like Ubisoft has weathered the storm the game is caught up in. Naval combat in Assassin’s Creed is a lot of fun, so Skull & Bones should be too, but it’s hard to say how well the rest of the game will hold up without playing it. Hopefully the Skull & Bones beta will dispel all doubts, and if not, the full version of the game will be released in November, so we won’t have long to wait.
For now though, Skull & Bones looks like a lot of fun, and I personally can’t wait to play it when it comes out in November. This is the second best comeback story I’ve ever seen.
Source : PC Gamesn
