Skull and Bones is an upcoming pirate online game from Ubisoft. At E3, it was playable, and it was confirmed that the pirate fun is not just a World of Warships with sailing ships.
What is Skull and Bones anyway? Skull and Bones from Ubisoft was first presented at E3 2017. It is supposed to take over the popular naval battles from Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag and make them the core element of the game. So you are a pirate captain in the Indian Ocean on the lookout for loot.
News from E3: The first gameplay footage then strongly reminded of Wargaming’s naval battle spectacle World of Warships. But the game is more than just a copy of the naval warfare MMO. At E3 2018, various journalists could already play the pirate game and provide specific information about the gameplay.
Ships as MMO Classes
Your Adventures Begin in the Pirate Hideout: Your pirate adventures in Skull and Bones start in your pirate refuge. It is a rough place full of scoundrels, where you choose and equip your ship. After all, you are practically the ship. Your captain is “anchored” at the helm and cannot leave the ship during gameplay.
Ship Class is Important: For your raid you then choose a ship and upgrade it. Like in an MMORPG, there are different classes such as tanks, damage dealers, and supporters. Depending on which ship you take, you can play different tactics. This will be especially important in coop mode.
Fortunes as a Modifier: Before a round, the game determines additional mission parameters through the so-called “Fortunes,” including wind conditions and special opponents in the game.
The Hunting Grounds – An Ocean Full of Possibilities
The Great Freedom: The Hunting Grounds are the PvE mode of Skull and Bones. You have a map of 16×16 kilometers there. That’s more ocean than the entire Caribbean in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag!
Under a False Flag: But those who are not careful fall within the range of the coastal fortresses scattered everywhere. You have little chance against their cannons, so it’s wise to fly a false flag and sneak past them in disguise. Such deception maneuvers are apparently possible in the game more often.
Wind and Weather: Your target is clearly merchant ships. But you have to catch them first! Therefore, it is important that you know how to sail and do not stubbornly fight against the wind. Otherwise, lucrative loot will escape you!
Naval Battles and Boardings
If you catch an enemy ship, you must first shoot it enough to board it. Only then can you expect the biggest loot. The boarding fights themselves then take place as a cutscene. But be careful! If you are too successful, heavily armed warships appear.
In Coop Against the Frigate: In the gameplay video shown at E3, a Portuguese frigate suddenly pursued the player. The player has no chance against the heavy warship alone. Only the lengthy escape or counterattack with the help of allies remains.
No Honor Among Thieves: In coop with three other players, the frigate is still a tough opponent but can be defeated. The different ships work optimally together. One soaks up the fire as a tank while the others bombard the enemy. In the end, a daring ramming attack can sink the warship. But as soon as the opponent is finished off, the players turn on each other in a dispute over the loot, just like real pirates!
What About PvP in the Open World?
PvP Can Be Avoided: Around ten other players will be sailing in each instance. But unlike other games with open-world PvP, you can spot other ships from miles away thanks to your lookout and avoid them.
So, if you don’t like PvP, you can still enjoy yourself as long as you are careful. And since there are only about ten fellow players, there should be enough loot for everyone.
More Like Destiny than World of Warships or For Honor
The hunt for more loot and the optional coop resembles, according to the website Kotaku, more to Destiny than to a pure PvP battle game like For Honor. Skull and Bones is, despite the captain “anchored” at the helm, a fun game that captures the pirate atmosphere very well.
Will it Motivate in the Long Run? However, it is unclear how long the gameplay with looting, coop, and occasional PvP will keep players engaged. However, multiple teams from Ubisoft are working on the project. So there is hope for many exciting game modes and events.
Skull and Bones has been postponed and is not expected to be released until 2018.
