Soon after the doors of E3 had opened, my love of pirates went a little insane when I saw Ubisoft’s Skull & Bones. After taking a dramatic picture with a captain’s wheel, I immediately jumped right in line to get my hands on the demo. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was ready to pillage and plunder just to cover all my bases.
Skull & Bones is for the adventurous souls that like a challenge. Sail to the Indian Ocean as an upstart pirate but be warned that bounty hunters, trading corporations and colonial empires will be quick to pick a fight. This is after all, the open sea and everyone is after the riches that trade routes and other ships hold.
Every game has its own unique twist when first presented. This single and multiplayer game has the ability to create chaos. For example, storms and other weather will create hard times during plundering and ship battles. Luckily, players will be able to acquire unique ships and customize them to the play-style of their choice. If this wasn’t enough, Skull & Bones gives players the ability to go rogue on their own or join forces with other players to complete quests. I put this demo to the test to get a good look at everything.
After getting a feel for the controls and getting in to the demo, there was a specific addition to the game that is unlike the familiar game Sea of Thieves. This is the addition of wind direction in the lower right hand of the screen. Steering is pretty straight forward with the use of joysticks, but the wind can really play a part in how fast your ship can go and if you will get stuck. When the wind is against you, other enemies can close in fast and sink or board you. Often, pirates need to use their crow’s nest to scope out other ships which can be confusing when a battle is approaching. Not only are you steering this full ship, you are also scouting, using the map and preparing to sink anyone that comes near you at any given time and sometimes all at once.
There was never a time that I left my ship when I got close to an island that had potential treasure. As much as I wanted to see if this was possible, I refrained due to my time being limited. Firing my cannons alongside any ship I could find was on my to-do list however. I even tested the “about-face” turn to see if I could really do the move like the movies. Luckily, I could, and did, like a boss. This was helpful especially when I was stuck in a fight or needed to use the weapons positioned at the front of my ship. These same weapons can be upgraded through time as well which made me very giddy.
Compared to other games about the seas that have come our way, Skull & Bones has a very nice look. Not everything is extremely hyper-realistic, but the ships and water are crisp. Players also don’t have to guess at what is in the distance or with hints either. Navigating was actually very easy. Bundled with the overall ambiance as well, the music was exactly what I would expect from a pirate game. A steady beat in the background and sounds that were spot on. After my demo time was up, I was pleasantly surprised at how likely I am to get this game.
Even though I may be a bit bias when it comes to pirate themed games, Skull & Bones didn’t leave me desiring for anything except better controls which can be changed. The maps and screens are easy to navigate, and the game-play is fun even if you don’t have a big group to play with. This is hard to say for other games that now require a co-op for everything. So, when Skull & Bones comes out I will be digging deeper in to the maps and different ships and really put the game through the paces. At this point, this is a game that players will have fun with and maybe get lost in too. As a bonus, the website currently has an open Beta game, so do yourself a favor and check that out.
