Skull & Bones Preview – Ubisoft’s pirate game is back and looking fantastic

Your favorite pirate song should be sung at your highest pitch! Make up your own pirate sea songs if you don’t already know them. There’s reason to be happy: Ubisoft Skull and Bones will launch on November 8, and it looks great. The news of the game’s revival (after a long delay), was announced today via a Ubisoft Forward livestream, which included a glimpse at some stunning new gameplay footage.

“Will your fate be that of pirates, or pawns?” This message kicked off the presentation that included a CGI trailer highlighting intense ship battles and a pirate’s infamy growing over time. Ubisoft Singapore producer Vanessa Sow says Skull and Bones is evolving since 2017.

Skull and Bones’ new game direction is darker and more gritty than the classic pirate tale. The Golden Age of pirate piracy inspired us to imagine what pirates really looked like. The shipwreck survivor is stranded in an exotic, unknown location. You will find yourself in a dangerous world with everyone and everything wanting you to die. There are many threats you will face, including vicious hippos, crocodiles and violent storms. Pirate hunters and powerful corporations may also be present, as well as pirates hunting and the possibility of your crew mutinying.

Skull and Bones is an open-sea pirate adventure. The player will piratically a small ship known as the Dhow. To fight hungry wildlife, you are provided with a simple spear. In the beginning stages of your play you will collect things and make contracts for pirates whom you have met. You can increase your infamy by working harder, unlocking new plans and designs for weapons and ships.

Ryan Barnard, Ubisoft’s director of game development, said that naval combat remains the main experience in Skull and Bones. Barnard said, “We want it visceral, fast-paced and rewarding.” He also explained that Infamy gives players access to a broad range of weapon options. You’ve probably seen cannons but there are also Greek Fire and explosive mortars as well as bombards you can use to lob bombs onto enemy decks. You will make an impression on the high seas and your fame grows. This can lead to more missions for you, as well as better rewards.

First footage from the Skull and Bones game has shown elaborate ship designs and smaller islands. The foliage and mountains are just as detailed as the fortresses. We also see a pirate den called Sainte-Anne, where you can freely walk around, talk to vendors to craft new gear, purchase provisions for your next expedition, take on new contracts, and socialize with other players. One clip shows a player performing, which is reminiscent of Fortnite, and a potential purchase.

The ship battles look just like we remember, drawing heavy inspiration from Assassin’s Creed:  Black Flag’s excellent naval warfare. The ships roar over rolling waves as cannon fire and wood collide, producing an explosion of debris that causes sails to collapse. If your ship sinks you will respawn at the closest den or outpost, and lose some progress. The majority of your cargo will recover automatically. To get the remainder, you can travel back to your wreckage. You may not be able to find it, since other players could grab it.

On-foot, we see the pirate holding an island compass and then later finding a treasure chest. Exploration and contracts can be played in both single-player or cooperative play. You can also join PvP server to challenge other players.

While sinking ships is one method to obtain supplies, it’s also possible to pull your ship close to shore in order to gather wood from trees and rock. When in gathering mode, you’ll want to bring a cargo ship as it can haul more but be wary of other pirates because this ship is slower than others. Navigating ships are faster than other vessels, but have smaller cargo spaces and less HP. The Firepower ship has more cannons than the Navigation ships, but it is much harder to navigate. We can see the customizable options available for all the vessels shown.

Although we don’t yet know the extent of the open-world, the trailer suggests that the game will allow us to travel the Indian Ocean’s coastlines in Africa and the East Indies. Weather can have an impact on your sailing. There are many possibilities for severe storms and huge rogue waves. Other players may need to help you with dynamic events, such as taking on the royal fleet of merchant ships and their merchant vessels.

Ubisoft states that after November’s game launch, players can look forward to a continuous stream of content for many years.

This presentation was very enjoyable. Although it’s not the Black Flag spiritual successor Ubisoft was hoping to make, the customization depth looks amazing, and I love Ubisoft’s idea of starting from nothing and building up to a fleet. This is a great carrot for the player, and I’m excited about it.