Ubisoft Singapore’s upcoming game, Skull and Bones, may break one massive Ubisoft tradition when it finally releases. So far, the game’s development has been delayed, to say the least, and has no definite release date announced. From its initial announcement and released gameplay videos, Skull and Bones will be an action-adventure naval combat game that features both single-player campaigns and multiplayer modes. Inspiration for the game was drawn heavily from Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, but what’s been revealed from the upcoming title has been a mixed bag.
Graphically, Skull and Bones’ promotional items are beautiful and feel miles ahead from its spiritual predecessor, Black Flag. However, the gameplay revealed only gave a taste of the multiplayer mode, so those who enjoy single-player campaigns still don’t really know what to expect from the game. Though Skull and Bones has been advertised as a typical Ubisoft open-world game, it technically can’t be considered open-world because players are ship-locked the entire game.
Skull and Bones was announced in 2017 at E3 and later revealed some gameplay previews in 2018. The gameplay only showcased the “Loot Hunt” multiplayer mode, and while impressive, it more or less seems like Call of Duty with ships. The naval combat was definitely more refined than Black Flag, which worked to Skull and Bones’ advantage, but unfortunately that was the only mark it really hit.
What really made potential players skeptical of Skull and Bones was the fact that it doesn’t allow for world exploration. Though sailing the high seas on a very large, open map would allow for some form of exploration, it doesn’t technically make it an “open-world” game. In fact, from what was revealed about Skull and Bones and the path it was taking, it didn’t seem like it was going to feel like an all-inclusive pirate adventure at all. Piracy was about finding loot, spending it, and getting into combat on the land and sea—Skull and Bones won’t even let players raid other boats to do combat that way.
Technically, Skull and Bones is categorized as an “open-world” adventure, but how is the world open when players can’t set foot off their boats? The open-world category, especially in Ubisoft’s case, typically requires players to climb up pretty high and look around to make the foggy parts of the map become clear. Skull and Bones can’t accomplish this when the highest players can climb is into the crow’s nest of their moving vessel. While it’s sometimes good to stray away from an algorithmic approach to games, redefining the open-world game genre isn’t the same thing as trying something new.
During its development, Ubisoft Singapore released an update in September 2020, saying that the game had taken on a different direction and would need more time to be completed. Skull and Bones was originally anticipated to be released in 2018, but will now release sometime after March 2021. This new vision could mean big things for the development of Skull and Bones, including that it could actually be open-world in a way that players are accustomed to.
With the customization that already comes with the player character and ships, it would be nice to see Skull and Bones take on traditional open-world elements that Ubisoft is known for and really give players a truer-to-life pirate experience. Skull and Bones won’t be out for a while, and even though it seems like it’s breaking Ubisoft tradition, it may surprise players yet.
Skull and Bones is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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