Skull & Bones: Gameplay Leak Shows Combat, On-Foot Exploration, and More
Gameplay from Ubisoft's pirate game Skull & Bones has leaked online, giving us a look at several mechanics, including naval combat and on-foot exploration.
It's unclear which version of the game this "technical test build" is from, as Skull & Bones received a major reboot before entering an alpha stage in July 2021. Ubisoft invited some players to test an early version last month, however, meaning this leaked gameplay, shared by Wesam_L on reddit, could well be from this Insider Programme.
In this version of the game, Skull & Bones gameplay revolves around a hub area – similar to The Tower from Destiny 2 – that players will frequent in order to craft items, visit shops, take on missions, and so on. The hub, called Sainte-Anne, is "the centre of pirate activity" and thus where players are encouraged to socialise (through emotes) and organise their teams of up to three players.
Players will then head out into the world to complete quests through gameplay similar to what's been shown before: naval battles that appear slightly more complex than those from Assassin's Creed.
Most of Skull & Bones appears to revolve around this gameplay loop, though it's mixed up by different types of battles, including attacks on forts and settlements, NPC ships and player ships, and bigger "world events" such as taking on a merchant and its fleet of escorts.
Players will need to prepare beforehand so they have enough resources to keep their ship in good health, and food and drink to keep their crew's morale up. Not doing so will result in the boat being sunk (players then respawn and can return to collect their cargo) or a mutiny (where the crew takes over the ship and likely just returns the player to an outpost).
Island exploration appears a
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