Ubisoft finally shows us Skull and Bones, and it just makes me want to play Sea of Thieves
After years of waiting, Ubisoft's open-world game of high seas piracy Skull and Bones(opens in new tab) is just about ready to set sail. We got our first proper look at it during today's Ubisoft Forward event, and more importantly we have a release date too: November 8 is when it finally arrives.
Skull and Bones is set in the Indian Ocean at the end of the 17th century, during the so-called Golden Age of Piracy. From humble beginnings at a small pirate outpost, players will set out to build their empires and legends by taking contracts, earning treasure, and expanding their fleets in «visceral, fast-paced, rewarding» PvE and optional PvP combat, according to Ubisoft. The only currency that really matters, though, is reputation: As a player's infamy grows, access to new ships, weapons, armor, and other equipment will become available, as will more lucrative—and more dangerous—opportunities.
Players who prefer a life of solitary plunder can take on Skull and Bones solo, but it's built with a focus on co-op play. Each server can handle up to 20 players, who can team up in groups of two or three to attack convoys, plunder outposts, or square off against others who have opted into PvP battles. And yes, it's a live game: Ubisoft plans regular updates with new content, activities, and challenges «for many years to come.»
For as long as Ubisoft has been working on Skull and Bones, I'm not entirely convinced it looks fun. It's essentially a spinoff of the naval exploration and combat in Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, which came out in 2013, and it shows: I may be spoiled by Sea of Thieves, but the first thing I looked at in the live Skull and Bones gameplay demo I saw (separate from the overview trailer above) was the water, and
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