Introduction
Always wanted to roam the seven seas for riches and glory? Well i do.
A good pirate game has been long overdue for quite some time now. I mean, the pirate era is the golden era for a game you would think. You have interesting characters, naval battles, sword duels and an exotic setting, why we have not had an amazing pirate game yet to date is beyond me.
Some hope into what a pirate game could look like came in Assassins Creed 4 : Black Sails. where we got to try out some awesome naval battles (and i mean awesome) and everything of the above that should be in a pirate game. But still, this game was a Assassins Creed game, not a pirate game in it's core, so my heart was still longing for that true epic pirate experience.
Well it seems my wishes has come true. The makers of AC:BS has now introduced us to one of their latest projects. The pirate game Skull & Bones.
Lets walk trough what this hidden, sparkling pearl of a game will offer.
Story
Set in year 1721, you start of as an unknown Caribbean swashbuckler (you get to choose a character) who recently denied a pardon from the king and fled to the Indian Ocean, an dangerous, exotic and untamed environment with many hidden secrets. Your story takes place during the fantastic golden age of pirates where the first revolution of renegades and criminals who had no respect for the governing laws and believed in true freedom existed.
On your journey you will meet many iconic characters from history, and there is also talk of possible mythical sea-creatures also playing a role in the game, such as the famous Kraken.
The story basically is one to create yourself, you need to make your name as a pirate captain by preying on the Ocean as a true naval warrior. Loot trade routes, find hidden treasures and make a name for yourself among the pirate legends. You will fight off pirate lords, other players and possibly large monsters to establish your place as a pirate lord, controlling an empire, sounds awesome eh?
Gameplay
Naval Battles
Wind will play a large role when navigating you ship as a pirate captain. If you are good to manage the wind and utilizing it smartly, you will be able to position yourself and avoid/wreck havoc.
Cripple your enemies warships to then board and slaughter them and steal all their hard earned loot for yourself.
Customization will also play a large role in this game. You will be able to pimp your ship anyway you want, with weapons like bigger badder cannons or special sails to offer other tactical advantages.
Naval battles will be both in PvP and single-player, battle it out with historical pirates or blast your friends a new A-hole with that new fancy cannon you just got.
Trading & The Crew
To become a true pirate lord you will need loot. In the age of pirates, trading was one of the most common sources of income, and as a pirate you will be hunting for resources like spices which you will then use to upgrade you ship (not with the spices literally, but sell them for money or trade, duh)
Your crew will reflect your luck as a predator in the untamed oceans. If you are a good pirate captain with good economic income , your crew will reflect this with their appearance.
Multiplayer
Work in battle-teams with your friends and unleash havoc upon your foes on the sea.
Different types of ships will offer different tactical advantages, develop & customize your friends brigade with some after thought to gain a tactical upper hand.
Cool game modes where you fight for loot, bring down giant boss ships, flee from a navy and other pirate-inspired modes.
Key Game Features
Use your environment like the weather and the wind to navigate trough the high seas. To your help you will have your trusty crew, a spyglass giving you information about you targets, and destructive weapons.
This game is very graphically pleasing to the eyes. They have new water graphics developed for this game and it looks simply fantastic. The exotic beautiful setting outside the coast of Madagascar is truly made justice in this game.
Raid and hunt for victims, either alone or with the help of friends (or blast your friends to bits, heh).
Take down the dreaded pirate lords that rule the seven seas and take your place as the true pirate king of all. Build cool warships, recruit your crew and choose your captain to start the adventure of a lifetime.
The environment will change as you pillage and raid in an interactive way. The shared open-world is full of NPC's and other players. Watch out, they all want the booty!
Time to show on the online leaderboards who the true pirate of them all are. Destroy your friends in new pirate inspired game modes.
Screenshots & Concept Art
Sources
- https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/skull-and-bones/
- All images are from the Community Creator package that can be found here
