Skull and Bones hands-off preview — no prey, no pay

Every legendary pirate had humble beginnings. We still hear all about Blackbeard’s legendary exploits as captain, but next-to-nothing regarding his early life. Likely because scraping dried seagull vomit off a ship’s bridge isn’t worthy of note in the history books.

In Skull and Bones, you’ll start as a bottom feeder and work up to someone worthy of their own sea shanty.

After damn-near falling off the earth’s edge years ago, Ubisoft let me see what this open world freebooting-sim is all about during a hands-off preview led by game director Ryan Barnard. Be it the thrilling infamy system that encourages being vile as can be, naval combat brimming with flexibility, and lawless PvP battles, I came away far more curious than expected. Skull and Bones isn’t wildly different from other multiplayer pirate games, but there’s enough ambition to make it stand out.

Everyone starts as a castaway here. The tropical region where you awaken is rife with danger, whether it’s saltwater crocodiles looking for an easy meal or unsavory folk eager to steal some coins — everything is hunting you. Becoming a pirate is, shockingly, the only means of defense. Undertaking this cutthroat lifestyle involves seeking out pirate dens. These settlements are full of crafting stations, helpful supply vendors, and other players. However, contracts (quests that impact your reputation) are arguably the most beneficial aspect of any pirate den.

Being a terrible person is essential to success in Skull and Bones. There are no moral quandaries, only the ever-growing need to increase your infamy. Building up a crew of loyal followers requires respect, and among pirates, that means partaking in all sorts of dastardly deeds. For example, in one contract, Barnard began attacking a fairly well-fortified seaside town by ship. As cannonballs flew through the air and silenced any screams heard from ashore, I couldn’t help but nervously cackle at how comically evil it all was. Those people on land hadn’t done anything wrong, but any victims caught in the crossfire are mere footnotes to your legend. There’s no getting around nefarious tasks either since infamy is Skull and Bones‘ primary progression treadmill. It makes sense — you can’t command an enormous fleet of loathsome seadogs if they’re not scared of the person in charge, after all. In all honestly, it’s a refreshing spin on morality systems. Who’s ever heard of “good” pirates, anyway!

That wild boat-to-land battle also highlighted the versatility of Skull and Bones‘ naval combat. Before every voyage, you can select and tweak ships to best suit the task at hand. With the settlement being surrounded by stone armor, Barnard opted for an agile and sleek brigantine. Initially, I didn’t understand why he skipped over heavier vessels with more defensive plating. Post-battle, though, I realized — the brigantine’s maneuverability makes hitting it quite tricky. Virtually every shot from land missed that boat by a country mile while it slowly peppered the town from afar. You probably know how wars of attrition go, and before long, the brigantine’s cabins had loads of fresh supplies. 

Unfortunately, all those riches caught the eye of another player. Skull and Bones, first and foremost, is a live-service multiplayer title emphasizing PvP. Ships drop all cargo should they sink, so treasure tends to place a massive target on you. In this instance, Barnard was lucky and didn’t struggle with the attacker because his brigantine was much stronger than the enemy vessel. Some well-placed shots to their hull ended the battle quickly, and while it wasn’t all that exciting from a spectator’s point of view, I slowly fell for Skull and Bones‘ no holds barred approach to competitive engagements. Some scenarios might be far from fair, but pirates rarely play by anyone’s rules.

I could see the always-online element of Skull and Bones putting some people off, though. While the entire game is soloable, there are countless scenarios where playing alone could put you at a massive disadvantage. Imagine that same ambush scenario, only with several well-tuned warships surrounding you from all sides as countless marauders swing onto the deck of your piddly little dinghy. It can certainly happen, at least from what Ubisoft claims, though measures are in place to ensure there isn’t endless griefing. If you target someone with worse armaments, it could come at a significant infamy loss if they win the battle. Not sure how it’ll all shake out once the game comes out, but time will tell.

Skull and Bones wasn’t on my radar before this preview. Though after seeing it in action, I’m curious. Between its insistence that everyone must take on a villainous role while also being a naval warfare specialist, there’s certainly potential for some thrilling escapades — even if certain multiplayer aspects appear questionable. Regardless, we’ll find out when Skull and Bones comes out on Nov. 8, 2022, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia, and PC.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.