Skull and Bones Review In Progress – Better Than You Think

As an outgrowth of the naval combat experiences in the Assassin's Creed series, I've been curious about Skull and Bones since its announcement as a standalone title in 2017. Since then, the game has seen numerous delays and fundamental reworks on the development side. Our cover story on the game captured one moment in the evolving project’s life in the summer of 2022, and it has continued to change in the months that followed. In recent weeks, some sentiments on the internet and in gaming communities have concluded that, by this point, the game that is releasing must be a mess.

I’m happy to report that’s not the case; Skull and Bones is a lot of fun.

Review access only opened up a few days ago, and the game on offer is exceptionally dense and large, so we’re still working on pulling together a complete review. But in the meantime, as the game comes into full release for all players today, I wanted to share that you should consider setting aside your preconceptions about Skull and Bones, and evaluating it in its finished form.

The game is a robust and exciting pirate life simulation, focusing on ship-to-ship naval combat, commerce and trading, and opportunities for cooperative play with your friends. A deep ship and character customization system provides an appealing loop of growth and advancement. Exploring the waters of the Indian Ocean makes for a visually enticing experience, featuring breathtaking sunsets, crashing storms, and tantalizing island hideaways, all accompanied by the sounds of lapping waves and sea shanties.

I’ve also been impressed by the mix of solo and cooperative PvE experiences on offer, letting me choose between building my infamy through sinking ships or through becoming a kingpin of trade across the high seas, making and selling rum and dodging rival ships as I deliver a big score to a distant outpost.

While there’s an on-foot component to the game, that’s mostly for social spaces and moments of brief land exploration and treasure chest digging. Most of the action instead plays out on the water, where you’re blasting cannons and ballistae at enemy ships and guard towers, bracing against musket fire, and racing to ram that pesky privateer before she can turn her bow. If you recall the naval battles in any of the earlier Assassin’s Creed games, you should clearly know whether it’s fun for you. Skull and Bones is not for you if you actively disliked those systems. If you liked those ship combat sequences, this is a deeper and more involved version of those systems.

That’s not to say I've loved absolutely everything. The storytelling is pretty scant, some of the UI is challenging to navigate, and I've encountered more than a few audio bugs in these first few days of play. I also feel there’s a danger of the contracts and naval battles becoming repetitive and uninteresting after a long time. But I'll also share that none of the frustrations have held me back from an enthusiastic return to my ship each day to grow my pirate empire further.

There's a lot to discover in Skull and Bones, and we're not ready to finalize our evaluation. But if you're looking for an early indication of whether the game is worth considering, our impressions thus far are strong. In this case, worry less about what you've heard before launch and even what you might once have heard the game was like; it's definitely not still just a sequence of PvP naval combat matches, for instance. Instead, go check out the actual final game on offer. I think you may be surprised.