After more than a decade of development, Skull and Bones has finally sailed into the gaming world, but the voyage hasn’t been smooth. Once envisioned as a thrilling pirate fantasy, Ubisoft’s long-gestating naval adventure has become a bloated live-service title that replaces daring swashbuckling with a monotonous cycle of fetch quests and cargo hauling. Despite flashes of brilliance, Skull and Bones often feels like a ship without a rudder, drifting through a sea of unrealized potential.
A Promising Start — Quickly Washed Away
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot called Skull and Bones a “quadruple-A” game. And for a moment, you might believe him. The game opens with a cinematic final stand at sea, immersing you in the chaos and wonder of pirate life. You’re thrown into Skull and Bones Items a starting area brimming with charm, where levels don’t yet matter and the promise of adventure feels real.
But as soon as the live-service systems kick in, that sense of wonder vanishes. The starter hub — think Destiny 2’s Tower, only made of wood — is filled with lifeless NPCs and dull fetch quests. The main questline, led by Captain Scurlock, offers a smidge of purpose, but even that wears thin.
Infamy and Power, But at What Cost?
Progression in Skull and Bones revolves around increasing two stats: your Infamy Rank and Ship Rank. You gain Infamy through exploration, combat, and quests, which in turn unlocks better blueprints for ships and gear. Ship Rank, meanwhile, depends on your vessel’s components and weapons.
Unfortunately, the loop is stifled by a grind-heavy structure. The world is massive, filled with icons directing you to mine wood, ore, or other resources via simple minigames. Combat is mostly just a numbers game: better gear means a better chance at victory. The thrill of piracy gets lost in the busywork.
Sailing the Seas — More Chore Than Charm
Sailing should be the beating heart of a pirate game, but in Skull and Bones, it’s just… tedious. Navigation mostly consists of adjusting sails and avoiding headwinds. You’ll spend more time watching your stamina bar than engaging in exciting ship maneuvers. Real-life sailing is complex and adventurous. Here, it’s just a slow ride between chore points.
Even enemy encounters at sea offer only brief sparks of excitement — cannonballs flying, wood splintering, numbers popping — but it’s all skin-deep. Strategy is shallow. You hit the button to board a ship, and instead of a thrilling battle, you’re treated to a cutscene and some bonus loot.
A Pirate’s Life: Fetch Quests and Fast Travel Points
The islands scattered across the map are often just fast travel points with traders dishing out more dull contracts. Side quests are repetitive and uninspired. Blueprints are crucial for upgrading your ship, but they’re hidden behind vendors across the world and require grinding Infamy to access.
Scurlock’s main questline ends with you likely underpowered for the next region. The game expects you to “catch up” by doing more contracts, gathering more mats, and grinding more Infamy — a slow, painful loop that rarely feels rewarding. You’ll spend hours sailing for minor stat boosts or slightly stronger cannons with different color rarities.
Endgame: Deliveries, Not Drama
If you manage to survive the mid-game slog, the endgame “rewards” you with… delivery jobs. Sugarcane becomes rum. Berries become opium. Deliver them across the sea — but beware! Fast travel is disabled, and AI pirate hunters are on your tail. The supposed tension falls flat. It’s less Pirates of the Caribbean and more Amazon Prime: Ocean Edition.
Even the loot lacks imagination. No unique weapons with cool effects. No flashy gear that changes how you play. Just better stats and slightly improved firepower, if you’re lucky. It’s a live-service game that doesn’t understand the appeal of loot or the joy of being surprised by treasure.
Ship Customization: The One Shining Light
There is a bit of joy in customizing your ship. Larger ships allow for more weapons and even “furniture” like rope lockers or rigging stations that affect stats. Naming your ship, outfitting it with cannons, sniper rifles, or firebombs — it’s the closest Skull and Bones comes to fun. But even here, your crew is basically non-existent. You’re not a captain commanding a loyal team — you are the boat.
Multiplayer? Barely There.
Multiplayer in a pirate game should be a highlight — shared raids, massive naval battles, or treasure hunts with friends. But Skull and Bones feels like a ghost town. Even when the game suggests teaming up with others, no one shows up. Players drift in and out, and cooperative play feels like an afterthought.
Technical Performance and Bugs
Visually, the game looks good. Oceans are pretty, ship designs are solid, and explosions are flashy. But bugs are frequent. Menus freeze, ships vanish from the map, or UI elements fail to load. While not game-breaking, these issues add to the general sense that Skull and Bones still isn’t ready for prime time.
Final Verdict: A Treasure That’s Not Worth the Hunt
Skull and Bones had so much potential — a pirate MMO, filled with thrilling naval battles, loot, camaraderie, and oceanic wonder. Instead, it’s a lifeless grind dressed in a pretty sailcloth.
For players who love the idea of relaxing sea voyages and don’t mind repetitive delivery jobs, Skull and Bones might offer a meditative grind. But for everyone else — those seeking excitement, narrative, meaningful loot, or even just plain fun — this game is an empty chest at the bottom of cheap skull and bones boosting the sea.
