![]() After the Black Flag MMO was scrapped, along with its Caribbean setting in the process, Skull and Bones adopted a new setting, the fantastical Hyperborea. During development, Skull and Bones went through several different iterations, most of which revolved around different time settings and locations. This trend continued with Skull and Bones' different potential settings. But Ubisoft changed tack, and any hype that would have been found in that concept was snuffed out. The first concept for the game, an MMO based on Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, would have probably been incredibly well received if it launched just a few years after Black Flag, a game that's only become more beloved in the decade since its initial launch. Skull and Bones has already missed multiple boats. But it's been six years since Skull and Bones was first announced, and 10 since it first started development, so it's starting to seem less and less likely that anyone will actually want to play it when it does eventually come out. In the years that have followed, Skull and Bones has received no less than six lengthy delays, with Ubisoft promising big things for the game with each one. For years, rumors circulated around Ubisoft's mysterious pirate game, but the gaming public wouldn't find out anything concrete until E3 2017 when Skull and Bones was officially announced. I sunk the AI-controlled ships that are fodder for both teams and collected their loot.Beginning development all the way back in 2013, Skull and Bones was initially planned to be an MMO spin-off of the wildly successful Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Using my skills from “Black Flag,” I dominated the map by getting ships in range of my Brigantine guns. ![]() The only caveat is that players can’t see what’s going on with the deck below. If players need to get a wide view of the map, they can tap a button and check out the map from the crow’s nest. It’s important to stay away from a boat’s broadsides and its special class ability. That makes a huge difference in combat, which relies on spacing, speed and timing. If they go against, speed is limited and vessels could be sitting ducks. With the wind behind them, players can maneuver at max speed. Players are encouraged to sail with the wind, which is marked on the map. The big difference from “Black Flag” and this title is how weather affects the speed of the ship. The sloop-of-war is small, agile and weak, but it packs a wallop when anchored and attacking from a distance. The brigantine excels in close-up combat with its guns and naval ram. The frigate is tough and has the most firepower, but it’s slow. Players could choose between three classes: the massive frigate, the medium-sized brigantine and the small sloop-of-war. In a multiplayer match, it was five versus five. I played a match of the pirate game at E3 2017, and it seems as though it will be a solid title that will have a niche audience. “Skull & Bones” isn’t an “Assassin’s Creed” game, but it does take the ship-to-ship combat and bring it to the next stage of its evolution - multiplayer. The success and potential of that section of the game spawned a pirate-themed follow-up, “ Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.” That turned out to be the best entry since the first sequel. The roiling ocean and the waters hitting the ships made combat unpredictable. One of the highlights of the experience was the naval warfare, which puts players in charge of a ship and lets them sail through stormy New England seas and rival vessels. ![]() Despite being a mediocre game, “Assassin’s Creed III” had its moments.
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