270°
7.0

Skull and Bones Review - IGN

This seafaring RPG has a great foundation, despite feeling like a live-service first draft.

RaidenBlack87d ago

7/10 ain't that bad ... pretty decent actually

thorstein87d ago

That's what I give it.

It's fun. They're is a lot more to do than I thought. I enjoy taking down ships, but I'd like some sword fighting and actual boarding.

MeatyUrologist87d ago

You mention there is a lot to do, but without swordfighting, boarding, exploration, on foot sections etc, what IS there to do? Most reviews I have read state it is basically just a boring, repetitive looter shooter but played through the eyes of a boat. I'm genuinely curious what variety of things you are referring to that are enjoyable, because I am itching for a pirate game, but this so far looks really unappealing.

thorstein87d ago

There are stories to explore, missions to go on. Many of the characters give you missions.

I've only opened the main mission with captain Spurlock and the Black Market storyline.

Most of the time, you're being a pirate attacking ships and fortified positions.

I live coming upon a battle and joining in with the other players.

You create a character and there are towns to go through/ explore. Finding more materials and the like.

Looter.. well, you can get supplies and crafting material. But you don't find exotic guns, those must be built by the blacksmith.

I think there's a trial.

I get that it's not for everyone. I get that some people don't like Ubisoft.

I'm constantly on the lookout to upgrade things and gain infamy. The idea is to become the kingpin.

You are free to follow your own story and you're not shoehorned into a story. I went 10 hours without progressing the main story. Then when I did, I was OP, but that didn't make it less fun.

SyntheticForm87d ago

All they had to do was take the foundational principles set by AC: Black Flag and improve upon them.

The problem is that the game is solely focused on ship-to-ship combat and completely abandons the third-person melee combat of AC: Black Flag, which was a huge part of the fun after you boarded a ship.

I know this is its own new game, but to abandon the very successful ideas of the game that inspired it is a letdown.

You said there's more to do than you thought, so I may try it just to see what you're talking about.

Ninver87d ago

You're right a 7/10 ain't bad. It's my "try worthy" score.

GamerRN87d ago

Tried it during the beta... 15 minutes later, deleted it

Ninver87d ago

Can't really judge a game based on it's beta. Demo's I understand but not betas.

seanpitt2387d ago

11 years and 100s of millions in development expect at least an 8

thorstein87d ago (Edited 87d ago )

100s of millions?

You got the receipts? Because, for the past 20 years game publishers haven't shown the receipts for any game's production.

Sure, there are journos making spurious claims about cost, a leaked document said Horizon Forbidden West was 220 million. The cost hasn't been confirmed.

Other than that, not one company has stated. "Yeah we spent this much, here's the receipts."

So I highly doubt you know how much it cost.

But I'm happy to admit I'm wrong if you show the receipts.

Jin_Sakai87d ago

“100s of millions?”

It’s definitely up there.

“The project reportedly cost Ubisoft more than $120 million.“

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/...

thorstein87d ago

@Jin that is a Wikipedia article linking a kotaku article claiming 120 million with no source whatsoever.

I just want to see some receipts.

@storm You can get off your ship all the time. The main towns have entire areas populated with NPCs and stories/ missions.

Some deserted islands you get to wander around and turn into fast travel. They're not as robust as I'd like. But one good feature is the cache where you basically can transfer cargo to your warehouse.

It prevents backtracking just to empty your hull.

StormSnooper87d ago (Edited 87d ago )

If it’s anything like black flag it should be great.

BUT one of the things that made black flag amazing was that sense of freedom it gave you, and a big part of that was that you could get off the ship and explore, then hop onto your ship. Made you feel like a real pirate. An explorer, adventurer.

This game lacks that. Because you can’t get off the ship. I wonder how well it does what black flag could make you feel.

Can anyone fill me/us in?

thorstein87d ago

Oops. See my reply above.

You can get off your ship. I thought I was responding to you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 86d ago
-Foxtrot87d ago

7/10 is being generous

Are people scared of Ubisoft or something

“Shit, won’t get that exclusive coverage in the future if I say bad stuff”

GamerRN87d ago

I would give it a 5 or 6, personally... By far their worst game that I've played in a while

senorfartcushion87d ago

They're afraid to be blacklisted.

IGN rarely give a AAA game less than a 7

FinalFantasyFanatic87d ago

It's sad that the average is 7/10 instead of 5/10.

-Foxtrot87d ago

Only reason they dumped on Suicide Squad was probably because they weren’t afraid of Warner Brothers

A big publisher like Ubisoft…different story

FPS_D3TH87d ago (Edited 87d ago )

This games about to walk the plank 3 months after launch

Ubisoft should highly consider removing all of its upper management

Profchaos87d ago

They are determined to make a live service game with legs after seeing everyone else do it. It'll be their downfall

JackBNimble87d ago (Edited 87d ago )

A live service won't be their downfall, plenty of gamers will play a live service, a shitty game will be their downfall.

I was interested until I realized you character is basically stuck to the ship, I don't want that. They should have made it similar to sea of thieves.
Maybe I'll on a psn sale for $10 but I ain't paying anymore then that .

thorstein87d ago (Edited 87d ago )

@Jack

You're not the only person stating that your "stuck to your ship." Where did you hear that?

There are towns with traders, craftsman, ship builders, carpenters, a black market.

There are deserted islands that you can leave your ship, drop cargo, pick up missions.

Do I wish those islands had more to do other than serve as a fast travel, cargo dump, mission point? Yes!!!

But you can get off your ship.

No there is no sword fighting. Boarding is a cut scene.

Profchaos87d ago

Better than expected clearly no AAAA titles though

Silly Mammo87d ago (Edited 87d ago )

Should have just remade Sid Meier's Pirates! with the Black Flag engine. Sea battles, boarding and capturing forts. Add ship/crew management, goods trading and romance and it would have been a classic.

TheColbertinator87d ago

Pirates! is a tragic tale of "Great game but nobody wants to build upon it anymore".

Show all comments (44)
160°

Top 30 Most Disappointing Video Games

Despite all the hype, marketing, development time and resources behind them, these blockbuster titles would disappoint fans.

Read Full Story >>
gamingbolt.com
shadowT25d ago

Days Gone? I love Days Gone.

solideagle25d ago

I think I platinumed it, It was awesome especially the first time you come across the horde

peppeaccardo24d ago

One of the best open world zombie game ever. Very engaging great story graphics and all.
These mofo should go back playing starfield and change phil's diaper.
GFYS!!

thorstein25d ago

The Order 1886 wasn't disappointing.

It was great.

Maybe do an article about Games Journalists Lied About. That would be a good read.

FPSRUSSIA25d ago (Edited 25d ago )

I Agree The order 1886 is Great but Short to bad there wont be a Sequel since the Developers Moved on to other Platforms.

DustMan24d ago

I thought it was great while it lasted. As soon as things got interesting and the action picked up the game ended. When it was over I legit was like "that's all of it?"

jimb0j0nes25d ago

Sure, the campaign was terrible, but MW3 isn't even the top three most disappointing COD games...

anast25d ago

That's a lot of Bethesda games on that list. Where's Starfield?

TwoPicklesGood25d ago

Whole lot of Sony games with Forsaken, Days Gone, Risen of the Ronin, and The Order 1886.

anast25d ago

In reality only one of those Sony games is actually just okay, and the others are good to solid. Whereas the Bethesda ones are objectively bad.

Tacoboto25d ago

Two of those Sony games aren't Sony games and the two that actually are, Sony clearly agreed based on their cutting ties with longtime partner Ready at Dawn and their well-reported rejection of DG2.

I'd like to check out The Order someday soon and see how it holds up since that style of shorter game fits my mood lately, but Forspoken was uniformly panned and RotR is a sign that Team Ninja needs to ease off the gas a bit to focus on quality over quantity.

Tacoboto25d ago

Suicide Squad being at number 2 or even in this list seems like a freebie - its existence alone was disappointing, I don't think many people actually had positive expectations for it near release.

Not having Starfield at all feels like they're ignoring a huge conversation of last year. Even as someone that likes the game, ignoring its reception is head-in-the-sand at best and its restrictions were magnified by its release alongside Baldur's Gate 3. The disappointment many feel about it FARRRRR exceeds any disappointment people have for random third party titles like... Biomutant, and Exoprimal... Same could be said for reception around Forza Motorsport.

Show all comments (16)
90°
8.0

Skull and Bones Review: Our Verdict After 200 hours of gameplay | FinalBoss

Dive into our in-depth review of Skull and Bones, Ubisoft's latest MMORPG venture. After 200 hours of navigating tumultuous seas and engaging in naval warfare, we explore what sets this pirate adventure apart.

Read Full Story >>
finalboss.io
CrimsonWing6948d ago

How much did they pay you? I’m kidding, there’s always crazy opinions out there that can be so off the mark it’s baffling. There’s so much better games out there worth 200 hours of your time than this.

FinalBoss48d ago

Haha, if only they had paid me, right? I wish, but they did not :)
But in all seriousness, I've been playing Skull and Bones since the closed beta, as I mentioned in my review, and I genuinely enjoyed it.
It's just my personal take on it. And whenI read review with others from the gaming press, I noticed that many critics have spent far less time with the game, sometimes around just 10 hours.
If you dive into my review, you'll see I'm not shy about pointing out the game's flaws alongside its strengths. It's all about sharing diverse opinions, and I appreciate yours!

ModsDoBetter48d ago

6-7 imo.

Base games on value.
I got 80hrs out of it before I burnt out, <0.70p per hour. Can't go wrong.

FinalBoss48d ago

That's a solid way to measure a game's worth! :)

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time with Skull and Bones for a good 80 hours before reaching your limit. I guess it's coincide with the factory grind. Now it's much better with their last update.
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint!

Patrick247d ago (Edited 47d ago )

Wow, based on this review I wouldn't trust your opinion on any game. This game is pure unmitigated trash. Whoever wrote the plot wouldn't know a good story if it ran over them with an 18 wheeler, and the gameplay is even worse. You couldn't give me this game if you put it in a PS5 that I was being given for free. It's a sorry excuse for a pirate game or a game in general. I'd give it a 3 at best.

FinalBoss47d ago

Based on your comment, it seems you might not have had a chance to play the game yourself and are perhaps basing your opinion on what's circulating online.
Just like how some people love pineapple on pizza while others see it as blasphemy, games can evoke a wide range of reactions. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, and it's totally okay for us to have different views on what makes a game enjoyable.

200°

PS5 Best-Selling Console in the US in February, Helldivers 2 Best-Selling Game

The PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console in the US in February 2024 in terms of units sold and dollar sales, according to figures from Circana (formerly The NPD Group). Circana includes the dates for the four week period of February 4 to March 2.

Read Full Story >>
vgchartz.com
Nyxus54d ago

"Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was the #2 best-selling premium game of February, instantly becoming the 4th best-selling game of 2024 YTD. Also debuting on the chart in February was the Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack, placing 8th in February and at #16 for the year."

https://twitter.com/MatPisc...

MrNinosan54d ago

No no no... it's a big failure according to folks around here because it sold less physical copies in Japan than FFXVI.

thorstein54d ago (Edited 54d ago )

Skull & Bones was 4th / 9th so far this year.... also a big failure according to folks songs here.

Bathyj53d ago

Did people say skuil and bones was a failure or that it sucked?

53d ago
Eonjay54d ago

Congrats to Helldivers and Final Fantasy!

ApocalypseShadow53d ago

That's great. Now concentrate selling VR headsets Sony.

hiroyukisanada53d ago (Edited 53d ago )

2nd best in February off literally 1 day of February sales 😂 Feb 29th! But the Internet would have you believe it's a flop

53d ago
Bathyj53d ago

If a $40 game sold more dollar value than a $70 game it must have sold at least 75% more units. Impressive.

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