Summary
Ubisoft’s newly launchedSkull and Bonesis not faring well on the review aggregate site Metacritic, where it has received overwhelmingly negative ratings from gamers. Prior to its full release, game testers had already complained about the game.
Revealed to the public at Ubisoft’s E3 2017 press conference,Skull and Bonesinitially marketed itself as an online open world game that would give its players the opportunity to explore the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of Piracy as a pirate captain. However, the game spearheaded by Ubisoft Singapore supposedly went through multiple changes in design and scope mid-production, resulting in several delays.Skull and Bonesfinally launched on February 16, but it has received mostly negative reviews from players.
OnMetacritic,Skull and Boneshas a user score of 3.1 out of 10 based on around 500 reviews, earning it a Generally Unfavorable rating. Out of those reviews, about 71% were negative, with many of those critical submissions pointing outSkull and Bones' shallowness and dull story. Meanwhile, critics have been far more forgiving of Ubisoft’s pirate adventure title, as the game has a Metascore of 64 out of 100. For comparison,Assassin’s Creed Unity, which is thelowest-rated game in the entireAssassin’s Creedfranchise, has a user score of 5.5 and a Metascore of 72.
Skull and Bones Metacritic Reviews
During a closed beta forSkull and Boneslast December, many testers ended up quitting the game as they claimedSkull and Boneswas too boring. Ubisoft has apparently made little to no changes since then, as this is still a common complaint among players of the full release, along with a poor storyline and general lack of charm.
While many considerSkull and Bonesto be tedious and uninspired in its current state, some believe Ubisoft can salvage the game by slowly building upSkull and Bones' post-launch content.Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, another live-service title from Ubisoft, was able to become extremely popular after it received numerous post-release updates.
It will likely take Ubisoft a while to addressSkull and Bones' issues. In the meantime, those looking for a similar kind of experience can try out the many pirate games likeSkull and Bonesthat are currently available. Among these is the Microsoft-publishedSea of Thievesthat just recently received a massive update, as well asAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, which is considered the spiritual predecessor ofSkull and Bones.
