AsSkull and Boneswas finally close to its long-anticipated release, fans were greeted with unfortunate news this week. This troubled Ubisoft title has been struggling to make headway toward release for the better part of five years. Ever since it was announced at E3 2017, it seems like this promising pirate simulator has seen nothing but trouble.Skull and Bonesreappeared at several events in various forms, gradually betraying that its development was going poorly. An alleged chronicle of its internal history was published in 2021 by Kotaku, and it was a grim sight.
Now, just a short while before its recently announced March 2023 release window, Ubisoft has delayed the game again.Skull and Bones' release now falls early in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal year, and a team of Ubisoft employees has been sent to the developer Ubisoft Singapore to help polish it. That’s a bad look for this game, and it’s tempered fan expectations after seeing 2022 gameplay footage reach an all-time low. It’s a shame too, asSkull and Boneswas never meant to be a drawn-out project. The original vision was always meant to build off the hype of the beloved sailing fromAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
RELATED:What Skull and Bones Can Learn from Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Made Skull and Bones What It Is
No one who’s kept up withSkull and Bonescan avoid hearing aboutAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. Released in 2013 as the sixth main series title InAssassin’s Creed,Black Flaghas developed a reputation as thelast greatAssassin’s Creedgame developed in its original style. After a string of middling entries, 2017’sAssassin’s Creed Originsshifted the franchise from a stealth platformer toward being an open-world action RPG. Arguably,Black Flagwas the first instance of this new direction, but that’s given it a unique identity.
RegularAssassin’s Creedgameplay is the last thing on fans' minds when they’re discussing this game, however. The trueBlack Flagexperience is its excellent simulation of commandeering a pirate ship. In a move that would become a series staple inAssassin’s Creed OdysseyandValhalla, players could sail around the map in a customizable vessel, singing shanties with their crew as they raid other boats or jump off and grab some treasure nestled in a small island’s shallows.AAA gaming hadn’t attempted a thorough pirate experiencelike this before, and it was so well-received that Ubisoft turned a multiplayer naval expansion into the title now known asSkull and Bones.
Something Should Prepare Fans For Skull and Bones' Release
The game has been stuck in development hell ever since. While the end may be in sight, fans suspect that it’s not going to be what was promised. Meanwhile, theAssassin’s Creedfranchise has transformed into something almost completely different, and the leftover sailing aspects are treated more like a side attraction than a core gameplay feature.Sea of Thievesand thePirates of the Caribbeanworld inKingdom Hearts 3have been the best attempts at recapturingAC4’s sailing experience, and both could have been caused by the hype surroundingBlack Flag.
IfSkull and Bonesis going to restore fan enthusiasm, there must be a reminder of why it was created in the first place. Ubisoft needs another project comparable toAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagto bolsterSkull and Bones. PerhapsBlack Flag Infinite, the working title ofSkull and Bones, could be resurrected. Responsibility would be handed to a studio typically known forAssassin’s Creeddevelopment, preferably one that could support the variety of activities that madeBlack Flagwork. ABlack Flagexpansion forthe upcomingAssassin’s Creed Miragecould do the trick, bringing sailing back into focus. Whatever the method, it needs to come soon, becauseSkull and Bonescould use some help finally pulling ashore.
Skull and Bonesis currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Has One Advantageous Feature Over Skull and Bones
