Skull and Bones

TheSixthAxisAdrian Burrows

7/10

Skull and Bones is a very odd game and there are plenty of aspects to it that will leave a great number of players stone-cold. But, there is also something wonderful about it as well; the sense of exploration, the cathartic combat, the glorious visuals, the welcoming online community, and the ridiculously catchy sea shanties. In short, like the very best pirate, Skull and Bones will be loved by some, and hated by others. For my part, and in spite of its issues, I love it.

VideogamerTom Bardwell

7/10

Skull and Bones is a solid pirating adventure that has its moment but is often weighed down by a sluggish grind and outdated quest design.

Press StartJames Wood

6.5/10

While its ship customisation revels in aesthetic delights, little else here allows for the kind of pirate fantasy we’ve been waiting for since 2013. Despite some early promise and admirable endgame ideas, Skull and Bones charts a fairly unremarkable course through its gorgeously empty ocean.

Analog Stick GamingJeff Young

6.5/10

Skull and Bones shows its development troubles across every system both big and small. Its combat and customization are solid, but the world, people, and core fundamentals around are lacking, flat, and uninspired. Skull and Bones’s biggest sin is that you never once feel like a pirate and instead a

The OuterHavenScott Adams

One of the most prevalent opinions in the gaming sphere is that Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the peak of the Assassin's Creed series. That fueled the idea of a game mostly oriented on the pirate aspect of Black Flag. This is where the game Skull and Bones comes…

Impulse GamerRichard Banks

Black Flag is often considered the best pirate game of all time, so creating a follow-up should have been a breeze for Ubisoft, and there are times when

Worth PlayingTony "OUberLord" Mitera

5.1/10

In Skull and Bones, players take command of their own warship to live the ultimate pirate experience alongside their friends. Become a legend of the open ocean.

Xbox AchievementsJosh Wise

50/100

Skull and Bones is a dull exercise in checklist progression, spiced here and there with some impressive sailing.

Capsule ComputersTravis Bruno

5/10

Skull and Bones nails its ship combat and sailing so wonderfully it becomes a highlight amongst generic gameplay loops, bare bones story, and chore-like endgame tasks.

GameGrinJacob Sanderson

5/10

Skull and Bones is simply uninspired and tells a boring story, yet is relatively fun in its moment-to-moment gameplay.

Game RantAdrian Morales

5/10

From the start, Skull and Bones makes it clear that this is almost entirely a ship-based game. The first time players take control of their character after a destitute character creation process, the game's technical issues are highlighted by its odd movement animations, sluggish camera, and clunky player momentum. Simply going up to a merchant and trying to talk to them is needlessly tricky sometimes, as it requires being at a specific distance from the NPC and not a step closer. The only on-foot combat players will ever encounter is fighting with the camera controls just to see where they ne...

GGReconDani Cross

There are brief windows within Skull and Bones where I can see some remnants of passion. Maybe your crew will break into an unprompted shanty while you’re sailing to your next destination, or maybe you’ll stumble across one of the few unique discoveries worth seeing out on the ocean. Everything else is a chore. A predictable one, considering the game’s delays and development issues, but a disappointment all the same.