Ubisoft Singapore’s Skull & Bones was treated to a full reveal at this year’s Ubisoft E3 Conference, and if you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, you’ll see a lot that’s familiar, and that’s not a bad thing, as the game seems to build upon the ship warfare of that title significantly into its own franchise.
After a cinematic trailer, gameplay from Skull & Bones was shown, which focused on customization of players’ ships and ship battles. As a pirate, driven out of the Caribbean by the British Empire, players move in on the Indian Ocean for their fortune. From a ship graveyard used as a hub for pirates, players can customise their ships from the helm, to the wheel and figurehead, as well as cannons and offensive options.
When traversing the open ocean, players can disguise their ships with enemy sails and colours to not attract unwanted attention, before springing on their enemies. Battles look very similar to the style established in Black Flag, as you must line up the broadside of your ship with cannons, complete with line-of-fire indicators. Once ships are sufficiently disabled, you can then board them to get the loot.
