It’s certainly not the first game to experiment with gameplay and perspective in the pirate mold.

Skull and Bones is a bare bones pirate experience.

There are no crew battles, swordplay, or even individual crew mate selection, for that matter.

A split image of Sea of Thieves, Skull and Bones, and Pirates!

There is mainly the ship, the ships weapons, and the stats.

And the microtransactions, of course.

There’s no doubt that many ofSkull and Bones simulation aspects are brazenly ridiculous at the best of times.

Best Sea Of Thieves Features Skull And Bones Didnt Ignore

Its so unexpectedly strange that most players will probably discover these resource-gathering mechanics entirely by accident.

Any real autonomy here lies within the predictable framework of an instanced action-MMO.

But then, the event ends.

Helldivers 2 Helldiver using new Stun Lance melee weapon from Urban Legends Warbond

These stack onto a pile of design decisions which leavesSkull and Bones pirate open-world fantasy mostly un-plundered.

It’s everything surrounding those battles and skirmishes that makesSkull and Bonesa harder sell.

Lacking the ability to dock and explore, ocean exploration feels perfunctory and artificially hampered.

Skull and Bones Review

A digital PlayStation 5 code was provided toScreen Rantfor the purpose of this review.

Players can tackle the self-contained single-player campaign or play online in teams of five in multiplayer combat.

Battles will culminate in destruction or boarding as players steal items to sell to continue their conquest.

A view of a pirate ship in the water having successfully completed an instanced plunder mission in Skull and Bones

A view of a deck firing a launcher weapon at a fortress in Skull and Bones

A view of sailing a dhow in open waters in Skull and Bones

Three pirates look out into the horizon at three increasingly larger ships in Skull and Bones

A sea monster roaring through the ocean and attacking a ship in Skull and Bones

Gaming

Skull and Bones