Skull & Bones (Xbox One/SX)

Endlich ist Skull and Bones erschienen! Leider wird es begleitet, von vielen verschiedenen Meldungen und den Verzögerungen, welche einen negativen Hauch mitschwingen lassen. Es hat einen gewissen Spielspaß, aber leider trifft es nicht die Erwartungshaltung, welche viele hatten.

Das Segeln und die explosiven Gefechte sind ebenso klasse wie die ansehnliche Kulisse – leider geht es abseits davon aber fast ausschließlich um das zähe Sammeln von Ressourcen zum ständigen Ausbau des Schiffs.

Skull and Bones fühlt sich wie ein Online-Modus aus Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, aber in schlecht. Die Seeschlachten machen anfangs wirklich Spaß und sehen auch echt toll aus, aber es bleibt leider ein gleichförmiger und öder Grind. Es gibt nicht viel zu tun, Gameplay findet abseits vom Schiff nicht statt und auch sonst plätschert das alles einfach nur so vor sich hin. Potential ist da auf jeden Fall irgendwo, aber so gibt es genügend spaßigere Alternativen im Piraten-Genre.

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.

When all is said and done, though, I can’t shake the impression that Skull and Bones could have been a much more complete pirate game. After AC Black Flag and Rogue, both of which include a lot of sailing and naval battles, you’d expect a new game to be at least as complete. Instead, we got kind of a simplified version of a pirate game, with limited options on what to do outside your ship. Maybe some of these things will be fixed and improved in future updates, but for now, all that remains is to explore the vast map and strengthen your ship as much as possible.

Despite its long and circuitous course to arrive at port, Skull and Bones is the type of game that may change significantly in the coming months. But to evaluate it as it stands, fellow pirate enthusiasts may discover what I did – a flawed but beautifully presented historical fantasy in which one can take to the water and make a fortune, even if absolutely everything about the pirate life isn’t always pretty.

Skull and Bones strips away everything great about Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, resulting in a dull live-service game that's often a chore.

Ubisoft's long-in-the-works pirate adventure boasts a beautiful world and bombastic ship-to-ship combat, but it sinks amid boring busywork and tedious traversal.