Skull and Bones is a highly anticipated pirate game that has drawn comparisons to Sea of Thieves. In a recent Reddit post, user I_is_a_dogg shared their thoughts on the game as someone who loves Sea of Thieves and has spent countless hours exploring its vast oceans.
Summary:
- Skull and Bones is a different experience from Sea of Thieves, with a focus on naval combat as a pirate ship rather than individual pirates.
- The gameplay in Skull and Bones feels arcade-like, with simple combat mechanics and quick ship repairs.
- While there is a progression system in Skull and Bones, the gameplay loop doesn’t provide the same level of immersion and fun as Sea of Thieves.
Skull and Bones: A Different Pirate Experience
According to I_is_a_dogg, Skull and Bones offers a different experience compared to Sea of Thieves. In Sea of Thieves, players assume the roles of individual pirates, free to explore the sea and engage in various activities. However, in Skull and Bones, players take on the role of a pirate ship, focusing on naval combat rather than individual actions.
While Skull and Bones looks great and has an immersive atmosphere, the combat mechanics feel more arcade-like, lacking the grand sea battles that were initially expected. Players report that combat mostly involves aiming and firing while sitting still or moving slowly. The enemy ships appear to have cracked aim and hit the player’s ship regardless of their movements. Despite this, the repairing mechanics are quick and make it difficult to ever feel like the ship is in danger of sinking.
Progression and Gameplay Loop
I_is_a_dogg mentions that while Skull and Bones does have a progression system, it doesn’t offer the same level of immersion and fun as Sea of Thieves. In Sea of Thieves, progression is tied to cosmetics, with no gameplay-affecting upgrades. The ship and weapons a player starts with are the same they will have even after hundreds of hours of gameplay.
On the other hand, Skull and Bones allows players to try out different weapons for their ship, offering a progression system. Additionally, missions picked up in Skull and Bones stay with the player regardless of logging off, unlike the session-based structure of Sea of Thieves.
Community Sentiment
Reddit user RoanWoasbi expressed that if they had not played Sea of Thieves, Skull and Bones would be the game for them. Atranox shares a similar sentiment, mentioning that Skull and Bones does not deliver the naval combat or pirate elements as well as they would have liked.
CaliCorsair, a day-one Sea of Thieves player, believes that Sea of Thieves is a more social game, offering more tension and immersion when collaborating and competing with other crews. However, CaliCorsair also mentions that Sea of Thieves lacks challenge from a PvE perspective, and this is where Skull and Bones could potentially excel. They hope for more PvP and risk/reward elements in Skull and Bones to balance out the gameplay.
Overall, the sentiment from Sea of Thieves players towards Skull and Bones seems to be mixed. While some appreciate the different pirate experience it offers, others feel that it falls short in certain areas such as combat mechanics and overall depth. The preference for Sea of Thieves stems from its immersive world, social interactions, and the potential for improvement in future updates.
