Despite its billing as a “quadruple-A” live-service extravaganza, Skull and Bones has faced a barrage of criticism since its release on Friday, February 16th. The user Metacritic score for the pirate-themed game has plummeted, with only 2.8 out of 10 based on 222 user scores recorded thus far, cementing its status as the lowest-rated game of 2024 when considering user feedback alone.
The primary grievances voiced by players revolve around the perceived shortcomings of its gameplay, an uninspiring endgame, and a general sense of tedium. Many players have unfavorably compared it to titles like Sea of Thieves and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, the latter being over a decade old.
One disgruntled player remarked, “Where is the other half of the game? 10 years in development, and we get a downgraded [Assassin’s] Creed game. Awesome.”
Despite these criticisms, there is a minority—comprising 18 percent of players—who have left positive remarks. One such player expressed gratitude to Ubisoft, labeling Skull and Bones as an “amazing AAAA title” and eagerly anticipating future releases from the company.
On the critical front, the game’s score fares slightly better, sitting at a lukewarm 64 out of 100 across all platforms.
Ubisoft’s CEO, Yves Guillemot, has staunchly defended Skull and Bones, referring to it as a “quadruple-A” live-service pirate adventure. In discussions with investors, Guillemot justified the game’s premium price tag of £70 by emphasizing its comprehensive content, which includes a battle pass, premium currency, and an in-game store.
Guillemot asserted, “You will see that Skull and Bones is a full-fledged game. It’s a very big game, and we feel that people will really see how vast and complete that game is. So it’s a really full triple-A, quadruple-A game that will deliver in the long run.”