Assassin's Creed publisher drops major free download, but not everyone is interested

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is easily one of the franchise’s best instalments. In fact, it’s one of the best pirate games of all-time. It begs the question then, if Ubisoft created something as fantastic as Black Flag, how is it that they’ve failed to hit the mark so abysmally with Skull and Bones?

Skull and Bones achieved somewhat legendary status even before it was released, simply for how many times its release was delayed. Alas, here we are. The year is 2024 and we can all finally play Skull and Bones. The problem is that not many actually want to. After a short beta period, Skull and Bones is now available to purchase on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S but with gamers unwilling to part with £69.99 of their hard earned cash, Ubisoft is attempting to lure prospective sailors in with a generous eight-hour free trial.

Take a look at Skull and Bones in action below.

The eight-hour demo is live right now, allowing you to enjoy the full breadth of Skull and Bones, albeit with a progression limit. If you do then choose to pick up the game following the demo, your progress will transport over. The issue with Skull and Bones is that it’s somewhat oversold itself with AAAA claims. Its £69.99 price tag also doesn’t help when you can bag both Helldivers 2 and Palworld for a fraction of that price.

Over on Metacritic, it has a critics score of 64, with users awarding a measly 3.0. IGN gave a score of seven, writing, “Skull and Bones isn’t the successor to Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag that many seem to want, and it isn’t many of things Ubisoft itself said it would be at various points in its storied history, but the seafaring RPG we ultimately got is still surprisingly good,” while GGRecon awarded a score of just four, adding, “There are brief windows within Skull and Bones where I can see some remnants of passion. Everything else is a chore. A predictable one, considering the game’s delays and development issues, but a disappointment all the same.”

If Helldivers 2 and Palworld have proved anything, it’s that there’s an enormous craving for AA games - something I feel that the industry has attempted to leave behind. Yes, AAA global franchises are a must-stay, but so too is there room for solid middle ground experiences. Skull and Bones set its ambitions too high, and it looks to be paying the price now.