Assassin’s Creed fans ditching Skull And Bones for this free Steam RPG

Skull and Bones has almost fallen into obscurity, and it's only been a few weeks since its launch. The delays didn't help in the run up to its release, but then the underwhelming substance of its gameplay has exacerbated ill sentiment towards the game.

This new Ubisoft title initially had appeal because it tapped into the love we all have for Assassin's Creed: Black Flag; arguably the definitive AC title of the franchise. But Skull and Bones has disappointed so many that the number of players for Black Flag has tripled since its launch. Talk about a loss and a win all in one; Ubisoft must be reeling from that whiplash.

Check out the Blackwake trailer to see what you're missing out on!

Sadly, that win seems to be short-lived because AC fans are shifting attention to a Steam RPG that has all the action of Black Flag and Skull and Bones, but without the price tag. Oh yes, it's free to play.

Blackwake is making waves (we're not sorry for that pun), with the majority of its reviews "very positive", and that's in spite of the odd unhappy reviewer.

"Yet another indie game W," posted one player. "This game is completely free and actually has more features and game mechanics than Skull and Bones, which is $70. Not even mentioning that it can run on my not so great laptop on at least 60fps with medium graphics on, and the file size is only 4GB."

There are plenty of other reviews that say much the same, like this one from another satisfied PC fan. "Honestly, one of the greatest pirate/sailing games ever made. Just the sheer depth of the smallest things is great. It's fun to play the captain, as well as the crew. The immediate satisfaction of firing a full volley. The scouting for ships in the night. The customisation. Great game overall."

Even if you're not sure this is an adventure for you, what have you really got to lose? Blackwake is free to play - that's enough to get us off the fence and boarding a new ship set for sail.