Should Ubisoft just bury Skull and Bones for good? | Kaser Focus

Ubisoft announced this week that — among other things — it’s delaying Skull and Bones yet again. As a follow-up to my poorly phrased Twitter question: I know that other games have had longer delays between release and launch. I’m reminded of that by the hole in my heart where Beyond Good and Evil 2 should be (oh look — another Ubisoft title). But it feels as though Ubisoft has moved the goalposts for Skull and Bones more than any other. To me, it begs the question: Should Ubisoft release this game at all?

Realistically, I understand that not releasing Skull and Bones isn’t an option at this point. According to Kotaku’s report from 2021, Ubisoft is likely obligated to release the game due to a contract with the Singaporean government. So I’m quite certain Skull and Bones will launch no matter what. But hypothetically, would Ubisoft be better off if they sunk the ship? They’ve already canceled many other games in favor of their big franchises. What does Skull and Bones even bring to the table?

Ubisoft said in its report that it’s looking to get more into live service games, which is a niche that Skull and Bones would theoretically fill. But it’s also a new IP without the (increasingly thin) good will of Ubisoft’s big franchises. Having seen the most recent gameplay footage, it looks like a less flavorful version of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, a decade-old title. Ubisoft also seems to be at a loss for how to market it — or at least, I assume so, since the only time I ever hear about this game is when it’s getting delayed. Is it even possible for Skull and Bones to break even after ten years of development?

Anyway, leaving Ubisoft’s travails aside, I’ve been enjoying some time with early-access title Coral Island. The January releases are coming soon, so I felt like I needed some downtime with a Harvest Moon-alike. It’s quite a charming game, if unpolished. I’m bracing for next week, when I get to dive into Fire Emblem Engage. After that, it’s Dead Space, Forspoken, Like A Dragon: Ishin… It’s going to be a very busy winter.

What to play this week

What’s new:

• One Piece Odyssey
• Children of Silentown
• Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider
• KartRider: Drift
• Lone Ruin

New on subscription services:

• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (GeForce Now)
• Dakar Desert Rally (GeForce Now)
• Destroy All Humans! (GeForce Now)
• Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed (GeForce Now)
• MX vs ATV Legends (GeForce Now)
• The Valiant (GeForce Now)
• Way of the Hunter (GeForce Now)
• Illustrated (Apple Arcade)