Ubisoft’s upcoming pirate adventureSkull and Boneshas had it rough these past few years. A strong reveal at E3 2017 was followed by a successful second showing at E3 2018, but updates have since been scarce. After some delays, it was revealed last year that development onSkull and Boneswould be rebooted, further adding to the title’s misfortune.
Prior to being rebooted,Skull and Bonesreceived several trailersand gameplay videos that highlighted some of the seafaring characters players will encounter throughout their journey. While not many of them have names or in-depth backstories, the characters revealed thus far provide a small bit of insight into whatSkull and Bones’story and gameplay could entail.
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La Buse
Olivier “La Buse” Levasseur is first seen inSkull and Bones’announcement trailer, where he’s shown looting a wrecked ship, before being caught off-guard by an unusually large amount of wreckage popping out of the water. The assumed protagonists ofSkull and Bonesare later shown conspiring to take down La Buse, indicating he’ll be playing an antagonistic role inSkull and Bones’story.
On top of being one of the few named characters revealed so far, La Buse is also the onlyhistorical figureconfirmed to be in the game. The real La Buse was known for being a particularly ruthless, aggressive pirate whose bark was just as mean as his bite. Moments before his public execution in 1730, he challenged all in attendance to hunt down his hidden treasure, the location of which could only be determined following the decryption of a cipher that La Buse unveiled right before his death.
The story of La Buse’s treasure is at the heart of many works of fiction. Ubisoft previously featured La Buse’s treasure inAssassin’s Creed: Pirates, where the treasure was revealed to have a Piece of Eden. La Buse’s final words also bear a heavy resemblance to those ofOne Piece’sGol D. Roger, who, similar to La Buse, was publicly executed and challenged pirates worldwide to find his treasure hidden in the dangerous Grand Line.
Unnamed Pirate Trio
Many of the trailers feature three pirates who, as of yet, don’t appear to have names. The first one is a female pirate who appears to be the captain of the Royal Fortune. She is first seen taking on an enemy ship in the E3 2017 reveal trailer, before being shot down by two other ships. She makes several more appearances in other trailers, typically alongside the other two unnamed pirates.
The next two pirates are both seen in the E3 2018 trailer. One narrates the trailer and reflects on how pirates have fought to maintain their lifestyle leading up to the events of the game. The other is seen charting a course for the Indian Ocean, which isSkull and Bones’setting. Eventually, the three pirate captains cross paths in a lethal standoff, but tensions seemingly ease up before too long, as the trio are then shown forging an alliance to take down a larger threat, presumably La Buse.
Together, these three characters appear to beSkull and Bones’protagonists. Ubisoft hasn’t yet provided any of their names, but there could be a good reason for that. Ubisoft has confirmed thatSkull and Boneswill allow for customization of charactersand ships, so it’s possible that these three characters could represent three different presets for players to build their characters around, as opposed to three predefined characters.
Taljheed
Taljheed is introduced in an extended gameplay demo shown during E3 2018, where the nameless pirate trio approaches him for intel to assist in their crusade against La Buse. Taljheed forecasts clear skies and favorable winds for the next day, which should draw out plenty of merchants, and in turn, attract La Buse, who is all-too-eager to rob them. However, should the group get to the merchants first, they could take a good chunk out of La Buse’s paycheck by filling their own pockets.
Taljheed appears to be a fortune teller, and his fortunes seem capable of impacting gameplay in various ways; they effectively serve as gameplay modifiers. The fortune of “favorable winds” he grants in the E3 2018 gameplay demo dictates not only that merchants will be present in great abundance, but also that much loot will be floating freely in the waters. It’s fair to assume thatSkull and Boneswill also feature fortunesinvolving less optimal weather, such as rain or thunderstorms, that could make things more difficult for players.
Cassandra
Cassandra is only briefly seen in passing during a gameplay walkthrough forSkull and Bones’Hunting Groundsmode, but it seems like she’ll be a character worth interacting with frequently. She’s a shipwright, which means she is responsible for the development and maintenance of players' ships. Players can talk with her to upgrade various parts of their ships, such as the helm, wheel, figurehead, and armaments.
It’s unknown if Cassandra will be theonlyshipwright available in the game, or if players will be able to recruit others that could potentially offer higher-quality gear and/or parts. It’s also entirely possible that each faction could have its own unique shipwright, especially considering that the three pirate protagonists each appear to hail from different backgrounds.
It’s important to note that asSkull and Boneswas rebooted, it remains to be seen how many of these characters, if any, will make the final cut. The game’s shift to more of a live-service model with ever-changing quests and storylines could spell trouble for the apparent story laid out by the trailers; hopefully, the final game can find a way to implement the tale of the nameless pirate trio’s struggle against the all-powerful La Buse in some way, shape, or form.
Skull and Bonesis in development.
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