Thar be no room for landlubbers right here. Prepare to begin a golden age pirate’s journey taking you from shipwrecked no one to kingpin when Skull and Bones launches February 16 on PlayStation 5, with an Open Beta operating from February 8-11*. The event group at Ubisoft Singapore has been arduous at work guaranteeing that the Skull and Bones expertise is as immersive as attainable on PS5, because of options like 3D audio, adaptive triggers, haptic suggestions, and extra.
We sat down with Skull and Bones Technical Director Jussi Markkanen to search out out how these options are utilized to make Skull and Bones such a novel journey on the PS5, the place the one factor lacking is the odor of the salty sea.
PlayStation Weblog: What’s the backstory behind the title of Skull and Bones past the notorious Jolly Roger reference?
Markkanen: Skull and Bones is ready in an unforgiving surroundings, through the tumultuous Golden Age of Piracy, in a world impressed by the Indian Ocean. Right here peril awaits at each flip, and you will have to leverage each alternative obtainable to endure and flourish on this harsh world.
The title Skull and Bones displays the gritty method that we’re bringing to the pirate fantasy, as you start your journey a shipwrecked no one, and must plunder and outsmart your option to turn into essentially the most fearsome pirate kingpin.
How are the DualSense controller’s haptics utilized in Skull and Bones?
In Skull and Bones, naval fight is on the coronary heart of the expertise. You’ll be able to equip a large number of highly effective weapons to outgun different ships, assault forts, and take down legendary sea monsters.
On the PS5, naval fight actually comes alive with the DualSense wi-fi controller when utilizing the adaptive triggers. From sea fires and big ballistae, to rocket launchers and mortars, it is possible for you to to expertise the completely different tensions of the triggers as you hearth a spread of completely different weapons.
For instance, faster-firing arsenal corresponding to ballista or carronade require solely a light-weight pull on the adaptive triggers. The burden of the lengthy weapons or sea hearth are communicated via a stronger resistance, whereas the adaptive triggers translate the heft of your heaviest arsenal, corresponding to of bombards or rockets, guaranteeing that each shot you hearth is Skull and Bones feels satisfying and distinctive.
The controller additionally rumbles in particular areas based mostly on the place your weapons are firing and the place you’re taking injury. When an enemy launches a volley of cannons at your starboard, you’ll really feel the depth of the assault in your palms as you see it on display screen.
Do you will have any setup suggestions for gamers utilizing the customizable DualSense Edge wi-fi controller?
One choice could possibly be mapping the spyglass shortcut! An essential device in any pirate’s equipment is their spyglass. It permits them to glean extra details about the world, together with scoping out enemy weaknesses and figuring out new alternatives corresponding to bountiful commerce routes.
How was PS5’s 3D Audio carried out into Skull and Bones’ gameplay?
3D Audio has allowed us to push boundaries in the way you hear our sport. For instance, you may pinpoint the arc of incoming mortar hearth, letting you determine whether or not to dodge or brace for affect in opposition to these highly effective assaults.
Remember to take note of your crew as effectively, who will usually name out loot floating within the water – because of 3D Audio, you’ll by no means must marvel precisely the place that loot is.
Additionally, did we point out that they’ll sing sea shanties on command? As a result of they are going to! Map it to your fast motion wheel and with a faucet of the D-Pad you’ll hear one of 30 shanties sung in Bahasa Indonesia, Malagasy, English, and French!
How does PS5’s SSD pace add to the pirating journey in Skull & Bones?
In Skull and Bones, you’ll chase the horizon throughout the whole lot from clear blue-water shoals to violent raging storms as you sail from the coast of Africa to the East Indies. Made solely for current-generation consoles, Skull and Bones lets you discover its huge open world in 4K at a focused 60fps.
With the ultra-fast SSD, gamers will be capable of transition from outposts and dens, to the huge Indian Ocean even sooner! It will assist create an much more immersive expertise on the excessive seas, as gamers will be capable of set sail, discover, and interact in epic naval battles seamlessly.
What’s one instance of a brilliant granular, nerdy element about pirate tradition that you simply wish to be certain that gamers find out about?
For Skull and Bones, we needed to reinject the defiance, rigidity, and brutality of piracy again into the style. Pirates have been survivors, abnormal males and girls who needed to problem the established order and determine their very own destiny. Based mostly on our analysis, the pirates within the Indian Ocean have been additionally enterprising in nature, constructing their commerce all through the area for intel and seizing sources for their very own acquire. They got here from all world wide together with from the Indian Ocean, interacting with locals from completely different areas; which is one thing we sought to painting in our sport.
Skull and Bones’ launch date has modified just a few instances. What’s an instance of a particular gameplay function you’re grateful the group had extra time to work on or a brand new gameplay function that additional growth time has allowed you to create?
Creating a brand new IP is as fulfilling as it’s difficult and takes time to completely develop.
We’ve been iterating on the model you’ll see on February 16, by working intently with our group via the Insider Program and common consumer exams. The group suggestions we obtained has helped us to enhance the sport, particularly in our co-op, naval fight, and gameplay selection.
Our sport already has a tremendous solo expertise, and the time has allowed us to make extra investments in enhancing the co-op expertise. This consists of guaranteeing your complete sport will be performed in co-op and including the Name for Assist function, simply to call just a few.
We’ve continued so as to add depth to our weapon system and additional improve naval fight, making every weapon alternative really feel distinctive, and encouraging completely different playstyles.
Moreover, we have been in a position to broaden our gameplay selection with extra fantastical actions so that you can take pleasure in, corresponding to ghost ships, and sea monsters.
Lastly, you can even stay up for new occasions and options in our seasonal post-launch.
Pre-order the Premium Version to begin taking part in as much as three days early
Pre-order Skull and Bones on PlayStation Store today. Those that pre-order the Premium Version will get to play the sport as much as three days early beginning February 13, and will get entry to the Premium Bonus Pack, two additional missions, a Smugglers Cross Token, Digital Artbook, and Digital Soundtrack.