Boneworks (Review)

After the success of Duck Season and 3 years of work, VR game development studio Stress Level Zero (abbreviated as SLZ) has released what might just be VRs’ killer app. With Boneworks, SLZ has completely innovated the VR landscape, adding realistic physics interactions, full IK virtual bodies and more. This is by far the most innovative VR app of all time and is well deserving of the title “VRs’ Killer App”.

Reviewed on the HTC Vive Pro using Valve Index Controllers. This review contains minor spoilers for the game’s story.

Boneworks has some of the most polished visual and audio design in the history of VR, with it’s beautiful soundtrack, beautiful vistas and incredible attention to detail. The amount of detail found in the world of Boneworks is astonishing, with every single spec of the visible area in the game world being fully textured and interactable. After completing the main story many times, I had unlocked a flying tool which allowed me to freely explore any level and that really helped me appreciate the games’ attention to detail and polish. The soundtrack produced by Michael Wyckoff really gave off a Stranger Things 80ish vibe, with it’s soft synths and great structuring. The way that the ambient travel music was integrated into exploration made me feel even more immersed than I had already been.

The mechanics of Boneworks are the first of it’s kind featuring full IK bodies and full physics interactions are definitely what sold this game to me. The ability to touch enemies and interact with items realistically gave me a strong sense of realism, like I never really put my headset on. There is only one form of sliding movement as well as jumping which took some adjusting to do as it is not natural to jump around with these heavy headsets. If you are prone to motion sickness or if you haven’t fully developed your VR legs yet, I’d recommend skipping out on this experience as it may cause intense motion sickness. There were of course some exaggerations such as force pulling, but the game kept me so immersed after my first playthrough, I attempted to force grab my phone from across the room after I had stopped playing (It did not work, unfortunately.) There are a few drawbacks, such as no mid-level checkpoints (SLZ has addressed this however and will be introducing such system in late January / early February) as well as some glitchiness (E.g. getting your hands stuck inside objects) but these are bound to be ironed out in the upcoming update. There is a lot more content than you might think, including an arena mode which offers a lot of fun and creative challenges, and a sandbox mode which lets you play around to your heart’s content. I personally really enjoyed both of these modes as well as the main story, especially when attempting to reennact scenes from the John Wick series (very poorly might I add).

Boneworks, in my opinion is currently the most innovative VR title on the market, and is well deserving of the title of “VRs’ Killer App”. The fact that I legitimately tried to force grab objects after playing the game can 100% tell you how immersive it is. The games’ visual and audio design are great as well, and any major bugs will be ironed out in due time, and SLZ has stated that they have plans to update the game with free content throughout this year and the future. At it’s $30 price point, it is a MUST BUY if you are able to withstand the smooth locomotion. SLZ has absolutely outdone themselves with Boneworks and I can’t wait to see what’s next in store.

FINAL SCORE: 9.5/10

Pros:

• Incredible Interactivity
• Great Soundtrack & Visual Design
• Amazing Attention To Detail

Cons:

• Smooth Locomotion Only
• Minor Bugs