BONEWORKS REVIEW

Boneworks is a highly awaited physics-driven VR shooter. The game is underlined by a rich interaction framework based on physics that makes VR interactive and immersive.

Boneworks’ simple gameplay consists of physics-driven jokes and battles. While the developers name it ‘a story VR action-adventure,’ the narrative becomes extremely light — boundary with mere landscape and atmosphere — with hotbeds delivered throughout the virtual world as brief yet well-created live-action images.

It would not be fair to call Boneworks a mere tech demo, since it takes approximately 9 hours to complete its campaign mode and because of the added modalities of the arena (waves) and playground, but it is obvious that the core technology in the game has received the most publicity, whereas the real game is necessarily top.

• RELEASE DATE: December 10, 2019
• DEVELOPER: Stress Level Zero
• PUBLISHER: Stress Level Zero

Half-Life 2 (2004) and Portal (2007) have been highly inspired in design and structure by Boneworks right up to the inclusion of an orange crowbar, movement detecting towers, and mysterious text rubbed on the walls by an unknown individual.

There is a bunch of focus on the gunfire mechanics in Boneworks. You will need to insert a reasonably accurate magazine, load, and weapon in a slightly specific way and hold weapons with two hands to optimum reverse control. If it’s loaded, a spent cartridge will be removed from the chamber; if you shoot a round, a spent case will be thrown out (as the bullet itself has gone down range).

The bland weapons are exacerbated by bland enemies, who seem like a nuisance than an enjoyable challenge at the latter stages of the game. There are only three types of enemies – zombies, head-crabs, and pistol men – and all die the same way when you aim your pistol at them and fire it a few times; neither allows a player to have any real feelings, not even as much a gun as they can use.

Boneworks is aimed at using physical simulation so powerfully, it moves the player’s body a lot which may lead to a significant disconnection between your real world and your virtual world. The game attempts to correct this breakdown with corrective forces which sometimes give the impression that the environment is made entirely of springs.

If you pick up a big object and try to raise it above your head, for example, it will wander slowly as the game tries to simulate the strength of your arms and the weight of the object. This approach makes good sense from an observer’s point of view, but the discontinuity between the real movements of the player and their simulated movements can often be very unhappy and unpleasant.

The game has been more than a couple of times where dissatisfaction is induced by the dedication of the game to physical game simulation. It is supposed to be difficult to find the answer to a puzzle, but some puzzles in Boneworks had absolutely obvious solutions that were incredibly boring to implement.

Though the inventory system (which offers shoulder, chest, and back stock slots) provides the table with solid design fundamentals, a few specifics are lacking, making it needless in its frustration. It does not matter whether your hand lies in the right place to hollow an object, or whether you are conscious that the reason you keep dropping an object is that there is already another object in that holster.

Accidentally dropping important objects in Boneworks is all too common, and even though a very good force-grab device helps a great deal, it is still frustrating to hit your chest slot only by mistake, or by accident, you dropped your spray three rooms ago when you thought you had it upholstered.

An optional “inventory view” can be found very easily to see all your slots and contents in the front of you, which is great, but feels like band-help of a holster device that can be really good with a bit more focus.

Boneworks provides a rich physics-driven gameplay sandbox that can be magical if it works correctly and frustratingly (or only uncomfortably). The battle is mostly free of challenges and interesting enemies, with thorough weapon interactions and fun, but the player is required to make a heavy lift to embellish the war with his own sense of fun.

PROS

• Boneworks provides a good VR experience.
• Impressive mechanism that is physically conscious which is absolute fun for pro players.
• The game has a wonderful atmosphere, passion, and a very strong OST.

CONS

• The game has practically no content.
• Lacks good timing as the puzzle bounces back and forth to battle.
• Heavy physical stimulation, you might get VR sickness.