BONELAB

In the virtual reality realm, few developers have pushed the boundaries of immersive physics interaction quite like Stress Level Zero with their breakthrough hit Boneworks. Their latest release, Bonelab, takes that foundation to exhilarating new heights with an expansive sandbox overflowing with creative combat, experimental gameplay modes, and a mind-bending narrative that will keep you guessing until the end.

The Layered Depths of Bonelab

You awake in an underground research facility, sentenced to a grim fate until circumstance intervenes with an opportunity for escape. This deadly situation sets the stage for Bonelab's twisted storyline full of mystery, body-swapping, and cosmic existential dread.

As you navigate the sterile labs and arenas, the trail of cryptic clues left behind beckons you deeper into the enigmatic void at the heart of this virtual world. Bonelab's narrative employs an ingenious framing device, blurring the line between game and reality in deliciously unsettling ways.

While the overarching narrative provides compelling context, the true essence of Bonelab shines in its freeform sandboxes and challenge modes. Here is where the game's incredible VR "physbox" really sings, with some of the most robustly simulated physics interaction yet seen in gaming.

Bonelab Sandbox

In this virtual playground, you can wield an expansive arsenal of melee and ranged armaments, from swords and hammers to rifles and experimental plasma cannons. Every tool behaves with realistic heft and force, making even the simple act of chambering a round or swinging a bat an impactful tactile thrill.

The incredible flexibility of the physbox means nearly every object in the environment can be grabbed, thrown, or battered into other objects. Stacking crates, sending office chairs careening across rooms, and using hapless dummy targets for batting practice never fails to elicit childlike delight.

Boneworld's take on VR melee combat is particularly noteworthy, with joints and hitboxes that allow you to realistically bludgeon limbs and disable foes in satisfyingly visceral ways. It can't be overstated how freeing and fun it feels unleashing creative havoc in these environments.

Review: 9/10

For those who revel in VR's potential for unprecedented interactivity and physics simulation, Bonelab stands as the premiere showcase of that promise realized. While the narrative could use some tightening to enhance its inscrutable scope, the wide-open gameplay sandboxes, imaginative combat versatility, and majestic interactivity more than compensate.

Like Boneworks before it, Bonelab is a technical tour-de-force that demonstrates the state-of-the-art in believable VR physics. But more importantly, it bottles that capability into an endlessly replayable power fantasy playground ripe for creative experimentation and silliness. In the virtual frontier, there are few sandboxes as immaculately constructed and consistently jaw-dropping as this. This is simply a great VR game even though the story isn’t as developed as some other VR games like Half-Life Alyx.

Pros:

• Incredible VR physics simulation & interactivity
• Visceral, highly physical combat mechanics
• Huge variety of sandbox gameplay
• Mind-bending narrative framing device

Cons:

• Story can be obtuse at times
• Physics can occasionally break or glitch