BONELAB varies-with-devices

VR game with realistic physics

BONELAB is a premium VR action game by developer Stress Level Zero. This experimental physics-based video game puts players in the shoes of an outcast sentenced to death. They must discover a path through a mysterious laboratory underground to either find the truth or wreak havoc.

A successor to the highly praised game BONEWORKS, BONELAB features an improved and polished physics system that delivers a high level of realism. Players will be exploring an underground research facility in MythOS city, finding various weapons, items, clues, and secrets that will help them move the game’s mysterious story.

Excellent sandbox for VR enthusiasts

BONELAB was touted to revolutionize virtual reality gaming, but it’s actually not a big leap from BONEWORKS. It reuses many assets and doesn’t do anything huge that its predecessor didn’t already offer, especially for those who played the first game with mods. Still, the physics and quality-of-life improvements make this game a superior experience. Playing with the game’s physics is plenty of times more fun.

With on-the-fly avatar switching and unlimited saves, this game is a lot more enjoyable. Players can import custom avatars so they can look however they want. Unlike the first game, the six different game modes are available just within 30 minutes of gameplay. These include Tac Trial where you kill enemies as fast as you can and Sandbox where you can spawn objects and just have fun with the physics.

The story campaign remainslackluster, but the level design leads to a fun gameplay experience. The physics can feel janky in some areas, but it works well most of the time. As a physics-heavy game, this VR title can overwhelm casual players. It arguably caters to VR enthusiasts who like to immerse themselves in the mechanics. It’s not a challenging game unless you want to compete on the leaderboards.

Is it worth playing?

BONELAB will not feel like a new experience if you’ve played BONEWORKS, especially with mods. However, players who didn’t play the first game will have a blast in this more polished successor. The improvements to the physics are apparent and it provides plenty of quality-of-life features missing from the first one. For other action-packed VR games, try SUPERHOT VR, Blade and Sorcery, and Half-Life: Alyx.