BONELAB Review Summary

Exceptional modding and physics with responsive gunplay, but a weak story and feeling abandoned make it inferior to Boneworks.

Modding community is exceptional: Players consistently praise the modding community and the availability of mods, which significantly enhance the game's replayability and enjoyment. The modding potential is compared to Garry's Mod in VR, with custom levels, guns, and avatars being highlights.

Physics and interactions are top-tier: The game is recognized for its impressive physics system, satisfying interactions, and being one of the best VR games. It is seen as a worthy successor to Boneworks, with core gameplay involving physical body and body swapping being well-received.

Initial fun and immersion: Many players find the game fun and immersive initially, with a strong start that is interesting and intriguing. However, some note that the fun may be short-lived for some.

Gunplay is smooth and responsive: The gun mechanics are described as smooth, responsive, and enjoyable, with specific weapons like the M1911 pistol and AK being reliable. The ammo economy as a scoring system after patches adds depth.

Solid sandbox mode: The sandbox mode is considered solid and cool, with a large sandbox available after the story. It provides a decent environment for experimentation.

Inferior to Boneworks: Players consistently compare this game unfavorably to Boneworks, citing worse physics, less content, a confusing story, and a lack of meaningful improvements. Many feel it is a step back or merely a tech demo for Boneworks.

Weak story and campaign: The story is described as not concrete, barely present, and lacking direction, while the campaign is boring, bland, and fails to engage players.

Lack of content: Players note a lack of substantial content, with a short campaign (around 5-6 hours) that has few real levels and no proper ending.

Game appears abandoned: The game appears abandoned, with no updates for over a year and no new features or content, leading to concerns it is abandonware.

Overpriced at $40: Multiple reviewers state that the $40 price tag is too high for the content and quality offered, with some saying it is not worth buying even on sale.

Modding support is essential: Multiple reviews highlight that mod support is a core feature, with some stating the game is designed to be played with mods and relies on them for content.

VR physics sandbox with shooting and melee: Many reviews describe the game as a VR physics sandbox that includes shooting and melee combat, emphasizing physics-based interactions.

Parkour and climbing mechanics: Players mention parkour, climbing, and ledge grabbing as key movement mechanics, though climbing can feel glitchy.

Gunplay and melee details: Players note physics-based gunplay, guns that collide with shoulders, and melee requiring two hands for certain weapons like the handaxe.

Avatar system with attributes: The game features an avatar switching system with different forms (strong/tall, light/fast, short) that affect gameplay, but some avatars are underutilized.

Game fails to launch: Multiple users report that the game fails to launch or crashes immediately, often due to OpenXR initialization failures, asset warehouse errors, or black screens. This prevents any gameplay and is a critical barrier to entry.

Poor optimization and performance: The game suffers from poor optimization, requiring high-end hardware like RTX 4090/5090 for ultra settings and struggling on mid-range GPUs like the 6900XT. Performance is worse than similar VR titles like Boneworks.

Frequent freezing and lag: Players experience frequent freezing and lag, even on PCs with sufficient free space. This disrupts gameplay and suggests optimization or memory management issues.

Meta headset compatibility issues: Users with Meta headsets report compatibility issues, likely due to driver or software conflicts. This limits the game's accessibility for a major VR platform.

USB connectivity problems: USB connectivity problems prevent the game from working properly, possibly due to driver conflicts or hardware detection issues.

Not worth Boneworks upgrade: Players repeatedly recommend buying Boneworks instead of Bonelab, stating Bonelab is not a worthwhile upgrade even for fans. Many felt it should have been DLC.

Mods essential, community dead: The game is considered only fun with mods, but the modding community is reportedly inactive. Some say it provides a Gmod-like sandbox experience but lacks content otherwise.

Wait for sale only: Many reviews advise skipping Bonelab or waiting for a significant sale, emphasizing it is not worth the full price. A few suggest a maximum price of $10-15.

Not worth current price: Multiple reviews state the game is not worth its current price tag, with some calling the $40 price an insult. They recommend waiting for a deep sale or avoiding purchase entirely.

Not recommended in current state: A general consensus among reviews is that Bonelab is not recommended in its current state due to lack of content, bugs, or unfinished features. Some suggest it should be early access.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Story completion: 10.0h.

Bonelab's fun is unlocked after investing time to install and engage with mods, particularly the Fusion multiplayer mod, with the campaign being lackluster but the sandbox and modding community providing lasting enjoyment.

Reported time to anchor: 9h.

Friction: short and boring campaign; lack of built-in multiplayer; reliance on mods for full experience; performance issues; physics inconsistencies; no meaningful progression.

Unlock drivers: modding community (especially Fusion multiplayer mod); sandbox creativity; avatar system; mod support.

Sandbox Modder: Explores mods, builds scenarios, engages in multiplayer shenanigans. Motivation: Creative freedom and social sandbox experiences with friends. Stance: buy.

Campaign Critic: Plays through campaign, seeks challenge and story. Motivation: Wants a compelling narrative and structured progression. Stance: sale.

Physics Immersionist: Engages with full body movement, appreciates virtual embodiment. Motivation: Realistic physics and physical engagement. Stance: buy.

Across most hardware cohorts, the game runs well with only occasional lag, but the highest-VRAM group reports mixed performance, especially in crowded multiplayer lobbies.

Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM: positive. Most users report good performance with occasional lag when modding, and one user experienced crashes but still recommended the game.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. The majority of users report smooth or acceptable performance, though one user with high-end hardware found the game poorly optimized compared to other titles.

Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM: positive. All users recommend the game, citing good optimization and performance, with only minor lag mentioned.

Steam Deck: The single Steam Deck review indicates the game runs very well without any reported technical barriers. No evidence of launcher issues, small text, battery drain, or crashes.

Monetization: The user reviews focus entirely on the base game's price and the cost of a music DLC, with no mention of microtransactions, pay-to-win mechanics, loot boxes, or any real-money in-game purchases. The complaints are about value for money, not predatory monetization. Therefore, the score is low, reflecting a fair one-time purchase model with optional DLC.

Mod reliance: User feedback indicates frustration with the lack of a built-in mod workshop and a perception that the developer relies on modders, but no evidence of game-breaking bugs or crashes. The game is fully playable without mods; 'essential' mods are for additional features like multiplayer. Therefore, the Mod Tax score is low, reflecting a preference-based reliance rather than a necessity.