BONEWORKS Review Summary

Impressive physics and interactions: The physics system in the game is highly realistic and immersive, allowing for a wide range of interactions and creative problem-solving. Players enjoy the freedom and depth provided by the physics-based mechanics.

Highly praised campaign and story: The game's campaign and story are frequently highlighted as exceptional, with players appreciating the engaging narrative, well-developed characters, and immersive atmosphere. The level design and attention to detail contribute significantly to the overall experience.

Fun and engaging sandbox mode: The sandbox mode is highly praised for its variety of activities and the freedom it offers. Players enjoy the modding capabilities and the ability to experiment with different physics-based interactions.

Variety of gameplay modes and activities: The game offers a variety of gameplay modes, including campaign, sandbox, and arena modes. Players appreciate the different activities and the freedom to explore and interact with the environment.

Enjoyable combat mechanics: The combat mechanics are satisfying and varied, with players appreciating the different combat options and the realistic gun models. The game offers a mix of shooting, melee combat, and hand-to-hand combat.

Puzzle Design Issues: Many players find the puzzles unclear, poorly designed, and overly abundant, making the game feel more like a puzzle game than a balanced experience. Some puzzles can be confusing and even brute-forced, leading to frustration.

Performance and Technical Issues: The game has significant performance issues, including low framerate, choppy textures, and overheating problems on less powerful PCs. There are also reports of bugs and glitches.

Story and Narrative Criticisms: The story is often described as vague, confusing, and poorly explained. It can be challenging to follow and is considered forgettable and uninteresting.

Overpriced and Lacking Content: The game is considered overpriced for the amount of content it offers. The campaign is short, and there isn't much to do after completing it.

Motion Sickness Concerns: The game can cause motion sickness, especially for newer VR users. Some levels are particularly problematic, and the game may not be suitable for users with weak vestibular systems.

Physics-based VR gameplay: The game is praised for its realistic physics interactions and mechanics, similar to Half-Life Alyx. It offers a variety of physics-based puzzles and interactions, making the gameplay immersive and inventive.

Variety of combat mechanics: The game features a wide range of combat scenarios, including shooting, melee combat, and using objects. It offers various weapons with unique properties and innovative combat mechanics.

Sandbox and modding support: The game includes a sandbox mode with various activities and modding capabilities, allowing for creative gameplay and extending the game's replayability.

Deep story and lore: The game features a deep story-driven campaign with eldritch horror elements and interesting worldbuilding, although the story can be confusing at times.

Multiple game modes: The game offers various game modes, including a story campaign, arena mode, and sandbox mode, providing a variety of gameplay experiences.

Mixed PC performance feedback: Players report varying experiences with PC performance, ranging from smooth gameplay on high-end hardware to significant lags and performance issues on lower-end systems. Some users mention good optimization, while others experience frequent lags and long load times.

VR performance and optimization: The game is generally well-optimized for VR, particularly on the Quest 2, but some users report jittering issues. Performance on VR systems can vary, with some experiencing smooth gameplay and others facing significant performance problems.

Hardware-specific performance: Specific hardware setups, such as the RTX 4050 and 1050 TI with an i5-7500, provide better experiences with higher frame rates. Performance can significantly improve with the right hardware configurations.

Level-specific optimization issues: Certain levels, particularly the Tower level, have optimization issues leading to de-loading problems and performance drops. These issues are specific to particular areas within the game.

PC overheating problems: Some players report that the game causes their PCs to overheat, leading to fan noise and potential performance issues. This indicates that the game can be demanding on hardware, leading to thermal management problems.

Consider Bonelab for mods and sandbox: Several reviews suggest that while the game is excellent, Bonelab offers a better experience for those interested in mods and sandbox gameplay. Bonelab is recommended for its post-campaign appeal and modding support.

Highly recommended for VR players: The game is frequently praised for its immersive VR experience, challenging puzzles, and enjoyable gameplay. Many recommend it to anyone with a VR headset, highlighting its value and the quality of the campaign.

Worth the price and time: Many reviews indicate that the game is worth the money and time investment, offering a fun and quality experience. It is seen as a good purchase for those looking for a detailed and immersive VR game.

Not for beginners or motion-sensitive: The game might not be suitable for those new to VR or prone to motion sickness. It is recommended for experienced VR users with capable computers.

Play Boneworks for story first: Some reviews suggest playing Boneworks before Bonelab for a better story experience. Boneworks is recommended for its campaign, while Bonelab is suggested for mods and sandbox fun.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals a generally positive experience with the game, particularly praising its physics and controls. However, there are notable technical issues such as crashes and bugs that affect the gameplay. The game's compatibility with Proton on Linux is mentioned, suggesting it may require some additional setup.

VR sickness warning: Some players have reported experiencing motion sickness while playing the game in VR mode.

Upcoming remaster release: Players are anticipating the release of a remastered version of the game in the near future.

Zombie warehouse easter egg: Players have discovered and are discussing an easter egg related to a zombie warehouse.