Regardless of whether or not you own a VR system, Boneworks should be a name that you readily recognize. Many fans are calling the game the Half-Life of VR, introducing new concepts and mechanics that are sure to reverberate throughout VR titles well into the future.
From puzzles to insane combat, Boneworks continues to push the cutting edge of what VR games can and should do all brought about by the passionate indie developers at Stress Level Zero. It originally came out on December 10, 2019, and Stress Level Zero is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of supporting their new foray into game development.
To that end, Boneworks is getting a new update that will see save-points integrated into levels, along with some new content to explore and play with.
First, the save-points. The primary flaw that many reviewers have echoed in terms of accessibility is a lack of a save & quit feature that would allow players to drop out of the game at any point in time. This leads to players being stuck in the levels until they’re completed, and that mechanic doesn’t work too well in VR. Sudden bouts of nausea could crop up, or cramping that requires players to take a sudden break and explore more traditional titles.
Stress Level Zero has taken these criticisms to heart, and now there are save-points to be found throughout all of the levels, allowing you to save your progress. There’s also a handy bin next to them that you can drop your weapons and tools into, which will save along with your progress.
Granted, it’s not exactly a save & quit feature that has been requested, allowing players to bow out of the title at any time. It is, however, a serviceable replacement, with multiple stations being found in your path.
There’s also a new arena that can be explored in the update, called Brawl Mode. Brawl Mode allows players to decide what entities to spawn in select arena’s, and begin a massive…well, brawl. You can choose quantities and waves, types, and even select teams. If your primary fascination with Boneworks is their fantastically dynamic combat, you’ll have more than enough to eat your fill with Brawl Mode.
Finally, Sandbox is getting a decent overhaul as well; brand new collectibles to find across all of the levels that you can freely spawn into the Sandbox mode. You can finally make that massive castle out of bright pieces of foam. New machines can also be used within the sandbox, from ammo dispensaries to health settings, allowing you to experiment in a more controlled environment than Brawl Mode allows.
