Bonelab
Developer(s)	Stress Level Zero
Publisher(s)	Stress Level Zero
Director(s)	Brandon Laatsch
Engine	Unity[1]
Platform(s)	Meta Quest 2, Microsoft Windows, Steam Store, Meta Quest 3
Release	September 29, 2022
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, virtual reality
Mode(s)	Single-player

Bonelab (stylized as BONELAB) is a 2022 video game developed and published by American studio Stress Level Zero. It is a sequel to the 2019 game Boneworks. The player controls an outcast that escapes death and explores experimental worlds in a research lab in MythOS. Bonelab released for Microsoft Windows and Meta Quest 2 on September 29, 2022.^[2]

Gameplay

The game is the sequel to 2019's Boneworks and plays similarly, with a fully simulated body that utilizes inverse kinematics. The player can use a body-log positioned on either elbow to change their avatar, which affects their in-game body proportions and ability to use items. The campaign takes place in smaller levels that each focus on different mechanics, from traditional first-person shooter levels to go-karting.^[3] The player can also find "Gacha Capsules" that can unlock props, NPCs, and weapons in the sandbox mode upon being pulled apart. The game has been compared to Garry's Mod and Half-Life 2 by critics and fans alike for having similarities and homages to these games, such as the crablet sharing similarities with Half-Life's headcrab and Halfway Park somewhat resembling Garry's Mod "gm_construct" map.

Plot

The game takes place sometime after the events of Boneworks. The player takes control of a peasant being hanged in Heavens Reach, a town in Fantasyland. A knife appears and the peasant uses it to cut the noose and escape. They land in a cave leading out of Fantasyland. After fighting through some enemies they reach an elevator, where a voice tells them that they are on their own now and welcomes them to LavaGang.

The elevator crashes and the player ends up in the Bonelab Hub, where they use a crane to place orbs so they can unlock a door. After going through an old rollercoaster game called Mine Dive, they find Jimmy Wong, who gives them a device on their arm and transports them into a series of mini games to unlock avatars named after what their main characteristic is—a Street Fighter-type game to unlock Strong, a parkour level to unlock Fast, an arena wave game to unlock Heavy, a sandbox outer space level to get the Small character, a climbing level to get the Tall character, and a go-kart level to unlock the Light character. Jimmy then activates the device on their arm, allowing them to pick between avatars at any given moment. The player uses a key to open a door and breaks a crate labeled Boneworks.

After defeating a series of Nullbodies and Omni-Projectors, the player is taken up back to Heavens Reach, where they kill most of the inhabitants of the town. They climb a windmill to grab onto a giant version of Jimmy’s arm, which pulls them up into “Void G114.” The player gets into Jimmy’s car, and as he drives the credits roll. When the credits finish, Jimmy drops the player off at the menu area and leaves to get another caller, leaving the player to restart the game.

Development

Bonelab was initially announced as "Project 4" (due to it being the studio's fourth game) at Oculus Connect 6 on September 25, 2019. However, there was no word for a long time afterward. Little was known about the game other than that it would be a sequel to Boneworks for the Quest and PCVR platforms.^[4]

The game was formally revealed at the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase on April 20, 2022 with a title and teaser trailer. It was confirmed to have modding support for both platforms and be built upon "two years of innovation and interaction engine progress”.^[5] After this announcement, interest and hype for the game rose over the months, with Director Brandon Laatsch frequently provided updates on his Twitter such as claiming that Bonelab was "playable from logos to credits" on July 23, 2022.^[6]

A surprise release date trailer for the game, disconnected from any showcases or events, came out on September 23, 2022. It showed more gameplay than all the previous trailers and said the game was releasing six days later on that very Thursday.^[7]

Reception

Bonelab received "mixed or average reviews", according to the review aggregator Metacritic.^[8]

PC Gamer criticized the campaign's pacing, but enjoyed the improvements to melee combat, "most avatars I inhabited could swing a sword or club with ease... Blunt attacks land with satisfying weight".^[9] While disliking how prone the game was to causing motion sickness, Rock Paper Shotgun praised the gun handling of the game, writing that "the simulated weight and presence of Bonelab's two handed guns that makes it easy to keep track of where your hands are supposed to be".^[10] Road to VR felt the title's modding support had vast potential, but wrote that Bonelab's campaign had the same problems as its predecessor.^[11] UploadVR was impressed that the Meta Quest 2 version ran as well as it did, but noted numerous performance issues, "It’s certainly playable, but not a completely smooth experience".^[3]

References