Overview
Within this guide, you will find out some of my tips and strategies for each enemy you will find in BONEWORKS. With these enemies will be some interesting information about them, strategies on defeating them and weapons of which to use against them. I hope this guide can help you in completing some of the arena achievements, zombie warehouse modes and the story. Enjoy reading and have fun playing!
1.1 The Basics
BONEWORKS is a physics-based VR title, and due to this, body presence and placement of hands and arms are to be taken into account during combat at all times. The fundamentals of combat in BONEWORKS involves applying maximum to melee swings no matter the weapon and proper placement of damage. In general, heads and legs are great targets, as they do more damage and cripple the target respectively. If you are not using a melee weapon, firearms should mostly be aimed towards the head or any other central objects of the body.
During hand-to-hand combat, avoidance of enemy attacks is important for withstanding an overwhelming number of foes. Ford’s body in VR is relatively accurate to your body in real life, so remember:
If they could reach out and grab you, move back!
Constant movement is important to avoid enemy attacks.
1.2 Interesting thing to note
Sometimes, BONEWORKS’ physics can be a little wonky when it comes to collision and force of hands and melee weapons. If you get your hands stuck in geometry, try grabbing around repeatedly to get it unstuck or freed.
2.1 Hitboxes
Enemies in BONEWORKS are generally realistic in terms of gravity, weight, force, damage, resilience and hitboxes. What are hitboxes? Basically, whenever you attack an enemy in a game, the game calculates whether or not you made contact with specific volumes that define which parts of an enemy’s body are, well, their body. The hitboxes of BONEWORKS’ enemies are very accurate to their models, thus allowing the player to be more precise within combat.
2.2 Nullrat
AGGRESSION: None
THREAT LEVEL: None
The Nullrat is an NPC seen consistently throughout BONEWORKS, and is completely harmless. If you wish to kill a Nullrat, any conventional melee or firepower effectively work against them. They are known for rolling around and making pixellated squeaking sounds.
Strategies
N/A
Recommended Weapons
Any of them.
2.3 Nullbody
NAME: NullBody
AGGRESSION: Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: Low
NullBodies are practically the standard enemy type in BONEWORKS, and are shown very early in the game. They typically follow the player around slowly, flopping their arms aimlessly to smack the player when they get close enough. They are one of the least resilient enemies in the game and are very slow. A single shot from a pistol or a well-placed melee blow to the skull can easily dispatch these foes, and thus their presence is only more dangerous in groups.
Strategies
- Try to cripple the legs of any NullBodies getting too close for comfort using a well-placed melee blow or gunshot.
- Grabbing NullBodies and throwing them into walls or objects is simple, easy and fun! This is not suggested when there is a large group of them.
- In large groups, understand your blind spots and your body presence. NullBodies you can’t see are the biggest threat.
- Make sure every swing/shot you make against a group of NullBodies either kill or cripple them.
Recommended Weapons
Any weapons should work well against NullBodies, but in groups, Blunt weapons and Automatic firearms are good for managing their numbers. Powerful single-fire firearms can also be useful, but are most effective with good aim and reloading skills.
2.4 Zombish
NAME: Zombish
AGGRESSION: Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: Moderate
Zombish are a common enemy which are slightly more resistant to attacks than NullBodies and use the same form of tactics as them, with no coordinated blocking or attacking. Generally, a few attacks to the main body and even head using melee weapons isn’t enough to take out these enemies; so in groups the best way to dispatch of them is using a strong firearm against their heads. They can be more stealthy in their attacks than that of NullBodies, as they don’t make a loud “Hey!” sound when they notice you. They can often catch you off guard in levels like the sewers or even during the arena. Furthermore, there are some varieties of Zombish called slinger Zombish who throw laser projectiles at the player which deal mass amounts of damage and can even kill other enemies. Make sure to focus on these varieties of Zombish before going on to defeat the others, as dodging their projectiles can become difficult when you are preoccupied with other fights.
Strategies
- Use strong, one-shot firearms against their heads in groups.
- Melee weapons can still be effective at crippling and severely damaging Zombish when attacks are placed on legs and head.
- In the Zombie warehouse, using the board gun is effective at blocking and managing mass amounts of Zombish.
Recommended Weapons
Using the M1911 is an easy way to dispatch of Zombish with simple, fast reloading, good fire rate and high damage. A single hit to the head will kill a Zombish whilst using this weapon.
Also, blunt weapons such as bats and sledgehammers are effective at knocking over and crippling Zombish in both groups and individually.
2.5 Arthur Ford Clone
NAME: Arthur Ford (Clone)
AGGRESSION: Conditionally Friendly
THREAT LEVEL: Very Low
Arthur Ford’s clones do not generally attack you, and also will mimic your hand motions in the Dungeon level. The best course of action when encountering an Arthur Ford clone is to simply leave it be. They will also assist in fighting every enemy that is usually aggressive against the player, although they do have a hard time fighting Crablets off. Arthur Ford clones use blocking and proper punching to attack, making them more strategic when fighting.
Strategies
- Don’t attack them, as this will most likely make them aggressive or at least just upset them.
- If they do become aggressive, try to bend their arms down. This seems to make them passive again.
Recommended Weapons
N/A
2.6 Arthur Ford VR Junkie
NAME: Arthur Ford (VR Junkie)
AGGRESSION: Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: Substantial
The VR Junkie variety of the Arthur Ford clone is always aggressive unconditionally, but will generally target other enemies over the player. They can only be found in the sandbox modes upon being spawned in, and have a headset on which protects their head relatively well from direct damage. They use fists and blocking as their attacks and have the same patterns as the normal clones.
Strategies
- When facing a large amount of VR Junkies, grabbing their headsets off their heads will allow for easier killing blows.
- It is very easy to grab and disrupt a single VR Junkie’s attacks and movement. Their knees and arms are great places to aim melee weapons when in a pinch.
- Guns are generally only effective against these enemies if you can peel their headset off or aim underneath it effectively.
Recommended Weapons
The sledgehammer can come in great use during fights with this enemy, as it can easily cripple them and is one of the heaviest melee weapons. Due to this weight, swinging it around at high speed will do more damage.
Furthermore, smaller knives and kunais can be useful when they are stuck into the enemy; causing them to constantly fall over.
2.7 Omniprojectors (Cleanup Crew)
NAME: Omniprojector
AGGRESSION: Very Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: Very High
Omniprojectors are the “Cleanup Crew” designated to destroy all glitches in MythOS. Unfortunately, you are one of those glitches. Omniprojectors are armed with an assault rifle with an attached blue laser sight; showing where they are aiming and looking at all times. They roll around on a ball and have no real physical body to be grabbed on to and swung around. They can quickly sap your health away with their gun, and therefore it is ideal to use cover in conjunction with waiting for their reload to start before attacking. Also, Omniprojectors generally travel in squads and are rarely seen alone unless spawned in by the player. Due to this, they tend to travel across the battlefield and attempt to maintain control over how long you have to stay in cover. Furthermore, they can progress towards you if you stay in cover too long; so keep up the heat.
Strategies
- Use cover to protect yourself from their fire and only come up during their reloads.
- In many cases during the story, it is easy to sneak around the Omniprojectors due to the laser sight showing exactly where they’re looking.
- Melee attacks can work against Omniprojectors, but they are extremely risky.
- Like most other enemies, Omniprojectors’ weak spot is located at their head.
Recommended Weapons
It is extremely ineffective to use melee attacks against Omniprojectors, but any rifle or pistol can easily work against them. Just be sure to aim for the head, as they cannot be crippled by your attacks and are only temporarily stopped from firing or reloading upon being shot.
2.8.1 Crablet
NAME: Crablet
AGGRESSION: Extremely Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: Moderate
Crablets will attack any enemy in their way, and grapple unto their faces; which confuses and damages them consistently. They are often found in unexpected locations or pop out of headset boxes upon the player’s accidental destruction of the packaging. By themselves, Crablets do not pose too much of a threat as they can easily be pulled of your face if they latch on and deal minimal damage upon scraping the player with their legs. They only really become threatening in large numbers, where they can consistently scrape and latch unto the player, dealing large amounts of damage whilst also disorienting them. Crablets truly become a nuisance when you are already fighting different enemies and they decide to latch unto your face. Their weak spot is located in their belly, and picking them up and shooting/stabbing them is very effective.
Strategies
- Crablets can be used as a weapon against other enemies, as the player can grab them and place them on other enemies’ heads.
- The player can hit Crablets while they are latched on to their own or an enemy’s head.
- Picking up Crablets and attacking their underside is very effective and can conserve ammo.
Recommended Weapons
Any melee weapon can be useful against Crablets, but guns may be a little expensive to use against them as they seem to require quite a few bullets to kill.
2.8.2 Crablet King
NAME: Crablet King
AGGRESSION: Supremely Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: Substantial
The large version of the Crablet, most of the same strategies apply except you cannot grab it and place it on enemy’s heads and they are extremely clumsy. They also take an extreme amount of damage. Guns may be more effective on this Crablet than the smaller variety, as melee weapons would take a lot of good swings.
2.9 BOSSCLAW
NAME: BOSSCLAW
AGGRESSION: Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: Moderate
The BOSSCLAW is an enemy seen only in the story mode and they make brief appearances during the “Streets” level. They track down the player, props and enemies that are on the road of the streets and scoop them up to be placed in a trash compactor. It is relatively simple to avoid, as you can simply run away from it or avoid staying on the streets too long. By no means can BOSSCLAWs be destroyed or damaged.
Strategies
- Run away.
- Get away.
Recommended Weapons
N/A
2.10 Turrets
NAME: Turrets
AGGRESSION: Extremely Aggressive
THREAT LEVEL: High
Different forms of static turrets can be found in BONEWORKS. The first one, the box turret, is a turret found in the story mode of BONEWORKS which has a green laser sight that marks its line of sight and a rapid-fire machine gun. It can be avoided by using objects in the environment to block its fire, such as trash can lids or crates. Keep in mind that the turret’s fire can still destroy destructible objects and even fire through some others. The second one, the ball turret, can only be spawned in by the player and fires the same projectiles as slinger Zombish do. Other than that, they have much the same functions as the box turret. These turrets cannot be destroyed by any conventional means of damage, but the box turret will shut off when knocked over.
Strategies
- Avoid their line of sight and advance when it is pointed away from you.
- Turn off the box turret at its back.
Recommended Weapons
N/A
2.11 King Ford
NAME: King Ford
AGGRESSION: Dukes Up!
THREAT LEVEL: Royal
King Ford is the final major fight of BONEWORKS and he has you fist fight him in his throne room. He uses the exact same attacks as Ford clones and he can easily be picked up and swung around into the walls and columns of the room. Furthermore, the room also has a variety of vases, barrels and other Fords that can be used against the king.
Strategies
- Swing him into the columns.
- Smash the barrels and use the planks.
- Smash vases over his head.
Recommended Weapons
Fists are the only weapons you are meant to have access to during this fight.
3.1 Concluding Statements
This has been my complete guide to every single enemy in BONEWORKS (let me know if I missed any) and how you can best defeat or avoid them. I will have more BONEWORKS guides coming up, such as:
- Guide to BONEWORKS’ Levels and Locations
- Guide to BONEWORKS’ Secrets and Easter Eggs
- Guide to BONEWORKS’ Story
If you have any information that you think could be a useful addition to this guide or know of something I’ve stated that is wrong or could be further explained, please comment this.
3.2 Attributions
I would love to give a huge thanks to the BONEWORKS fandom wiki for supplying fantastic information about all enemies in BONEWORKS with great images to accompany.
Check Them Out![boneworks.fandom.com]
I would also love to give a grateful thanks to Stress Level Zero and everyone who worked on BONEWORKS, as they have effectively created one of the greatest VR titles available currently. They have inspired me to start my own game development ventures in Unity, and have shown so many people the true potential of VR as a platform.
Seriously Check Them Out![www.stresslevelzero.com]