Latest Bootstrap Island Update Adds Building And Inventory

Now for a game that is really shaping up to be a fantastic VR Survival game and is definitely a Virtual Reality experience to try right now, Bootstrap Island.

This VR survival game has you in a Robinson Crusoe sort of situation. You are stranded on an island after being the only survivor of a nasty shipwreck. It’s a roguelike game that challenges you to explore the island as far as you can without perishing of dehydration, starvation, or being eaten by the many dangerous animals that come out at night.

Fighting off menacing beasts in the middle of the night is a core part of what makes Bootstrap Island such an intense Roguelike experience.

Bootstrap Island Gets Great, Consistent Updates

When Bootstrap Island first released it felt very bare bones, and had a ton of bugs. So many that reviewing or recommending it felt like it may have been unwise until we could see the development teams’ commitment to fine tuning a great game. Bootstrap Island has always had fantastic visuals and sound, but there was clearly some polishing that needed to be done on even the most basic interactions and mechanics.

Well, since the release of Bootstrap Island into early access some months ago the updates have been strong and consistent. Trying this VR game again hasn’t been a bug free experience, but lacked the consistent crashes and physics engine issues that the game previously had.

The satchel inside of a chest in Bootstrap Island, courtesy of the developer’s Youtube channel.

Most notably in this latest update two new items have been added that really show what direction this game is going to go, and reinforce my belief that Bootstrap Island will become a must play game for Virtual Reality survival game enjoyers.

One is a satchel, which if you unlock and then find within a chest in the game can carry a bunch of items. One of the early game hardships of Bootstrap Island is that you don’t have an inventory to speak of other than your hands. Well over several runs now you can actually carry quite a few things and give yourself a lot more options as you go deeper into the island.

Second and most notable is the addition of a book which lets you craft structures on the island. Currently the only craftable buildings using this book are a fence and a gate for this fence, which offers some defense against wild animals at night, but the intricacies of even this fledgling crafting system show what a commitment the team working on Bootstrap Island has to creating a realistic and finely tuned survival experience.

Building a fence in Bootstrap Island, courtesy of the developer’s Youtube channel.

A lot of VR survival games that heavily feature building are content to simply have to bring over the items needed to build something, select where you want to build it, and then maybe whack it with a hammer a few times.

Not Bootstrap Island, in this game you must drive each stake into the ground and then tie them together with a naturally occurring plant called cordage root. Just like building a fire, or loading a pistol, each step to build even a simple fence feels just like how building a fence in real life would feel, and that is the core of why Bootstrap Island is shaping up to be a fantastic VR game.