Horizon Call of the Mountain knows its job: Riding the popularity of Horizon: Forbidden West and spearheading Sony’s new foray into virtual reality gaming, PlayStation VR 2. And it does so by focusing less on Forbidden West’s sprawling story and much more on the spectacle, often wowing with the views that it puts in front of you. At that level, it’s a remarkable technical feat that allows you to enjoy a healthy dose of excitement as you disengage the parking brake and relinquish control of its exhilarating combat. So it’s a shame that it often runs at a much more relaxed pace, allowing you to frequently enjoy the beauty of its world, but preventing it from thrilling from start to finish. However, when everything falls into place and the highest levels are reached, it is a very fun time.
In the same way that a Disneyland attraction borrows from the movie on which it is based, Horizon: Call of the Mountain condenses the Horizon experience into something much smaller, but trying to keep the same flavor. The best example of this is its opening, similar to that of Pirates of the Caribbean, in which your leisurely river cruise is abruptly interrupted by some imposing machines. It is a true credit to the development studio Firesprite to translate Guerrilla’s original art design into something more impressive than any television screen could do justice, both in the breathtaking vistas this world offers and the characteristic machines that populate it.
The first time you see the scale of some of these creatures It’s a sight to beholdnot only because of the switch to the true first-person perspective that emphasizes its true size, but because its presence is felt even more thanks to the haptic feedback that is perceived both in each controller and in the helmet itself: you literally feel the ground shake with every step these huge machines take. It’s a true showcase for PS VR2 from the get-go, with huge spectacle mixed with small details, right down to the delicate ripples your fingers make in the water and the rude splashes made by the feet of the giant machines.
Opening success aside, over the course of its roughly six-hour campaign, Call of the Mountain takes the essence of Horizon gameplay and boils it down to a much more manageable set of tools that work in VR. Rocky landscapes to explore, hostile machines to shoot down, puzzles to solve… it’s all here. However, what is most remarkable is that it is a linear experience that contrasts with the vast open worlds of Zero Dawn or Forbidden West. An inquisitive mind is occasionally rewarded with fun side quests like stacking piles of rock or collectible archery targets, but most of the time you’ll be led along a prearranged path. This narrow focus naturally works well in VR, even if you miss out on some of the inherent exploration that Horizon normally offers.
If you suffer from any type of vertigo, this may not be your game.
There are two movement options to choose from: a “gesture” based system that moves you by holding down two buttons and mimicking a walking motion with your arms, and a more traditional analog stick based system. After trying both, I settled on the former for most of my playthrough, though both have their pros and cons. At first, I didn’t find the emote system too intuitive, but once I got familiar with it, I preferred it simply because it made me feel less nauseous when playing for long periods of time (I mean about 30 minutes). However, I found myself switching to the analog sticks every time I got into combat, as the dodge mechanic associated with this move system (a right stick flick) made things a lot easier for me. Of course, everyone’s experience will vary depending on their tolerance for VR, so I recommend trying both to see which works best for you.
Now is the time to say that if you suffer from any kind of vertigo, this may not be your game. I’m not too bad at actual heights, but here I started to feel a bit dizzy when looking down at some of the ridiculous distances I could fall from. There are also quite a few opportunities to plummet, thanks to the sheer amount of climbing that needs to be done. Climb cliffs. Climb up lianas Climb walls of ice. Climb rock walls by driving double spikes into them. So much climbing that you may want to climb the walls of your house as well.
I wasn’t naive enough to think that a game called “Call of the Mountain” wouldn’t include some climbing, but it caught me a bit off guard when I found out that it actually is most of what you will do here, especially in the early hours. The climb isn’t too difficult, but honestly, looking for one handhold after another is pretty boring after climbing the third or fourth ledge. It gets a little more interesting when new tools are introduced, and there’s no denying the immersion you feel as the wind swirls around your ears and great music plays as you reach the next peak. Although some climbs offer a little more excitement than others, I can honestly say that climbing has never seemed fun to me. It’s frustrating, therefore, that it dominates so much of what you’ll do in Horizon: Call of the Mountain, particularly when compared to its far less frequent but infinitely more exciting combat sections.
These gladiatorial battles against all manner of hostile machines, largely taking place in mini arenas, are often the high point of each mission. This is where the immersion really comes into its own., when you briefly forget the time on Earth you live on and the rhythm of combat takes over. Armed with a bow and arrow, Horizon’s signature weapon, you’ll be aiming for enemy weak points in no time thanks to PS VR2’s impressive eye-tracking technology, quickly dodging melee attacks before crouching and moving. head to dodge projectiles.
Is about a set of combat options that gradually expands over time, as new ammo types are introduced and your arsenal expands. As stronger enemies show up, naturally more firepower is needed, and with it increases the levels of excitement to be encountered. Preparing for encounters becomes increasingly important as you build all kinds of elemental arrows in a nice crafting system that allows you to manually place arrowheads, explosives, and flights, thus creating a tangible connection to the world.
More rewarding than creating arrows is, of course, shooting them, and in this sense Horizon: Call of the Mountain succeeds. Although my real experience in the world of archery is limited to the 11 years I spent on a school field trip, in my expert opinion, the feeling is very good. There’s a really nice “ping” in the way each arrow flies off the bowstring and the tactile feedback tickles your palm, and then an even bigger thrill when it slams into whatever’s close enough unfortunate enough to be in his way. Unlike climbing, you never get bored of watching sparks fly and pieces of machine come loose as Horizon’s brilliant combat successfully plows its way through VR space.
It is a very satisfying cadence that works really well in VR thanks to its captivating but never overwhelming speed, but which is also forgiving. If you take any damage, you can find a moment of peace amongst the chaos by snacking and filling up your health bar by eating some fruit. The health bar is cleverly positioned in one of your hands (just like in Half-Life: Alyx), which means it’s never beyond a quick glance, like when looking at the time on a watch, and always in view when you aim with your sights Definitely, Horizon: Call of the Mountain’s interface is very cleverly implementedmaking it feel like a tangible part of your character and not a series of distracting floating boxes that threaten to pull you out of its beautiful world.
Horizon’s fundamentally brilliant combat successfully makes its way into the VR space.
Puzzles also pop up here and there and again serve as a welcome break from climbing.. Have I mentioned there is a lot of climbing? The puzzles are sometimes fun, but never overly difficult, and once the novelty of physically picking up the gears and putting them into place wears off, they become just another minor hurdle on the way to the next fight or story moment.
The story is serviceable, but it’s designed to facilitate great moments and hilarious cameos., instead of telling a layered story like the previous two Horizon installments. Here you play Ryas instead of Aloy: he is a Carja rebel who must complete a series of tasks to atone for his crimes. His internal monologues are limited in a clever move that allows you to experience this world first hand and not be distracted by voices in your head.
Naturally, the plot thickens and the second half of the campaign is much more attractive than the first, thanks to the fact that the action increases both in quality and quantity. Horizon fans will find some valuable nods (familiar faces drop by to say hello), but don’t necessarily expect a new chapter in the history of this universe.
Outside of the main story, you can freely explore your little home base, take a closer look at the artifacts collected on your expeditions, and chat with the friends you’ve made along the way. It’s also home to the enjoyable safari mode: an alternate, laid-back version of the opening cruise that shows a selection of Horizon’s bestiary in their natural habitat. It’s short, sweet, and a reflection of the Disneyland nature of Call of the Mountain as a whole: an impressive technical showcase for PS VR2 that uses the wonders inherent in the world of Horizon to spice up its sometimes dizzying river ride with excitement.
The thrilling high points of Horizon: Call of the Mountain elevate it just enough above its often monotonous climbing mechanics to create a fun first full-scale installment in the PS VR2 library. Through intuitive design, impressive spectacle, and gripping combat, the first step in Horizon in VR is packed with exciting encounters that its slower stages can sometimes detract from., but they never threaten to completely derail. It’s a fun, if not essential, chapter in the Horizon story.