It doesn’t help that Ryas is a step down from Aloy as a protagonist.

The story may miss the mark, but Call of the Mountain is the best way to connect to Horizon’s universe. There’s no wider meaning to be found here I left my adventure knowing as much about the world (both mine and the game’s) as I did before playing it. It’s a bit of a shame coming off the excellent Horizon Forbidden West, which uses the series’ unique techno-dystopia to create a searing commentary on how big tech billionaires treat Earth as their own playground. The story itself is thin, mostly sending Ryas on a series of “find the item” quests that move along a fairly standard “bad guy” narrative. The story follows a new character, a Shadow Carja rebel named Ryas, who’s tasked with uncovering a threat to the Sundom territory in exchange for a pardon. Call of the Mountain tries to capture some of that magic, but it often feels like more of an amusement park ride based on the series than an expansion of it. Both Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West rank among Sony’s best titles, offering intriguing worldbuilding and an iconic hero in Aloy. Horizon Call of the Mountain isn’t just significant for being PSVR2’s only major launch game it’s also the first real spinoff for Sony’s Horizon series. That makes for a mixed launch game that’ll be more impressive the less familiar you are with VR. Though it has a tougher time balancing that with its wider ambitions, balancing deep gameplay systems with simple interactions that feel like a tutorial for Sony’s new Sense controllers. As PlayStation VR2’s first major release, the action-adventure title successfully plays the role of a tech demo that can show off the headset’s new features and technical capabilities.

That’s where Horizon Call of the Mountain finds itself stuck between a rock and, well, another rock. “Immersive experiences” aren’t enough to carry a VR game in 2023 they need to be as strong and as mechanically sound and engaging as any console game.

That dynamic highlights a notable change in how the bar has moved for VR games. PlayStation Showcase 2023: how to watch and what to expectĪtari is publishing its first VR game, and it’s coming to PSVR2

Horizon call of the mountain release