Horizon uses its array of gadgets from Zero Dawn and Forbidden West to deepen its immersion, and I’ll never get over the feeling of jumping large gaps in slow motion or sending a rope dart across a cliff before zipping across. Guerilla’s first VR game takes notes from The Climb for top-notch climbing mechanics which deserve credit. Luckily, Call of the Mountain makes this core gameplay more bearable with climbing tools. It’s a bit much out of an open world franchise which has so much more to offer, and there were a dozen moments when I muttered “too much climbing” and craved a good machine fight. Shoulders and forearms will be sore over lots of obstacles to grab. Early on, there isn’t much else to engage players, who are constantly raising their arms or stretching for the next coloured handle. The majority of the game is spent scaling terrain to reach the Sundom’s peaks.

I’ll admit that Guerilla goes overboard with its climbing.

There’s an isolating feeling to trekking through an empty map without a human in sight, all the while Call of the Mountain narrowly avoids leaning on horror and keeps its setting nice and bright. By nature, it’s a climbing simulator sprinkled with some occasional combat, but Horizon fans will feel right at home exploring the Sundom’s caves, cliffs, mountains and desolate settlements. “ Horizon Call of the Mountain makes a strong case of just what makes the PSVR 2 a leading VR headset.”Ĭall of the Mountain falls into a bit of an identity crisis throughout its 6-to-7-hour solo experience. Ultimately, Guerilla plays it safe with a self-contained typical day in the Sundom, but to keep the story canon, a few familiar cameos give VR players a chance to meet lifelike versions of Horizon characters. It’s a shame to see a plot that doesn’t send ripples through Horizon while giving VR players an incentive. For a pardon, he’s sent by Horizon spymaster Marad to investigate random settlement attacks by Machines. In between levels, players follow a somewhat forgettable storyline around Ryas’ journey. One machine attack later, Call of the Mountain wastes no time with its onslaught of guides to start a lengthy trip outdoors. He’s a ruthless, cynical adventurer passing through the Sundom (a familiar section in Zero Dawn’s open world). Players take on the body of Ryas, a former Shadow Carja member sailing through a river in cuffs.

Test horizon call of the mountain