Horizon: Call of the Mountain

Horizon: Call of the Mountain is a spin-off of the Horizon series, which originated in 2017. The game was developed with VR in mind. Its co-creators are Firesprite (the developers of The Persistenec) and Guerilla Games (the studio responsible for the mainline installments).

Plot

Horizon: Call of the Mountain takes place in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world. The Earth has been overrun by machines resembling animals and dinosaurs, with people reduced to living in communities bringing to mind prehistoric tribes.

One such tribe is Carja, which used to wage bloody wars against other tribes under the rule of the mad king Jiran. The tyrant was eventually overthrown by his own son - Avad - who ceased the invasions and led the tribe to peace. His father's loyalists became outcasts and settled in the Sunfall citadel, earning the name of Shadow Carja. One of them was Ryas, the game's protagonist.

Plagued by guilt, wanting to atone for his actions and regain his honor, he lets the Carja capture and imprison him. Unexpectedly, Avad spares his life; in return for answering the titular call of the mountain and investigating a new, looming threat. Although Ryas is not alone during his journey, he has to earn the trust of others who still remember his dark past.

Mechanics

The gameplay of Horizon: Call of the Mountain is shown from the first-person perspective (FPP). Ryas is a master climber, archer and hunter, with the game providing plenty of opportunities for him to show off his skills. During his travel across Carja and Nora lands, the protagonist meets their inhabitants, completes quests, climbs mountains with a pair of climbing axes and battles machines with his bow. As is the case in the main series, combat is dynamic, with the player needing to stay mobile, dodge quickly and aim for the enemies' weak spots. In addition to regular enemies we'll face much more powerful bosses. As we progress through the game we earn resources, which can be spent on new items and upgrading already owned equipment.

Technical aspects

The graphics of Horizon: Call of the Mountain are highly impressive. The game makes use surround sound as well as PlayStation VR2's unique capabilities, such as adaptive triggers, haptic vibration or detecting button touch.