Horizon Call of the Mountain Review: PS VR2 Gameplay Impressions and Accessibility

Horizon Call of the Mountain is the perfect choice to showcase Sony's PS VR2 and get gamers excited for the launch and future of the system.

The world of the Horizon series is one of the most unique in gaming, which is fitting to feature the unique technology of virtual reality. The sense of wonder goes beyond imagination with Horizon Call of the Mountain and will immediately leave a long-lasting impression as soon as somebody experiences the intro to this game in PS VR2.

For somebody who might be looking to dive into the Sony ecosystem with PS VR2 and PS5 all at once, Call of the Mountain is a great introduction to one of the best franchises ever in Horizon. For gamers looking to experience VR for the first time, PS VR2 is easy to set up, highly accessible and a necessary followup to the original PS VR.

Gameplay and Accessibility

As soon as the game begins, gamers are thrust into a grand adventure featuring some of the most memorable enemies in gaming. Not only is the story itself intriguing from the start, but witnessing the scenery, lifelike companions and massive enemy robots takes the world of Horizon to another level.

Playing as Aloy from a third-person perspective in Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West was already an exhilarating gameplay session each time, but taking the experience into virtual reality is breathtaking. The graphics and fidelity thanks to the power of the PS5 and the new PS VR2 are on full display as the water, trees and scenery look real. Yet nothing will prepare gamers for seeing a Tallneck walk over their head or a Snapmaw race through the water. These enemies were already dangerous to see from the third-person perspective in the previous games, but Horizon Call of the Mountain truly takes these awesome designs to a new level.

From a gameplay perspective, mileage may vary depending on how comfortable or experienced somebody is with VR. The beauty of VR is allowing gamers to become immersed in the world, and Horizon Call of the Mountain shines most when the gamer is taken on a curated on-rails experience, able to calmly take in the world or battling enemies.

The new PS VR2 controllers are easy to use, intuitive, responsive and feel comfortable to hold. The buttons and joysticks on the controllers are smaller than those on the DualSense, so they may take a bit of time to adjust if playing with a DualSense beforehand, but otherwise if returning to play with the PS VR2 controllers, it's not nearly as noticeable.

It's interesting that a major focus for the PS5's DualSense at launch was focused on the triggers and their ability to promote the feeling of using a bow. With PS VR2 and Horizon Call of the Mountain, the bow is back to being in the forefront. By nature, VR is more of an active gaming experience, and the act of drawing a bow or putting it away feels fun and intuitive. There's also good feedback in the game design, controllers and headset throughout the experience.

While shooting a bow and arrow is a highlight, climbing and general movement isn't as so. This may depend on how active a gamer wants to be, especially since it may be difficult to break old habits that lean toward more stationary participation.

In general, Horizon Call of the Mountain may shine brighter for gamers when on an on-rails experience or in combat sequences. It's necessary for the future of the technology to continue to push actions beyond an on-rail experience, so it's understandable that developers Guerrilla Games and Firesprite tried to feature more active participation, but there is simply too much climbing and for too long of stretches throughout the game to the point where it becomes tiresome.

The headset itself will naturally vary by person. Everybody will need to find a comfortable position for how the headset sits on their head, the bridge of their nose and most importantly for their vision. There are several toggles to help people but will likely require some attention if passing the headset between people. Even for a solo gamer, putting the headset back on after time away might take a bit of an adjustment.

Perhaps the biggest barrier of entry or enjoyment will be potential motion sickness as the result of quick movements, such as spinning around too quickly or even adjusting to the screen. This is naturally dependent on the person, but something for each person to monitor to prevent headaches or dizziness. Once somebody finds a setting they enjoy, though, they will be treated to the incredible visuals of Horizon Call of the Mountain. For gamers accustomed to lengthy gaming sessions, then it's possible this game, and VR in general, may be best in shorter bursts.

From a graphical perspective, Call of the Mountain has to be among the best-looking VR games available. Considering it's a launch title for a new system, it's impressive how stunning the visuals are. For example, seeing a realistic, frayed rope right in your face while climbing or spotting the indents of rocks on a mountain. The scope of the vistas are jaw-dropping, especially upon reaching the top of a mountain after a lengthy climb. It's amazing how much detail is in the world and how far into the distance everything can be seen with such clarity.

However, nothing beats out the true spectacle of seeing the enemies roam the land or fighting up close. For example, maneuvering the arena, hiding behind rocks and popping out from cover to take down a Glinthawk is a true highlight of the game. Players can duck from side to side to avoid attacks and follow up with bow shots to a weak point. It's awesome to see all of the visual effects from an enemy during a fight and then being able to check them out up close after taking them down.

All of these actions add up to make for fun combat encounters and are easily the most fun part of the game. These moments were already a treat from a third-person perspective as Aloy, but when it's directly in your face in VR it's a new level of exhilaration.

Accessibility in gaming in general is extremely important, but with VR seems necessary because of the different variables a gamer can experience while using the technology. Sony's development teams in recent years have pushed accessibility options to new heights, and it's fantastic to see that continue with Horizon Call of the Mountain. There's a plethora of accessibility options to cater to gamers' needs, which will surely be much appreciated for gamers experiencing VR for the first time with PS VR2 or just looking for a more customizable experience.

Gamers may need to adjust settings if something feels blurry, but especially tweaking settings if playing for an extended period of time to prevent headaches or perhaps dizziness because of quick, sudden movements. It will always vary by person, but it's crucial to have these settings from the onset and developers should continue to look toward Sony's releases as the standard instead of the outlier moving forward.

For gamers new to VR, having options in Call of the Mountain for movement and enemy damage will help ease the learning curve and make for a more enjoyable experience overall.

Conclusion

Horizon Call of the Mountain is the ideal game to experience with PS VR2. Developers Guerrilla Games and Firesprite manage to expand one of the most brilliantly designed worlds in gaming to create an adventure gamers can't find anywhere else.

Once somebody finds their comfort, PS VR2 is accessible and an experience unlike any other courtesy of Horizon Call of the Mountain. It is a worthy launch title to showcase the capabilities of PS VR2 that allows gamers to wonder not only what other experiences can be told in the Horizon universe, but also which other of Sony's magnificent franchises can be expanded upon in VR beyond what we thought was possible.