These sites are ad—free
PSVR2 and the Horizon series
I addmit, I’m not a huuge Horizon fan. I’ve played all the games and the DLC and I’ve enjoyed my time with them. But it didn’t made me a huge fan of the series, I’m not saying the games are bad, they are good and ahead of the time.
When PSVR1 was released, I was the first in the line to buy it. I did play it a lot, even though the technical qualities of the system were very limited. Back in 2016 it seemed the best thing ever, though. Now seven years later, exactly 22 February 2023, the PSVR2 was released, and of course, I was yet again first in the line to buy it. The first game for the system was the extremely well advertised Horizon Call of the Mountain. Can the VR-port of the series be as good as the main series?
A climbing simulator
The first thing that struck me was the gorgeous and sharp visuals. The game starts of you being on a boat ride and then some robots attack and capsizes the boat. You play as Ryas, a former Shadow Carja rebel, who is sentenced to atone for his crimes by joining an expedition sent to investigate a new threat to the Sundom. This means you need to climb obstacles and mountains to reach your destination, also defeat enemy robots.
I’m gonna say this straight first; the game is 85% climbing. Yes, that is what you do the most of the time. Enemy battles are far and bewteen. I had to climb so much that I had to stop playing after an hour, because my hands and upper back was hurting so bad. If you are as out of shape as I am, this game might really test your strength.
The fighting sequences were designed well and it was the moment when the game shone. I don’t understant why there wasn’t more of fighting in the game? Maybe they ran out of ideas and climbing takes most of the time and they had to make that 70€ price point somehow happen and 2 hour game wouldn’t cut it.
The story was extremely disappointing. It was not memorable at all and honestly, I cannot remember much of it, exepct there was always an excuse to go climbing again. The sound design was good and very much like in the main series.
What comes to the technical qualities to the game, well it has it ups and downs. Sometimes I fell to my death because the climbing was so badly designed at some points, or some fancy thing didn’t work. The game had lots of setting for VR and that was a good thing. I played this on sitting and standing settings and I think the standing works for the best. You also have to make sure that your playing area is big enough so you don’t hit the limit. It was very much immersio-breaking when I got notificated that I’m almost out of boundaries or the PSVR2 system began to show me some other non-gaming visuals all the time.
The final stretch
As I said the game is about 85% climbing and that’s it. I payed this for full 70€ price and all I got was a climbing simulator. Horizon Call of the Mountain was about 6-8 hours long and I want my money back. It also tests your physical strength a lot. Even though the fighting scenes were good and well made, and the graphics looked nice, it’s not worth the full price.
Do I recommend this game? No, I don’t. Maybe when the price is at least half of that.
Horizon Call of the Mountain is available for PSVR2.
SCORE:
3/5
“The fighting sequences were designed well and it was the moment when the game shone”
One More Level 
Good review, yeah this franchise sucks.
Sony Ponies will be out for your blood now lol.
LikeLike