Sony is set to take its virtual gaming sector to the future with PS VR2. As has been revealed, the headset is a vast improvement over the original PlayStation VR, and its hardware sports many noteworthy features, including a simple single-cord setup. VR games will more beautiful than ever thanks to PS VR2's OLED display, 110-degree view, and adjustable lenses. Though a release date for the device has yet to be revealed, a few studios have already let gamers know that they are working on titles for PS VR2, including Guerrilla Games, which announced that the Horizon franchise will be hopping into the world of VR with Horizon Call of the Mountain.
A Horizon Call of the Mountain trailer which was shown during Sony's recent State of Play event revealed that the game will be told through the eyes of Ryas, who is a former Shadow Carja Hunter. Ryas is on a quest to redeem himself, but that quest is a dangerous one, and for that reason, he arms himself with a bow. The inclusion of bow combat is welcome, as it means that Horizon Call of the Mountain will be more than just a safari adventure, and players will get to experience Horizon's unique combat in the most immersive way possible.
Horizon Call of the Mountain Is More Than Just Sight-Seeing
The world of Horizon is beautiful, and half the fun comes from just exploring it. There are varied locations to explore in the two games that have been released, and players can find themselves braving freezing mountaintops one moment and sneaking through a dense rainforest the next. In Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy has a grappling hook that helps her scale mountains, and a diving mask to swim into gorgeous underwater caverns. Fast travel is available, but there is hardly a reason to use it when the environments are so captivating.
There are plenty of animals to see, but most players will be far more mesmerized by the machines. In Horizon Zero Dawn, many of the machines are based on dinosaurs, hence why players see titans such as the Thunderjaws which resemble T-Rexes, the Tallnecks which look like brontosauruses, and the Watchers which look like small therapods. With Horizon Forbidden West, the catalog of machines is greatly expanded, and the designs take inspiration from a wide range of animals. For example, the Slitherfangs look like robotic cobras, the Clamberjaws resemble monkeys, and the Leaplashers look like kangaroos.
If Horizon Call of the Mountain was merely about exploring the wilderness and discovering new machines and biomes, it would already have the potential to be a great game that shows off the power of PS VR2. However, with combat, the game goes one step further and ensures that it is more than just a virtual safari trip.
Experience Horizon's Unique Combat Like Never Before
Horizon's enemies are pretty unique and, consequently, it takes a unique kind of combat to take them down. Machines are huge, and Aloy is tiny compared to them, so brute strength simply will not work. Fortunately, the machines are quite modular, and if Aloy is smart, she can chip away at the machines and knock off their components little by little. For more advanced players, it is possible to knock off a machine's weapon and use it against it. Selecting the right weapon is crucial because different types of machines have different strengths and weaknesses.
Horizon's unique combat is back in Horizon Call of the Mountain, and players will get to experience it in VR. Currently, Ryas has only been shown operating a bow, but it already opens up plenty of options for combat. Immersed in the world of VR, every arrow will feel many times more impactful, and every encounter with machines will be even more terrifying.
Opportunity For New Weapons in Call of the Mountain
The Horizon series is notable for having an interesting range of weapons that are as fun to use as they are effective. Aloy starts with a simple spear, and she soon gains a bow that allows her to engage in ranged combat. If players prefer stealth, they can use a Tripcaster to lay down dangerous wires in the path of enemies. Horizon Forbidden West's weapons are greatly expanded and include Shredder Gauntlets which shoot discs that Aloy can catch and throw again, as well as Spike Throwers which let Aloy chuck deadly javelins.
With combat confirmed in Horizon Call of the Mountain, players will get to experience bow combat in VR, which is sure to make every draw of the bowstring feel more real than ever. The inclusion of combat also opens the opportunity for Ryas to discover and use new weapons. Guerrilla Games has proven that it is capable of great creativity when it comes to weapon design, so there is no telling what the studio could surprise gamers with.
Horizon Call of the Mountain's weapons will also be an opportunity to test out PS VR2's controllers and their innovative features. As has been revealed, the controllers will have many of the same features as the DualSense, including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, and it is easy to imagine how these will be implemented to allow players to feel the tension of the bowstring. The controllers will also feature finger-touch detection, allowing the headset to know where the player has their hands placed even when they are not pressing any buttons. If bow combat is implemented correctly, Horizon Call of the Mountain could be the best game to show players just what PS VR2 is capable of.
Horizon Call of the Mountain is among a few games which have been confirmed for PS VR2, and other titles include Among Us, Samurai Slaughter House, Resident Evil Village, and Pavlov. Guerrilla Games' title is likely to be a flagship game for the headset, and trailers reveal that it will be a visual treat filled with many exciting moments. The inclusion of bow combat proves Guerrilla Games has not skimped out on its VR offering, and it will be just as fleshed out as its console counterparts.
Horizon Call of the Mountain is in development for PS VR2.