As its first big announcement of 2022, Sony has officially announced the PlayStation VR 2, a next-gen VR system for the PS5, at CES 2022. A lot of important details like pricing and release date haven't been revealed yet, but next-gen VR is coming and PlayStation already has its first big exclusive lined up: Horizon Call of the Mountain. If the PSVR 2 launches in 2022, fans may get to visit Horizon's post-apocalyptic paradise more than once this year.
Since releasing nearly five years ago, Horizon has become one of the biggest PlayStation exclusive IPs. The upcoming Horizon Forbidden West made it an IP to watch, but Call of the Mountain further solidifies the franchise's status even further. However, the latter changes up the traditional formula by telling a new story distanced from Aloy's journey. This is great news for Horizon fans because Call of the Mountain may showcase other directions for the franchise once Aloy's journey is concluded.
Horizon Call of the Mountain Branches Away From Aloy
Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West both focus on Aloy, a bold and brave huntress who seeks to uncover long-lost secrets and, of course, save the world. Aloy has become a popular PlayStation mascot and has been highlighted in other games such as Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, Genshin Impact, Fall Guys, and Fortnite. Horizon also has a comic series. Aloy is turning up everywhere, which is a great way to generate hype for Horizon Forbidden West's February release.
However, as much as fans love Aloy, her story won't last forever. That's a good thing because when Aloy eventually retires, her journey should have a strong ending rather than dragging on and on. After Aloy's story ends, though, there is still a lot to explore within the world of Horizon. If Call of the Mountain is a sign of things to come, Guerrilla and Sony have recognized the enormous potential of the Horizon IP and are going all in.
There truly is unlimited potential for the world of Horizon. The Faro Plague destroyed the entire planet, not just the United States where Aloy's story takes place. The planet surely contains hundreds of new machines, tribes, and AI "deities." The world of Horizon should continue to expand, and Call of the Mountain shows that Guerrilla isn't afraid to explore its worth without Aloy. That alone opens up a ton of opportunities.
Horizon Forbidden West is Just the Beginning
While introducing the teaser trailer for Horizon Call of the Mountain, Guerrilla Studio Director Jan-Bart Van Beek assured players that Horizon Forbidden West is not the final Horizon game. It's currently unknown if Aloy's journey will continue after Forbidden West, but regardless, Van Beek confirmed that Horizon Zero Dawn's sequel is just the beginning. It seems like fans have a lot to look forward to.
Van Beek was referring specifically to Horizon Call of the Mountain, but it's unlikely that the franchise will stop there either. The Horizon series has been cast in the spotlight for a while now. Forbidden West is one of the most highly-anticipated PlayStation exclusives, and now Call of the Mountain is announced as a launch exclusive for the PSVR 2 system. Between Horizon's many collabs, Forbidden West, and Call of the Mountain, Guerrilla isn't slowing down.
There aren't a lot of details on Horizon Call of the Mountain yet, with the trailer just showing a small group of people in a boat crossing paths with a Tallneck. Aloy is not present in the trailer, which doesn't mean that she won't show up, but does indicate she's probably not the protagonist. It's exciting to see the Horizon IP exploring a new gaming medium so quickly, and hopefully, this is just one of many plans to keep expanding Horizon after the launch of Forbidden West.
Horizon Call of the Mountain is in development for the PlayStation 5's PSVR 2 system.