HORIZON CALL OF THE MOUNTAIN METACRITIC PORTABLE
HORIZON CALL OF THE MOUNTAIN METACRITIC PC

The headset has been making waves thanks to the explosive PS VR2 launch line-up which features puzzle games like Tetris Effect, horror titles like Resident Evil Village, and racing games like Gran Turismo 7. James Perkins Mastromarino contributed to this review.The launch of the PS VR2 marks the next generation of Sony’s VR gaming line. That is, a niche corner of gaming mostly populated by amusement park-like experiences that don't leave a lasting impression. Unless Sony plans to throw a lot of money at VR for years to come, I worry their 'Next Generation of Virtual Reality Gaming' is going to look a lot like the one we're stuck in now. Hopefully, PS5's more powerful hardware will attract developers to bring their previously PC-only titles over to PS VR2 (come on Valve, release Half-Life: Alyx), but it's hard to imagine PS VR2 selling so well as to inspire third-party publishers to fund new, immersive VR games that cost tens of millions of dollars to create. If you're a VR veteran, odds are you've already played many of its launch titles ( Beat Saber, Moss 1 & 2, Star Wars Tales from Galaxy's Edge), and while very pretty, Horizon Call of the Mountain doesn't distinguish itself from the games that inspired it. It's also expensive (over $500) and requires a PS5 to use. The PlayStation VR2 headset is remarkably comfortable and accommodating to people who wear glasses. Not only are they less expensive and offer more games, the flexibility of wireless VR cannot be understated. If you're new to VR, your money may be better spent on either a Meta Quest 2 or a Quest 3 due later this year. While Sony says there are 100+ games in the works for PS VR2, it's safe to assume most of those will be ports, too. PS5 titles Resident Evil Village and Grand Turismo 7 are getting VR updates, but every other game has been ported from older platforms. Of the launch titles announced, only Horizon Call of the Mountain is a truly new, made-for-PS VR2 experience. The headset delivers gorgeous imagery and on top of all of that, it easily accommodates bespectacled people like myself.īut none of that warrants early adoption when there's no guarantee that Sony can deliver on games.

HORIZON CALL OF THE MOUNTAIN METACRITIC PC

Unlike PC VR, the games available to me just worked - no tinkering or troubleshooting needed. It's a breeze to set up and comfortable even after hours of gaming. With the power of the PS5, PS VR2 can run games previously only available to more expensive PC-based setups.

HORIZON CALL OF THE MOUNTAIN METACRITIC PORTABLE

There's no way a game like Call of the Mountain could run on the Quest 2, Meta's successful portable VR platform. This is both one of its greatest strengths and weaknesses.

Just like with Sony's first VR headset that debuted in 2016, the PS VR2 is a tethered experience, requiring a PlayStation 5 to power it. It may not be fair to label Call of the Mountain a 'tech demo,' but I liken it to a splashy amusement park attraction I'm happy to have only ridden once. Firing your bow feels great and the levels are littered with targets, but combat boils down Horizon's deep mechanics to: While satisfyingly tactile, the climbing that makes up the majority of the game lacks the challenge of other simulators like Crytek's The Climb 2. These are easily the best screens I've seen in a VR headset.Ĭlimb stupendous heights and take down majestic bestial robots in Horizon Call of the Mountain.Ĭall of the Mountain's gameplay is less appealing. Dark caves cast inky black shadows while the forest blooms in punchy greens, reds and yellows. When fighting a Thunderjaw (the T-Rex robot), every part of its gleaming armor, laser cannons and radar array is realized in sharp detail. With my eyes positioned just centimeters from the VR's new OLED screens, I could see individual strands of moss between my virtual fingers as I climbed the mountain. Purely from a resolution perspective, Call of the Mountain sets a new standard on the PS VR2.

While players can easily spend dozens of hours harvesting machine parts across gigantic open worlds in Horizon's core games, Call of the Mountain is a contained, almost on-rails experience of maybe 6-7 hours meant to showcase the new headset. Horizon Call of the Mountain is PlayStation's flagship VR title, launching Wednesday alongside its new VR headset, the PS VR2.

Welcome to the promises and pitfalls of virtual reality. Out of instinct, I reached behind my back to grab my compound bow and explosive-tipped arrows, swung them up and over my head in a practiced arc.

Horizon call of the mountain metacritic