The story follows a new character, a Shadow Carja rebel named Ryas, who’s tasked with uncovering a threat to the Sundom territory in exchange for a pardon. Call of the Mountain tries to capture some of that magic, but it often feels like more of an amusement park ride based on the series than an expansion of it. Both Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West rank among Sony’s best titles, offering intriguing worldbuilding and an iconic hero in Aloy. Horizon Call of the Mountain isn’t just significant for being PSVR2’s only major launch game it’s also the first real spinoff for Sony’s Horizon series. That makes for a mixed launch game that’ll be more impressive the less familiar you are with VR. Though it has a tougher time balancing that with its wider ambitions, balancing deep gameplay systems with simple interactions that feel like a tutorial for Sony’s new Sense controllers.

As PlayStation VR2’s first major release, the action-adventure title successfully plays the role of a tech demo that can show off the headset’s new features and technical capabilities. That’s where Horizon Call of the Mountain finds itself stuck between a rock and, well, another rock. “Immersive experiences” aren’t enough to carry a VR game in 2023 they need to be as strong and as mechanically sound and engaging as any console game. That dynamic highlights a notable change in how the bar has moved for VR games.

Now here I was a decade later, entirely unphased as I precariously dangled from a far more intimidating height without a care in the world. I knew I wasn’t in physical danger, but that didn’t change the thrill I felt in the moment. I imagined moviegoers seeing The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, screaming in terror as they thought the locomotive was going to barrel into the camera lens and pop out of the screen. I suddenly noticed that my body had instinctively scrunched up, bracing me for a potential fall as best I could. During a curated demo reel of experiences, I stepped onto a thin plank of wood suspended between skyscrapers. When I first demoed the tech 10 years ago, I encountered a striking moment where my real-life fear of heights went digital. As I scale an enormous robot-dinosaur skeleton in Horizon Call of the Mountain, hanging impossibly high over the world below, I realize how far my relationship with VR has come.

Horizon call of the mountain physical