After two highly successful single-player action RPGs, the Horizon Zero Dawn franchise has entered the VR space. Horizon: Call of the Mountain brings players on a brand-new journey within the Horizon world, it expands this series in new ways, and introduces fans to a new cast of characters that call this world home. While the VR experience is not perfect, this feels like a worthy entry in Guerrilla Games' fast-growing franchise.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain is the first spin-off of the Horizon series, and hopefully it will not be the last. There are so many stories that could be told in the Horizon world, and the spin-offs should not be relegated to PS VR2. Horizon: Call of the Mountain may help sell more PSVR2s, but non-VR players also deserve to explore the Horizon world through new eyes. If Guerrilla wants to make the best sci-fi series it can, then it needs to make sure that Horizon is not stuck within the confines of VR.
Horizon is Filled With Stories Waiting to Be Told
The world that Guerrilla Games created with Horizon: Zero Dawn is seeping with story potential. So far, players have only gotten to experience this post-apocalyptic machine-ridden United States from the eyes of series protagonist Aloy. Her journey forms the backbone of this franchise, and she will stop at nothing to ensure humanity's survival. While her story may be interesting, there is far more to Horizon than just Aloy.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain is the first time that the series has let players experience this world through someone else. It puts players in control of new protagonist Ryas, a former Shadow Carja rebel who is trying to atone for his crimes. He must protect the Sundom from a new threat, and will do this alongside new and returning characters. It is an interesting new adventure within the Horizon series, and it seems to be a great launch title for the PS VR2
It is nice to see the Horizon series branch out from Aloy a bit, even if she is still present within the story. However, a lot of the fanbase has been left out of the spin-off fun unless they are willing to purchase a PS VR2. Locking the first major Horizon spin-off on new hardware seems like an interesting choice, and it is hopefully not a sign of things to come.
The focus of the Horizon series will likely be on Aloy for the foreseeable future, but that does not mean that more Horizon spin-offs are out of the question. Spin-offs help expand franchises in new ways and let fans see aspects of their favorite worlds that they may have never seen with the mainline series. They can help expand a world, fill it with new characters, and bring fans on exciting new journeys. Spin-offs can do a lot for a franchise, but they should not be relegated to a niche market like VR.
VR is still a niche market when compared to the entire gaming industry, but it is slowly growing. The cost of entry is still pretty high, and a lot of the games still pale in comparison to their console counterparts. Even Horizon: Call of the Mountain is not on par with the mainline Horizon series, but it does try to emulate some of the franchise's most popular mechanics. While VR is getting better every year, it is still missing something, and locking the first Horizon spin-off to the new VR headset feels like a disservice to the larger fanbase.
Sony likely hoped that Horizon: Call of the Mountain would drive PS VR2 sales, and it probably helped a bit. It is the first major spin-off of one of Sony's biggest franchises right now, and it served as a launch title for the device. It makes sense that the studio would want to do something like this, and if it sold well then it will likely not be the last time. VR experiences are fun, but Horizon also deserves non-VR spin-offs in the future. It could expand the franchise immensely, and let the majority of the fanbase explore the world through new eyes.
Horizon: Call of the Mountain is available now on PS VR2.
