Horizon Call of the Mountain is notable for a few reasons. It is the first VR title in the franchise, and it does a good job of throwing players into Horizon's universe, allowing them to feel its beauty and danger. Horizon Call of the Mountain is also the first title to not focus squarely on Aloy. Instead, the protagonist is Ryas the Shadow Carja. Despite not having Aloy as the star, the game is still a blast to play through, proving that the franchise can excel with the red-haired heroine. Future titles should explore the lives of more characters, including the traveling band in the Hidden Ember who have plenty of interesting adventures.
The Hidden Ember is inhabited by three performers from the Oseram tribe named Morlund, Stemmur, and Abadund. Completing missions for them unlocks beautiful light shows that players can change. A spin-off title focused on the traveling band could be quite interesting. It would be a good fit for the VR platform, as it would feature plenty of exploration and adventure while being light on combat, which isn't easy to pull off well in virtual reality.
The Traveling Band in The Hidden Ember
In Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy meets a traveling band of Oseram performers. They travel throughout The Claim entertaining the villages they encounter. The group features Stemmur who uses his smooth voice to tell stories. Morlund is an inventor who creates a massive hot air balloon that Aloy gets to ride. There is also Abadund who is the brains of the bunch and handles the group's finances. They are an odd assortment, but they manage to form a tight-knit trio.
Horizon Forbidden West features a few adventures related to the trio. After finding them in The Sea of Sands main quest, players can complete the Nights of Lights errand, which has Aloy collecting ornaments. Stemmur uses these ornaments to project light shows themed around various holidays the Old Ones used to celebrate. These quests may be a window into the kinds of adventures the trio got up to during their travels.
A Future Spin-Off Could Focus on the Traveling Band
Call of the Mountain was brave enough to veer away from Aloy and focus on an entirely new character. The experiment was successful. Ryas can deal with machines, but he excels as a climber, which makes him well-suited to the game's narrative and the VR format. Although combat in VR can be fun, Call of the Mountain excels with its exploration and traversal, which combine fun movement with breathtaking views.
A spin-off focused on the Oseram traveling band could be just as successful as Call of the Mountain. It could follow the journeys of the trio as they travel throughout The Claim, with Morlund around to create wacky transportation methods and weapons when needed. With how much fun Call of the Mountain is, it would be a shame if it was the Horizon franchise's only foray into the VR realm, especially when there are characters like Stemmur, Abadund, and Morlund around who also have backstories worth exploring.
Call of the Mountain isn't the only Horizon release this year, and fans can also look forward to the Burning Shores DLC which will launch on PS5 in April. The upcoming DLC will set its sights back on Aloy as she travels to Los Angeles where new dangers await her. Although Aloy is the center of attention once again, it doesn't mean that side characters such as the Oseram traveling band can't make a surprise appearance.
Horizon Call of the Mountain is available on PS VR2.
