For completionists, it’s a chance to shoot all the hidden targets, and find every upgrade or collectible. Only the latter chapters give you the option to approach tasks in different orders, too. You have the option to replay the dozen missions upon finishing the campaign, though the story itself isn’t engaging enough to warrant a replay when you’re essentially running (or rather climbing) the same obstacles again. We found it was best enjoyed in short bursts rather than playing over an intensive weekend, lest the initial excitement turns to tedium. Yet because of the repetitive nature of the climbing and combat, you’re also glad it’s any longer than it is. With a roughly seven-hour campaign, Call of the Mountain is considerably meatier than most single-player VR experiences, though still a far cry from Half-Life: Alyx in length, variety, and challenge. You also have to craft different kinds of ammunition, such as blaze or shock arrows, though some of that repetition is cut down so that if you’ve collected enough parts to craft say multiple arrows, you only have to do the crafting mini-game once to get them all. We do feel like Legolas effortlessly grabbing an arrow over our shoulder then pulling back the bowstring in quick succession, though given the number of arrows needed to take down the tough machines, repeating this motion quickly gets knackering. For these encounters, you’ll also be mainly using your bow, though you do eventually unlock a blast sling, which we found a bit too slow and doesn’t have as good range. PSVR 2’s haptics enhance the feeling of being in the virtual presence of these hulking machinesįighting also restricts your movement to essentially strafing with the left stick, inside a prescribed arena, and dodging with the right stick. You’ll face packs of scrappers and watchers, before going toe-to-toe with showstoppers like the Thunderjaw. The other key mechanic is combat, and while there is ultimately a human threat to thwart, Call of the Mountain wisely focuses on encounters with the series’ iconic mechanical dinos. Jumping also requires swinging your arms back at specific marked points, with the action slowing down for dramatic effect – and so you have time to react. You can even walk by swinging your arms and holding a button down for each controller, though frankly we appreciated the option to just use stick controls. There are playful objects to mess about with like a pair of maracas or pottery you can smash like a vandal. When you’re not climbing, your hands are given plenty more to do, especially at the start. The surfaces you climb go from sides of a mountain to man-made structures to even those iconic Tallnecks, but eventually you’ll come to another wall and sigh, “Not again”. In fairness, the new tools and mechanics unlocked and crafted along the way offer some variety, such as a pair of pickaxes or a grappling hook. You’d think getting down would be trickier, but fast travel takes you swiftly back to the game’s hub. Even playing for 20 minutes at a time this is a physically tiring game, as while the way forward is often linear and clearly marked, your arms are constantly reaching out as you look for ways to ascend. Player character Ryas is a disgraced soldier given the chance to atone for his past by investigating a potential new threat up in the mountains. But while starting out like a theme park ride (albeit one where your hand can reach out and touch the water), it makes you work it to see the sights. From the outset, when you’re in a boat floating down a jungle stream surrounded by machines, Call of the Mountain takes every opportunity to make your jaw drop.
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