Horizon: Call of The Mountain is easily one of the most immersive VR titles on the system. With the new mantling and climbing features, you probably won’t even be able to tell you’ve been playing a game the entire time. But let's not get lost in the graphics and intricacies of the game.
The storyline has remained an integral part of all Horizon games. While it’s true that Horizon: Call of The Mountain derails from the plot set by Horizon: Forbidden West, the devs have sprinkled several snippets and easter eggs for us to discover.
5 Rost Will Live On
Rost’s death was one of the most tragic moments we’d ever witnessed across the Horizon series. In Horizon Zero Dawn, he sacrificed himself to save Aloy before he lost his life to the explosives that detonated immediately after. Well, that heartbreaking moment wasn’t the last we hear of Rost. The news of his sacrifice reached just about everyone in the Sundom, which shows up in certain NPC interactions.
Talking to particular NPCs can trigger a very specific dialogue, where they’ll say, “Rost will live on in my memory and yours, Seeker.” The mention of his name is enough to send you spiraling into nostalgia and heartache over a character who deserved to live on in this franchise. While everyone probably yearns to have him make an epic reappearance, there is still some solace in the fact that the people of the kingdom remember him and his legacy.
4 You Can Exploit Enemy Weaknesses
Want a reason for crafting your own arrows? Now you have one. You probably know Glinthawks as some of the most annoying mechs in the game. They’re always flying around in groups, they’re constantly throwing ranged attacks at you, and being a good shot isn’t enough because one arrow hardly ever does the trick.
So what’s the solution? Flame arrows. Flame does increased damage over time on Glinthawks, so the next time you’re swarmed by a bunch of flying chickens, remember to take your elemental arrows out. Make sure not to miss any enemy weaknesses as you travel through the game to prevent situations of being overwhelmed.
3 New Undiscovered Locations To The Sundom
Call of The Mountain is set in a location that should’ve ingrained itself into the minds of Horizon fans: The Sundom. So when you finally put on that VR headset and look around, you’d probably be surprised to see all the new areas you can explore in Call of The Mountain. In the newest iteration of the game, Guerilla Games has added several more locations to The Sundom that you can look at from afar or even go ahead and explore. With VR, these brand-new locations just feel all the more exhilarating.
You can set foot in novel places like the infamous Talonreach or explore areas like the Dawns Grasp. You also get to take a look at the abandoned Carja and Nora settlements. Interestingly, the Carja settlers were cast out by the Nora, according to the lore. The sudden absence of the Nora settlers may be attached to more lore. Each area has a story intertwined with it, so check out every area to ensure you don't miss out on any of the lore.
2 Collectibles And Mission Select
You’ve probably noticed these Warning Beacons, Lore collectibles, Cairns, and items of the sort sprinkled all over the Call of The Mountain playable area. And if you’re a try-hard Platinum trophy grinder, you’ve also probably spent a lot of time on each and every mission just to make sure you hunt down every single collectible. Well, you can cool down on your hardcore gaming ventures because you don’t have to go all out on your first playthrough of the game.
Yep. You heard that right. You can skim across the first playthrough and get a proper gist of the storyline without worrying about shooting arrows all over the place, hoping to bring down some out-of-sight Warning Beacon. After you finish the game, you actually unlock Mission Select, where you can play through each mission individually and satisfy that Platinum trophy craving.
Additionally, there are some collectibles that you can only get by going back to Chapter Select. Since the path splits multiple times in Call of The Mountains, you’re bound to miss a few collectibles that could only be accessed from the alternate path. So if you’re looking to grind that Platinum trophy, Mission Select is your best friend.
1 Crafting Arrows
It’s pretty easy to stick to your basic arrows. After all, you can pretty much play through the entirety of Call of The Mountain with the bow upgrades you receive throughout. While upgrading your bow should be your main priority, several players tend to overlook or entirely forget the utility of crafted elemental arrows.
In case you didn’t know, you can select from three basic elemental arrows: Frost, Blaze, and Spark arrows. Each of these is fit for different kinds of enemies and comes with varying effects. You can craft even more specific and advanced arrows, which will add to the base strength of your bow and significantly improve your combat skills. Don’t underestimate the power of specialized crafted arrows, they might just come in clutch when you’re in a pinch.