Parents' Guide to Horizon Call of the Mountain

If you play just one game using Sony's PlayStation VR2 technology, this should probably be it. Horizon Call of the Mountain isn't necessarily the most entertaining virtual reality game you'll encounter, but it does a fantastic job of allowing players to experience the full potential of the platform. It takes advantage of eye-tracking tech that assists players in aiming at what they're looking at, and uses advanced haptics in the controllers and headset to allow players to feel the weight of giant machines as they stomp the ground near them. Plus, virtually anything players encounter that isn't bolted down within the game can be touched and toyed with, from dolls and plates to boxes and plants. At one point, players can actually pick up a brush, dip it in dye, and then paint pictures freehand on a rock wall. Plus, the world looks fantastic, filled with detailed jungles that seem to breathe with life and detailed buildings and surfaces that you can touch with your hands. The sense of immersion here is deep.

As for the fun factor, it's definitely lower than the two traditional Horizon games, but it's still pretty enjoyable. Climbing is extremely intuitive -- players use their hands to reach out and grab holds in a manner akin to how they would in the real world -- but it can also grow a bit repetitive in situations where it goes on too long. Combat is often extremely intense, thanks in no small part to the scale of the machines viewed in VR, but also a little frustrating, since you can't move as quickly or freely in virtual reality as in a traditional game. It's also a little disappointing not to play as Aloy, the series' beloved protagonist, whose story tackles the fate of humanity rather than just an isolated threat to a community, but at least she pops up for a while. Horizon Call of the Mountain isn't a must-play for fans of the franchise, but it's still one of the best experiences available for Sony's second-generation virtual reality headset.