Over the past few months, we’ve been sharing glimpses of Horizon Call of the Mountain, a PlayStation VR2 adventure coming out on February 22nd. Today, we wanted to spend some time getting to know Ryas , the character you will play, as you experience a new story in the world of Horizon.
Carja Sundom is still reeling from the bloody Red Raids, a campaign of brutal attacks and ritual sacrifices perpetrated by Carja on their neighboring tribes. These attacks that had destroyed countless lives ended when the Mad Sun-King Jiran was overthrown by his son Avad.
The aftershocks of Jiran’s rule split the Carja tribe, with those grateful for the end of his rule remaining in Sundom, and soldiers loyal to the slain leader forced to advance. Enter the castle at Sunfall, reforming into Carja in Shadow.
Horizon Call of the Mountain’s protagonist, Ryas, is one such soldier. Playing a key role in the kidnapping of the young Prince Itamen from his home in Meridian, Ryas seeks to redeem himself and regain his honor.
After allowing himself to be captured and imprisoned by Carja, Ryas is released. Now, he has been recruited by Sun-King Avad and Blameless Marad. A master climber, archer, and hunter, Ryas must earn his freedom in exchange for investigating a new threat. Guerrilla Studio Narrator Director Ben McCaw gave us more details: “Ryas ended up on the wrong side for the right reasons. His family fell apart, and in the end, he was sent to prison. Here’s the story of how he tried to come back from there.
Ryas has a dangerous adventure ahead of him, and while he may be the only one who can do the job, he won’t do it alone. Along the way, players will meet new characters and reunite with familiar ones, though his past has influenced these relationships, Ben explained. “Having fought for Shadow Carja, Ryas’ relationship with these characters is at best confrontational. He needs to intrude and make amends if he hopes to be accepted.
Take Hami, for example, a resilient soldier of Carja Sundom who escaped the horrors of the Red Raids thanks to her being recruited as the Border Guard. Even she cannot forgive or forget the crimes committed by Shadow Carja, having lost many friends and comrades in the conflict. Known for his keen intelligence and short temper, Hami refuses to be assigned to escort Ryas. Her hatred of what Ryas stands for is just one of the challenges he will face.
With Horizon Call of the Mountain, players will be able to experience the world of Horizon from a new perspective, through both Ryas as a compelling new protagonist and the PS VR2 headset. With haptic feedback, smart eye tracking, and an ultra-wide field of view, players will be deeply immersed, and Call of the Mountain takes them right to Sundom’s most thrilling heights and beyond.
“We took the Horizon experience and built it from the ground up for VR,” said Ben McCaw. And because of this, we felt like we needed a new protagonist. A master climber, hunter and adventurer, Ryas offers the perfect perspective of Horizon’s sweeping vistas and treacherous wilderness.”
For more information about Horizon Call of the Mountain, please visit here.
