Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Review

As a PlayStation gamer, it's safe to say I've been experiencing a bit of remaster fatigue lately. With a flood of remakes and remasters having a resurgence in the market, such as The Silent Hill 2 Remake, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and now the Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster, it's starting to feel like we're missing out on the fresh and new experiences.

I remember thoroughly enjoying the original Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel, Forbidden West – both games are absolutely visually stunning, have an amazing sandbox open world, and have a good enough plot. However, simply thinking about another remaster so soon after titles like The Last of Us Part II Remastered left me less enthusiastic about this game. However, the fact that this was only a $10 upgrade for people who have the original made it worth looking into.

Developed by Amsterdam-based game developers Guerrilla Games, the original Horizon Zero Dawn released in 2017 proved to be a turning point for the studio, transforming from its roots in the first-person shooter Killzone series to become an open-world RPG design. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, brought to life by Sony's PC porting specialist at Nixxes, offers existing players an upgrade for $10 and gives PS4 players to transfer saved files from the original version.

On the surface, what appears to be a cash grab, especially with the growing trend of remastering beloved classics, appears to be more than just a quick rehash; Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered significantly enhances the original experience, using Horizon Forbidden West as a gameplay benchmark.

It's interesting to see how Sony's strategy continues to evolve in an age of backward compatibility, where many titles are accessible on current-gen consoles. With every remaster, the game feels and looks new; however, it raises one very important question—how much innovation can we get from nostalgia? To that question, is the Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered worth getting? Let's get into the review.

The first and main noticeable difference between the 2017 game and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is, of course, how the game looks. The gameplay hasn't changed at all. In other words, you'll be taking control of the same fiery-haired huntress, Aloy, as she explores a sandbox full of mechanical creatures in a post-apocalyptic world. This sci-fi story is interesting because it takes place at two different times and talks about both current events and the terrible events that led to the current state of the world.

The story in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is much more focused than in the predecessor, and the twists are much more powerful. It's too bad that many of the big events happen off-screen; many of the revelations are only heard in the audio logs, but they are interesting. Aloy is more expressive in showing her emotions; she'll be just as confused and amazed as you are.

I would say the side quests in the Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered are its weakest feature; well, in Guerrilla Games' defense, it is their first attempt at an open-world RPG. There is a huge difference between the optional content in the first game and Forbidden West: Burning Shores, though they are better with the sidequests in the included expansion, The Frozen Wilds.

But Nixxes has reshot several cutscenes and rerecorded more than ten hours of motion capture to make the dialogue more in line with the sequel. This is one area where the Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered exceeds expectations, and it's a theme that runs throughout the entire game. It is an incredible work of art that elevates an already stunning title to the level of one of the PS5's most visually encaptivating games.

The lighting in the world has been updated to incorporate some of the methods from the PS5-only add-on Forbidden West: Burning Shores. The world lighting was said to have been redone by hand to try to match the mood of the original game with the accuracy of the sequel. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is pretty much the same, but some of the effects and color tones make it appear to be more like Forbidden West than the 2017 game.

They've also added snow effects to all the snowy areas in the game, which were first added in the Frozen Wilds DLC. The world map of Horizon Zero Dawn is pretty big, so this isn't an easy feat by any means. You've also got screen space reflections, which make water and streams look so much better and more real.

The updated lighting can lead to some of the most striking differences in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered; the color depths are so much richer in the heavily forested, jungle-like biomes to the south of the world map. With the update, some parts of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered are darker visual, such as the shadows.

The streams of light and the robust induced lens flare are all much more impactful when with the overhaul, although volumetric effects are going to be harder to spot. Nixxes highlighted certain aspects of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered that have been altered, such as the ground of Meridian City – which has been completely redone. They also added new skin shaders for character models to fit Horizon: Forbidden West. These give characters hair that looks like peachy fuzz on their skin, among other things.

A lot of these changes in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered are so small that you won't even notice as you venture through the world. You'll need to take a long look at set scenes of both the Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster and the original to really get it. What I will say is that Meridian City feels a lot livelier than it did before. It seems like twice as many NPCs are around at the same time of day, which adds a bit more chaos and energy than you would expect in a city.

The addition of all these NPCs in the world brings its own downsides; a lot of the characters have been known to spin around when they see other characters coming towards them. There are kids walking through people's legs, and characters may not stay on paths but instead climb over rocks. You also find background characters with capes and cloaks that will be whipping around when the camera cuts during dialogue, although it doesn't affect the hair as much now compared to the original game.

All the steps that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes and all the big visual improvements are inevitably harmed by these kinds of things, even if it's just a sign that the game is being improved and not entirely remade. But with all the changes that have been made, I'm still pleasantly surprised by how well Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered plays.

Sure, an awful lot of people would have played this game originally on base PS4 at 1080P, and for them, this remaster is a huge jump upward in quality. But if you were playing on PS4 Pro, you were already getting a big enhancement just from that jump in resolution.

The fact that the trophies from the original do not carry over to Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is a bummer, but it might get fixed soon. So, if you want to pick up where you left off and finish the platinum, you can't as of this review because the PS4 version won't automatically unlock any of the trophies you've earned. Your actual game progress, however, will be carried over.

To summarize, visually, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is excellent and on par with the more high-end, visually captivating PS5 games, but what makes this game so special compared to the original is how much livelier the environment feels.

Everything is so much brighter, busier, and alive in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, which is great. I am amazed by how much extra ground cover there is. For example, every tree has moss on it, and now you can hide in bushes, and the bushes react by bending when you touch them. The collision detection is a nice touch, which makes the game more immersive.

Aside from visuals, the audio mix has also been updated, so it fully utilizes the PS5's unique 3D audio technology, which is something that isn't talked about enough. The sound is absolutely amazing throughout the game.

The groans of machines in the distance are balanced out by the whoosh of rushing winds and the dusty thuds of people walking nearby. DualSense support has also been added, and Aloy's bow and arrow work perfectly with adaptive controls on the pad.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered comes off as an upgrade that is great but not absolutely necessary. It is easy to notice the difference in the way the game looks and feels thanks to the enhancements, which include some stunning new lighting effects and improved character models. There is more animation between transitions with green landscapes, active towns, and minor details during the gameplay to enhance the adventure.

Of course, there are a few technical imperfections, such as the occasional strange movements in NPCs and some out-of-place figures in the background. However, these do not significantly affect the outline. Furthermore, the remaster is enhanced by the 3D audio and DualSense features available on the PlayStation 5, rendering the wilderness even more enjoyable for the player.

In the end, this remaster can come off as rather pointless to those who have already played the original; however, it is not possible to believe that the $10 upgrade is a great deal for the upgrade in visuals and gameplay experience.

This Remastered version would be a wonderful chance to step into one of the most favorite PlayStation 4 games for those who haven't stepped into the shoes of Horizon Zero Dawn yet or for those who have never completed the previous game. For new players and former fans, it is still an exciting enhancement, as it provides an improved version of already great gameplay and graphics.