Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered review

In my Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered review for PS5, I’ll explain why this graphical overhaul is worth the $10 upgrade deal for existing players. Even if you plan to make these Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Trophies your first trip to the open world of Aloy, I think it’s also worth the price of admission – even if it won’t surprise you much.

• Developer: Guerrilla Games with Nixxes remastering
• Publisher: Sony interactive entertainment
• Platforms: PS5, PC

With Aloy at the helm of this technically stunning open-world action adventure, armed with only a bow and arrow to fend off massive robot dinosaurs, Horizon zero dawn made quite a first impression. Developed by the team that created the rigorous (and cultishly beloved) FPS series KillzoneGuerrilla Games was the development leopard that changed places.
This 2024 Nixxes remaster of that title is a less strikingly impressive achievement for one reason: Horizon Zero Dawn looks exactly as you remember it on PS5. With fresh textures, improved character models, re-recorded dialogue, a heavenly new lighting system, denser foliage and a more vibrant world, trick your brain into thinking this is the way Horizon zero dawn always looked.

Trust me, it’s not what it always looked like. Check out any side-by-side comparison images of the two games and you’ll see what this PS5 remaster brings you Zero dawn similar to its stunning sequel Horizon Forbidden West. Considering the sequel is one of the most graphically impressive games I’ve ever seen, that’s a big green checkmark next to Nixxes’ work.

To me, that level of graphical overhaul makes it easy to re-recommend the iconic game to both existing and new players for $10 and $45 respectively. Let’s see why.

I’m going to give you my quick look at the base game, for those of you who haven’t played it before. That might help explain why my review score is lower than Marc Caccamise’s perfect 10 in his wonderful book review of the PS4 game. Zero dawn is set on a lush, decaying future Earth. Here, new cultures have been formed by tribal communities living at odds with wild, destructive machines.
Aloy, an outcast from the Nora tribe, heads to post-post-apocalyptic America to learn more about herself after a mysterious attack on her clan. You will encounter terraforming robots that resemble dinosaurs and destroy them with a bow and arrow while using their parts for money and upgrades. You also negotiate the politics of different clans and participate in activities

I think so Horizon zero dawn‘s combat remains his greatest strength. When the complex design of the robots gives you the feel of the big boss battles of yesteryear, polished with refined modern gameplay; you know you have a winner. The creatures’ designs pair well with Aloy’s arsenal of elemental arrows, explosive tripwires, catapult bombs and more, which you can use differently depending on the enemy and the area. With high-quality animation, it’s fast-paced fun that’s both creative and unique.

Other aspects, such as the world design that overwhelms nature with human remains and lens flare, are truly beautiful. The story has always been a mixed bag for mealthough. Conceptually, HorizonThe world has always been very cool: big animal robots, the post-post-apocalypse and tribal societies in the future are a sick idea. The writing is often conceptually strong and explains in a rudimentary way how this world functions.

I think the story is interesting enough, but sometimes I feel like I’m getting monologued in an endless tell-don’t-show exercise when it tries to go deep. I love the dynamics between tribes which makes for great world building by giving us natural interactions. The side characters, like the morally gray Sylens, Talanah of the Hunter’s Lodge, and friendly sidekick Erend, do a great job of giving the cast a relatable feel.

In my opinion, the biggest problem is that protagonist Aloy only feels compelling as a character in the final phase of the game. Like so many poor video game protagonists before her, she easily solves every problem while spouting undeserved morality lessons. This indicates to the player that she has already completed her character development – ​​so why invest? In the final third she becomes much sharper as tougher challenges arise and we start to get a hint of personality.

This part is a more personal criticism, but I’m also tired of this click-and-collect formula in the open world. Horizon zero dawn does best outdoors Ghost of Tsushimabut I think the persistent, repetitive structure is seriously limiting. Plus, I have minor issues: I can’t stand the rigid climbing mechanics, the sometimes grotesque HUD, and I really hate that a lot of the coolest lore is stuck in menus.

In summary, I think so Horizon zero dawn presents a fascinating world with sublime combat. When the writing is at full throttle in the final third of the story and the game breaks away from Ubisoft’s exploration style, Horizon zero dawn has some special moments. However, significant shortcomings in exploration and the somewhat flat Aloy mean that it is not exceptional everywhere.

The new graphical upgrades give this game a visual pop on PS5 that improves it in two ways. The first is that the wilderness and cities of North America have more life. With more NPCs and little details populating cities like Meridian and with much better animated character models, it gives the world a bit of a buzz that you could only achieve with the power of PS5.

In the wilderness, that feeling of ‘life’ is enhanced by a stunningly good new lighting installation, underlined by smaller details such as denser vegetation and better textures. Watching the sunset over a swaying forest with mountains in the background and the glow of robots in the trees just gives you a tingle of joy Horizon you could give. I can’t stress this enough, it’s true impressive how good does this game look now.

The second improvement is that it collects Horizon zero dawn into a complete and definitive package. With its DLC The frozen wilderness including – which, for the record, is the best of the main campaign, packed into 10 hours of snow-covered badness – and almost graphically identical to the sequel, this is now the best way to play the game, bar none .

None of these things significantly improve the basic quality of the game, but I can say that it’s one of the best graphical overhauls I’ve ever seen in a remaster. The only negatives? I had some low-resolution particle effects for things like fire in cutscenes and the occasional pop-in during the final stages of the game (replayed with PS4 save import). Since neither of these affected the gameplay, I didn’t mind it that much.

For a graphical overhaul such as Horizon Zero Dawn remasteredI think a $10 upgrade for your PS4 version is worth it. However, you end up paying for the same game again. If you’re content with drinking significantly improved vistas and reacquainting yourself with the world of Horizonand then be sure to enjoy one of the most impressive pieces of technical work I’ve seen in a remastered game for PS5.

If you’ve somehow never played the first chapter of Aloy before, then $44.99 is a great price of entry, as it looks and feels the same as most modern PS5 games. Horizon zero dawn is a great game and one of the defining games of the PS4 era. I think that price is fair considering Nixxes’ efforts. If you’re skeptical – you’ve been waiting so long, just wait for the sale!

Summary

It’s easy to recommend Horizon Zero Dawn remastered for PS5 players: it’s the same great game with better visuals, so it’s hard to go wrong. However, the remaster cannot address the story and exploration issues of the original game. If you love Horizon zero dawnor have never played it, this is the actual way to play it. Otherwise you won’t miss much!

* Kes played Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for 7 hours on PS5, compared to a whopping 70+ hours on PS4. While drooling at the beautiful world, he collected 14 trophies. Review code provided by Sony.