In 2017, Guerrilla Games and PlayStation introduced the world toHorizon Zero Dawn, an open world action-adventure game set on a post-apocalyptic Earth populated by dangerous dinosaur-like machines.Horizon Zero Dawnwas a huge commercial success and spawned a brand-new franchise for PlayStation. Since then, fans have been treated toHorizon Forbidden WestandHorizon Call of the Mountain, with protagonist Aloy popping up as a guest character in various other games. NowHorizonfans have the chance to return to where it all started withHorizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Releasing seven years after the original game hit store shelves,Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredbrings a number of notable improvements with it.
Whereas the originalHorizon Zero Dawnwas a PS4 exclusive,Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredis releasing on both PC and PlayStation 5. As a native PS5 release,Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredboasts improved visuals over its predecessor, with graphics that are closer to the PS5 version ofForbidden West. However,Horizon Zero Dawnwas already drop-dead gorgeous, and so the improved visuals may not exactly be a selling point for fans that have already played their fair share of the original game.
To be blunt,Horizon Zero Dawn Remastereddoesn’t really attempt to make the case that fans should double-dip. Instead, it polishes the original and serves as a fantastic point of entry for those that have yet to try theHorizonseries. This way, curious newcomers can play a superior version ofHorizon Zero Dawn, one with graphics that take great advantage of the PS5 hardware.Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredmakes an already fantastic-looking game shine that much brighter, with improved textures and lighting across the board. The game successfully leverages the PS5’s power to look better than ever with a world that feels more alive.
There are times when, comparingHorizon Zero Dawn’s graphics toRemastered’s in side-by-side photos, one may be hard-pressed to find much difference. In motion, though,Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredconsistently looks better than the original. It’s an incredible-looking game, and one that can stand tall among most other PlayStation 5 titles. I did notice occasional clipping issues and there are some weird animations here and there, like Aloy’s hair whipping back-and-forth in an unnatural way when aiming with the bow. But otherwise,Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredlooks nothing short of amazing.
Another piece ofHorizon Zero Dawn Remastered’s graphical overhaul can be found in the conversations between characters. Aloy is able to chat with various characters during her adventure, though the facial animations for these conversations were criticized in the original release. Motion capture improvements make theseHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredconversations look much better and less robotic. Personally, I was never bothered so much by the wooden animation, but more so by the lack of interesting things for the characters to say. I have always found the secondary dialogue in theHorizongames to be lacking, and that’s not addressed in the upgrade.
Is Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Worth Paying $10 to Upgrade?
Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredsucceeds in delivering a better-looking version of the 2017 game, but it doesn’t seem to really shake up the gameplay or address any of the other criticisms that have been voiced about the game in the years since its release. It is a remaster, not a remake, and so that’s to be expected, but then the question remains whether it’s worth the price of admission.Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredcosts $9.99 for anyone that wants to upgradefrom the PS4 version (total newcomers will have to pay $49.99), and while that is not a significant amount of money, some may still be on the fence.
Someone that has already played throughHorizon Zero Dawnthoroughly doesn’t need to buy the upgrade.Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredfeatures better graphics and stuff like DualSense’s haptic feedback certainly enhance the experience, but it’s not such a significant leap forward that it becomes a must-buy for everyone. Now, someone that’s part-way through their playthrough ofHorizon Zero Dawnor hasn’t played the game at all should feel confident in paying for the upgrade. Players can transfer their save data to the new game, so they can easily pick up where they left off, but in a world that looks much better than what they experienced on PS4.
Not only isHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredthe best way to playHorizon Zero Dawn, but it also offers players the full experience.Horizon Zero Dawn RemasteredincludesThe Frozen Wildsexpansion, a worthwhile DLC that expands on the franchise’s lore and gameplay features.The Frozen Wildsadds another 10-15 hours of gameplay for those that want to see absolutely everything it has to offer, making an already meaty open world experience even bigger. Of course,The Frozen Wildscontent also benefits from the significant upgrades applied to the base game.
An Unfortunate Price Increase
The main disappointment when it comes toHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredis the fact that it has caused asignificant price increase for the PS4 version of the original game. Now anyone wantingHorizon Zero Dawnon PS4 has to pay $39.99, up from the $19.99 it cost previously. Not only that, butHorizon Zero Dawnwas pulled from PlayStation Plus Extra earlier this year. This may put off some fans, as may the fact that no one was really asking for a remaster ofHorizon Zero Dawnto begin with.
Horizon Zero Dawnwas alreadyplayable on PS5 through backward compatibilityand already looked great. It’s understandable that some PlayStation fans are frustrated about the choice to remaster the game instead of focusing on titles that have been in higher demand by the community. Even so, that doesn’t meanHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredis a bad product. In fact, it’s far from it. Assessed in a vacuum,Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredis an undeniable improvement over the original game with better graphics and it makes great use of the PS5’s unique features. It doesn’t do enough new for those that have already played throughHorizon Zero Dawnto make a return trip, but it’s the perfect jumping on point for newcomers and is a worthwhile upgrade for those that have yet to finish their playthroughs.
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the critically acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn™ with stunning new visuals and upgraded features. In a far future where colossal machines roam the Earth, pockets of humanity survive in unique tribes among the lush, overgrown ruins of our long-lost civilization.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredlaunches for PC and PS5 on October 31. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.
