Heading into 2024, most PlayStation gamers probably weren’t expecting Sony to announce a remaster ofHorizon Zero Dawnof all games, but during the September State of Play, the company did exactly that.Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredis indeed real, and it’s set to release for PS5 and PC on October 31. Since it’s coming out only a few days ahead of the PS5 Pro’s launch, this remaster will be the perfect game to try out on Sony’s shiny new mid-gen console, but that alone probably isn’t enough to justify its existence. There are dozens upon dozens of classic PlayStation titles that desperately need a remaster far more thanHorizon Zero Dawn, so in the eyes of some, this may seem like a mere cash grab.
Luckily, though,Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredmakes some worthwhile graphical improvementsto the base game. It features improved foliage, enhanced lighting, reworked textures, higher mesh fidelity, greater NPC density, and more detailed character models, among other things. Perhaps the most noticeable enhancement inHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredcan be found in its character animations. This re-release of Guerrilla Games' open-world RPG includes over 10 hours of new motion-captured data that makes NPC conversations look far more realistic than they previously were. These new animations are so impressive, in fact, that they set a high bar for the next mainlineHorizongame.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered’s Impressive Animations Lay the Groundwork for Horizon 3
Horizon Zero Dawn Still Holds Up, But Its Animations Aren’t the Greatest
It may be hard to believe, but the originalHorizon Zero Dawnis more than 7 years old. It originally debuted asa PlayStation 4 exclusivein 2017, before it eventually landed on Windows PC in 2020. The game was, no doubt, stunning for its time. Compared to other games that were released in the mid-2010s, likeBloodborneandDragon Age: Inquisition, the graphical fidelity ofHorizon Zero Dawnwas next-level. Even now, the title still holds up from a visual standpoint and, since it received a 60 FPS patch on PS5, runs as smooth as butter on Sony’s current generation of consoles.
If there’s one aspect ofHorizon Zero Dawnthat doesn’t hold up, however, it’s the facial animations. In many dialogue scenes throughout the game, the motion capture for some of the characters looks outright stilted. The facial expressions of various NPCs, especially those that are less relevant toHorizon Zero Dawn’s plot, often give off an uncanny valley feeling. Because of this, the game’s animations and character models have consistently been criticized since its release.
Horizon Forbidden West Was a Major Improvement Over Its Predecessor in Terms of Visuals
Horizon Zero Dawn’s sequel,Horizon Forbidden West, fortunately, received a big upgrade over its predecessor in the visuals department. The facial animations and motion capture inGuerrilla’s 2022 action RPGwere significantly better and more lifelike. In spite of it being a cross-gen game, Guerrilla was really able to push the limits of the PlayStation 5 withHorizon Forbidden West. It’s no wonder, then, thatHorizon Zero Dawn Remastereduses the animations in the critically acclaimed sequel as its baseline standard of quality.
Horizon 3’s Animations May Be Even Better Than the Ones in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
With how goodHorizon Forbidden West andHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredlook, one can only imagine just how impressive the visuals inHorizon 3will be. The third entry in Guerrilla’s planned trilogy ofHorizontitles is still a few years away from release and will likely be a PlayStation 6 game. Using the power of next-gen technology,Horizon 3mayhave incredible facial and body animations, on par with the likes ofHellblade 2orThe Matrix AwakensUE5 demo.
Guerrilla’s in-house Decima Enginehas already proven itself more than capable of delivering astounding animations and graphical fidelity without compromising on performance, as can be seen in titles likeForbidden WestandDeath Stranding.Therefore,there’s a good chance that the nextHorizongame will have even more impressive NPC interactions than those found inHorizon Zero Dawn Remastered.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
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.
