Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

When Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered was announced, there was a lot of talk of whether or not it was actually needed. And you know what? It probably ISN’T, especially since you can play the original game at 60fps on the PlayStation 5 with checkerboard 4K anyway. However, after experiencing Aloy’s original adventure with the glorious enhancements brought forth in this release, I’m glad it exists, and if you’ve never played the original game before? You’re in for a real treat.

Check out some screenshots down below:

From the very start, it’s clear that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes full advantage of the PlayStation 5’s capabilities, beginning with the improved visuals that help redefine the beauty of the original game. Textures across the world have been reworked to create sharper, more detailed landscapes, and the environments feel more alive with thicker foliage and more abundant plant life. The lighting, especially in heavily wooded biomes and under dappled sunlight, gives the game a more realistic depth, allowing streams of light to pierce through dense vegetation and casting convincing shadows on Aloy as she navigates the world. It’s bloody gorgeous.

The weather has been enhanced to add a sense of realism to biomes you explore too, whether that’s with snowy regions that now feature snow that reacts to Aloy’s footsteps or falls upon her, or when rain creates puddles in your surroundings. NPCs have received attention as well, now looking and moving more naturally thanks to additional animations and higher fidelity textures. Towns and cities are much more populated, which gives settlements like Meridian a sense of liveliness that was often missing in the game’s original release. It might seem like a small improvement, but it was one of the things that stood out the most when playing.

One of the other most notable upgrades comes with the character models, particularly Aloy herself. Her model has been remade with increased detail, from the lifelike texture of her skin to the subtle way her facial expressions convey emotions. It’s in conversations where this remaster truly shines, as Nixxes re-recorded over ten hours of motion capture for dialogues, making cutscenes and interactions more dynamic and engaging. Aloy’s interactions with side characters now feature more expressive facial animations, upper body movement, and realistic camera angles, bringing Horizon Zero Dawn closer to Horizon Forbidden West in cinematic quality. These are the sort of things that are missing in similar remastered releases, which goes to show just how much effort has been made to make Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered feel like more than just a pretty facelift.

“Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered may not have been an essential release, but it successfully revitalizes one of the PlayStation 4’s standout titles, bringing it in line with modern standards and allowing it to sit comfortably alongside its sequel.”

These visual and animation improvements really elevate the experience, making it feel like Horizon Zero Dawn was built from the ground up for the PlayStation 5. The additional mocap work makes even minor conversations feel richer, transforming what used to be static, occasionally stiff interactions into exchanges that are more fluid and visually engaging – it’s certainly more befitting of the expectations players have of a PlayStation 5 release.

Beyond the visual overhaul, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered incorporates the full range of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense features. Adaptive triggers add an immersive layer to Aloy’s bow combat, with the resistance of the trigger increasing as she draws her bow, allowing players to feel the tension with each shot. Haptic feedback also brings a new sense of tactility to the world, letting players feel the thud of Aloy’s footsteps, the weight of her strikes, and the rumble of machines in the distance. Admittedly, having experienced all of this in Horizon Forbidden West did make it feel a little less impactful, but it’s great to see that both titles in the Horizon saga get the benefit of DualSense integration.

The remaster offers multiple performance modes to cater to different preferences, including Performance Mode (60fps), Quality Mode (native 4K at 30fps), and a Balanced Mode for those with which provides a solid middle ground between visual fidelity and frame rate. It’s always a preference thing, but I found Balanced Mode hit the sweet spot of what I wanted.

Check out some screenshots down below:

In terms of story and gameplay, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered remains faithful to the original, allowing players to relive Aloy’s journey in its entirety. The story is still as compelling as ever, blending sci-fi and post-apocalyptic themes in a unique narrative that tackles both the political complexities of Aloy’s time and the cataclysmic events of a previous era. The remaster doesn’t add new narrative content or change the structure of the game, but it does include the Frozen Wilds DLC. For those who missed this expansion, it’s an excellent addition, introducing players to a new region filled with tougher robotic enemies and a harsh snowy landscape that showcases the updated snow effects.

Most importantly? It’s still a bloody good game, and if I’m being honest, I prefer the storytelling here over the sequel. Sure, the stakes aren’t quite so high (and there’s no doubting that the gameplay of Horizon Forbidden West trumps this), but the introduction to Aloy’s world always felt special, as does her journey of self-discovery. And that ending sequence? I still love it as much now as I did when I first experienced it back in 2011, especially since it looks SO much prettier with all of the enhancements.

Developer: Guerrilla, Nixxes
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PC
Website: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/games/horizon-zero-dawn/