The PS5 is approaching its tenth anniversary, and with few new titles to boost sales, the company has turned to remastering popular contemporary games to fill the gap. Earlier this year, it released a remaster of The Last of Us Part 2, which ran smoothly at 60fps on the system. Now, the focus is on Horizon Zero Dawn. While some may view the remaster as a cash grab, players who experience it will quickly recognize how Nixxes and Guerrilla have skillfully refined and enhanced this modern classic.
While the remaster doesn’t add much to the story, it’s a visual feast. The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is vast, and its apocalyptic setting looks spectacular in the remaster. The lush forests give way to arid deserts and snow-capped mountains, and it’s a dense world packed with activities. There are corrupted machines to hunt, rich lore to explore, and sidequests to complete. There are also “Tallnecks,” colossal machine giraffes you can climb to gain strategic viewpoints of the surrounding landscape.
It’s a remaster that makes Aloy’s journey feel more immersive than ever, thanks to how well the game matches up with its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. The environments look even more lush than before, and the game has impressive clarity of detail for a modern title. The weather effects and NPC motion capture have all been improved, making this a noticeable upgrade over the original release.
There are some minor gameplay improvements as well. NPCs now have better facial expressions, and players can unlock more perks and outfits as they play. Horizon Zero Dawn’s weapons are now easier to upgrade and level up, and the Frozen Wilds DLC is included with the remaster.
So, it’s worth it if you’re interested in playing the remaster. The price tag is a little high, but the $10 bump isn’t unreasonable, and it is an excellent next-gen upgrade.
The remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best I’ve seen for this generation. The world of this post-apocalyptic future has never looked so good. If you still need to play this fantastic adventure, this is an ideal time. The remaster is out October 31 on PC and PS5, and it comes with The Frozen Wilds DLC.
