Sony has really stepped up its remaster and remake initiative over the past few years, with the aim of capitalising on some of the company's biggest franchises.
The results have been a mixed bag: some releases like The Last of Part II Remastered offer an overall impressive package, while others, like the recently released Until Dawn remake, somehow runs worse than the original game on PS5.
One thing is for sure, regardless of the outcome, they are clearly not stopping anytime soon. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is the latest release under this initiative and for the most part it is a worthwhile upgrade.
A joint venture between Nixxes, who usually port PlayStation games to PC and the original creators, Guerrilla Game, they overall do a great job of bringing what was already a beautiful game up to PS5 standards.
Even just by switching back between the original and the remaster, you notice the difference. The remaster is noticeably sharper in performance mode, with the game running at a solid 60 frames per second (fps) and a resolution of around 1800p.
There is also a quality mode which runs at 30fps with 4k resolution and a 40fps mode as well. If you have a TV that supports a variable refresh rate (VRR), performance mode can also run above 60 fps.
The first thing you notice is how vibrant the world of Horizon is and how they have overhauled it.
The first thing you notice is how vibrant the world of Horizon is and how they have overhauled it. The rivers glisten as the sun reflects on the surface and the lush grass pops with a vibrant red hue.
A lot of care has been put into updating the game to make it on par with most modern releases.
New faces
Back in 2017, when Zero Dawn was originally released, it had a beautiful open world full of life and colour. Seven years on, the remaster brings it up to the same level visually as the excellent sequel Forbidden West, which was released in 2022.
The most striking upgrade here are the reworked face scans, as over 10 hours of motion capture was recorded for this remaster. It means that not only are the main characters close to life like, the side characters have just as much personality.
The main character, Aloy also gets the same treatment. Every freckle and blemish on her face is impressively rendered.
The remaster also adds DualSense features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that add a sense of tension to Aloy's trademark bow and arrows.
Combat feels as slick and satisfying as ever as you tear parts off machines both big and small. You can also feel the footsteps of bigger machines like the Tallnecks the closer you get to them. It adds to the sense of immersion in the game overall.
While the core of the remaster is solid and a real improvement on the base game. There are some technical hiccups that hold it back from being a pristine experience.
While the face scans are certainly impressive, when you stop talking to them, they walk away incredibly stiffly like animatronic robots.
This is a hallmark of last gen games when NPC animations were not as clean and as natural as they are in modern games.
Technical hiccups
In one of the main cities in the game, called Meridian, I experienced a weird shadow glitch where things went haywire when I stood in a certain position on one of the ramparts.
Encountered a weird shadow glitch while playing Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. #PS5 #gaming pic.twitter.com/3vD09NJ2J8
— Kenneth Fox (@kennyboyfox92) October 31, 2024
There are also issues with audio that crop up as well. Some of the voices have reverb added to them and sound like they are talking in a large hall when you are in a wide open area. It seems to be very inconsistent in terms of when the effect is applied.
These are not major issues in the grand scheme of things, but they take away from what otherwise is a fairly polished experience.
The other element of this remaster which leaves something to be desired is the lack of fan service.
The other element of this remaster which leaves something to be desired is the lack of fan service. While you get an art book, plenty of outfits for Aloy and the expansion The Frozen Wilds, there is nothing new here.
While developers do not always have to go the extra mile when remastering a game, it always helps if they add a new mode or even cut content that gives the biggest fans of the series a peak behind the curtain.
For those who already have the PS4 version, upgrading to the remaster for €10 is a no-brainer. If you are someone who doesn't care about the highest framerates or resolution, the base game is still good enough on its own.
There has definitely been a lot of love and care put into the remaster, it is just a pity there was no additional content for the series' most loyal fans as well as newcomers.
Our score: 7/10
