Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (PS5) Review

Best of both worlds

In a crowded world of remasters and remakes, sometimes one comes along that just feels off. Horizon Zero Dawn was already an amazing looking game. It was originally released on the PlayStation 4 and remains one of the best-looking games from that generation. Also, that wasn’t that long ago. It is also worth noting that the game received a PS5 patch that allowed it to run at higher framerates. So, the game already felt like a native game for Sony’s new console. So why did we need this remaster? We didn’t, but that doesn’t change the fact that it exists. Still this package adds a lot of upgrades and it has a cheap path to upgrade for existing owners, which makes it even harder to not recommend.

I am not going to spend this review telling everyone what Horizon Zero Dawn is and isn’t. This game sold a boatload of copies and was packed in with consoles. Just about everyone has played this game, even if they didn’t want to. Seriously. Instead, I will be focusing (yeah that wasn’t intentional) on what has changed in this version and what makes it worth spending the $10 to upgrade.

MSRP: $49.99 ($10 upgrade path for existing owners)
Platforms: PlayStation (reviewed), PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99

This is not your normal remaster for sure. The team has gone back through the entire game and updated the textures to mirror those found in the game’s sequel. The character models are greatly improved. The lighting has also been overhauled with new weather and day/night cycles. The game somehow looks even better now than it already did. I was also lucky enough to check out the PS5 Pro patch, and it looks somehow even more amazing. While I find this series a little boring at times, there is no denying it is one of the best-looking games ever created and this version takes that to the next level.

The team at Nixxes has also reworked all the NPCs in the game so they react more realistically to the world. They go about their days and have more reactions to Aloy. The immersion is just incredible, and it truly feels like they took advantage of the PS5’s power. Somehow the faces even look better. I could see more emotion in just about every character I interacted with. This game is a technical showpiece on so many levels.

What was hard to go back to though was the original game’s mechanics. The sequel added a ton of new ideas and quality of life things that are just hard to go back from. The glider, the improved climbing, and the new traps and weapons. It would have been awesome to see these in the original game. Still, what is here is still crafted extremely well. For anyone that has somehow never played the first game, this is a wonderful way to jump in. It is also great that if you own the original you can get this update for $10, and that is more than worth the price of admission.

Horizon Zero Dawn is a game Sony really wants you to love. This update is technically impressive on every level. The upgrade price is fair, and kudos to Nixxes for not just upping the resolution and framerate, there is a TON of work done here around the entire world. If you enjoy Aloy’s adventures, this is a no-brainer.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Visual upgrades are substantial
  • $10 upgrade path
Bad
  • Going back after Forbidden West is tough
8
Great
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.