In 2017, developer Guerilla Games took a big turn after developing the Killzone series and creating open-world RPGs with the release of Horizon Zero Dawn. The game was a huge success, spawning a sequel, an upcoming LEGO spin-off, a VR game, an upcoming third installment, and eventually a spin-off TV series. The first game in the series was a huge success in that it simply introduced the world to Aloy and a future back to primitive life, complete with robot dinosaurs and great mysteries.
There has been a lot of discussion about Nixxes remastering and the need for it. However, the $15 upgrade fee and the ability to import PS4 save files make this a worthwhile upgrade as opposed to the recent Until Dawn remake, which charged gamers full price.
This version finally brings the game up to 2024 specs, making it even compatible with PS5 and PS5 Pro, and matching the quality and standards of its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West.
Rebuilt from scratch
If you’ve played the game multiple times on PS4, please note that no new content will be offered here. According to our initial reviews, much of it feels the same. A major graphical improvement has just been added. Over ten hours of cut scenes, the original motion-capture performance was redone and shot from a slightly different perspective. This was handled directly by both Guerilla Games and Nixxes, who also updated the film’s lighting to align with Horizon Forbidden West and its DLC, Burning Shores’ Nubis cloud system.
The character models themselves have also been significantly upgraded. Aloy’s hair effects are especially great, with her red hair transmitting light and swaying in the wind. NPC characters have also been rebuilt from the ground up with improved detail. Character animations react to cold and warm weather changes, making the world feel like a living, breathing place.
In addition to the characters, the general environment is also given a proper glow-up. In particular, the water effects here look just as beautiful, if not more so, than in the Forbidden West. When Aloy walks through water, the ripple effects as she moves are vastly improved from the original game, which was noticeably neglected. Particles also fly through the air and interact with your character’s hair and clothing, with leaves and snow being the most prominent in both cut scenes and regular gameplay.
best way to play
Running at 60fps on the PS5 console is surprisingly a whole new way to play this game. This will definitely be surpassed with the impending release of the PS5 Pro console. I will touch on this later. You can also choose a fidelity mode that lowers the experience to 30FPS to account for additional detail. My preferred way to play is Balanced mode, which allows you to play at 40FPS. Note that this latter option requires a 120HZ display to work.
The audio has also been revamped, with the biggest addition being support for 3D audio, which greatly enhances gameplay. The sound was amazing on my surround system, but wearing PlayStation branded headphones that support 3D audio is the ultimate way to experience this game. When the dinosaurs stomp in the background, the bass sounds as if the dinosaurs are actually behind your ears, far away.
In one particular scene at the beginning of the game, when Aloy is walking through the village for the first time, a group of drummers are banging out a song. My headphones vibrated with deep thuds and villagers chanting from above.
The DualSense controller has also been adapted to vibrate in response to environmental sounds and benefit or add to general gameplay. The adaptive trigger feels great in your hand and allows you to truly immerse yourself in this world when using Aloy’s bow and arrow.
final thoughts
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has stood the test of time as one of PlayStation and Guerrilla Games’ biggest success stories. Its truly imaginative world and compelling mysteries inspire gameplay, and this remaster by Nixxes only enhances every part of it.
Even if you’ve played the original game many times on PlayStation 4, there’s plenty of time to return to the world of Nora and rediscover this classic title that hasn’t received much attention or play until now. has passed.
5 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlight: Gorgeous visuals. 3D audio is incredibly detailed. Includes all DLC
Important point: Unable to import trophies from PS4 save data
Developer: Guerilla Games, Nixxes
Publisher: PlayStation
Platform: PlayStation 5
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on PlayStation 5 using a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
All screenshots were captured directly from gameplay.
