Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered review – More than a fresh coat of Aloy paint

Right now I feel like Dr. Manhattan, sitting on a moon rock and pondering the linear flow of time. It is 2017, Guerrilla Games has moved on from Killzone and it has just launched Horizon Zero Dawn, a game that has been completely overshadowed by the imminent arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

It is 2022, and Guerrilla has launched Horizon Forbidden West, just a week before From Software releases Elden Ring and wins the race for the most precious resource of all: the attention spans of modern gamers.

It is now 2024, and Guerrilla has just relaunched Horizon Zero Dawn, this time with fancier graphics and on the same day as Dragon Age: The Veilguard. At this rate, I’m expecting Horizon Tokyo Drift to arrive the same day that GTA 6 rolls into town and annihilates anything in its path.

Jokes aside, this latest edition of Horizon Zero Dawn does exactly what it says on the box. It’s a remastered version of the original game that doesn’t only bring it up to the visual standard of first-party games on PS5, but also offers a revamped sound mix by Guerrilla’s audio team, full DualSense controller support, and new motion capture for conversations that add more life to the game. Is it worth picking up if you’ve already played it, chipping in a few bucks extra for the upgrade?

If you’ve yet to play it, absolutely yes, because Guerrilla’s sandbox set in a distant future where robots have usurped humanity as the dominant species is still a fantastic adventure. It’s a game that looks and feels even more vibrant now, thanks to the extra work done by PC port specialists Nixxes. Plus, with the PS5 Pro also on the way, it’s one of a handful of games that’s perfect for showing off your new purchase that you totally didn’t need when you have friends over.

“Oh, that? That’s just Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered running on my new PS5 Pro console, no big deal.”

But more than that, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks and runs like a game that has benefitted from the lessons learned over the last couple of years by Guerrilla. The studio is arguably the best when it comes to leveraging power from PlayStation consoles, pushing the hardware to the bleeding edge of what you think is capable. You can find the Goldilocks zone of what works best for you with the available performance modes–30fps, 60fps, and 40fps modes all offer some sort of compromise on base PS5 when it comes to resolution and frame-rate quality–dialling in an experience that suits your specific tastes.

If there is a downside here, it’s that gameplay has been left untouched in this new edition. It’s a shame, because Horizon Forbidden West introduced several welcome quality-of-life changes to Aloy’s arsenal, and Horizon Zero Dawn can feel naturally archaic in comparison. Still, that’s an upgrade that’ll likely be saved for Horizon Zero Dawn Part 1 Remastered, if Sony sticks to its current strategy of re-releasing old favorites.

The main takeaway from Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is that an already great-looking game has become even better to gawk at. An impressive remaster that transforms a last-gen game into a current-gen treat for the eyes, it’s a must-have if you’re looking to show off your gaming hardware. As an entry-point into the Horizon universe, it’s still a fine game on its own, thanks to its still rock-solid combat and exploration, even if those elements can feel dated occasionally.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered released on 31 October 2024 for PS5 and PC.