Still one of the best journeys on PlayStation
By Paul Hunter
When Horizon Zero Dawn debuted in 2017, Guerrilla Games surprised many by stepping away from first-person shooters and delivering a vast third-person adventure set in a world where machines roam a reclaimed Earth. Developed by Guerrilla and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, this remastered version marks the studio’s latest collaboration with Nixxes Software—an expert team brought in to give the original game a visual overhaul tailored for PlayStation 5. While the narrative, combat, and structure remain familiar, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes advantage of modern hardware to reintroduce Aloy’s journey in a sharper and more responsive package.
This remaster doesn’t replace what came before—it builds on it. It includes the base game and the Frozen Wilds expansion, alongside a suite of technical upgrades. With performance modes, upgraded animations, and detailed environments, this release aims to match the presentation of Horizon Forbidden West. Small touches—like new idle reactions and subtle lighting changes—create a version that feels surprisingly fresh for a game nearly a decade old.
Whether you're revisiting the post-apocalyptic wilds or stepping into Aloy’s boots for the first time, this release makes a strong case for its place in the PS5 lineup. Let's take a closer look!
In Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, you follow Aloy, a hunter raised in isolation by an outcast who has no answers to her past. From the start, her search for identity drives the story forward, pulling you through a world shaped by ruin, rebirth, and machines that mimic wild animals. The setting blends the feel of early tribal societies with echoes of long-lost technology, where relics of a forgotten civilization peek through overgrown forests and desert ruins.
What makes the story feel personal is Aloy’s clear sense of purpose. She’s not driven by revenge or fame—she just wants to understand who she is, where she came from, and why she was cast out. That journey grows into something much larger, touching on ancient secrets, lost science, and global catastrophe. Along the way, she crosses paths with warriors, wanderers, and engineers—each shaped by the changing world and the mysteries buried beneath it.
Conversations feel more natural this time around, thanks to new facial animations and cleaner motion capture. Characters hold eye contact, react more believably, and no longer feel locked in place during dialogue. These updates don’t change the events of the story, but they help the emotional moments land with more weight than before.
Though the twists are already known to returning fans, the pacing and message still hold up today.
You spend most of your time in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered hunting machines, sneaking through grass, and taking down threats with well-timed arrows and traps. Combat still holds up, thanks to its mix of strategy and precision. Each robotic creature has weak spots to exploit, and figuring out how to take them apart without wasting resources feels just as satisfying now as it did years ago.
What stands out most is how well the mechanics have aged. You can choose to go loud or quiet, pick off enemies from a distance or get in close with a spear. There’s always more than one way to solve a fight, and that flexibility keeps things from getting stale. Climbing and exploring feel smoother on the DualSense controller too, with feedback that makes movement more tactile.
During one trek through the Valleymeet forests, I stumbled across a herd of Grazers. Instead of attacking head-on, I set up traps along their path, waited in the grass, and picked them off one by one. The moment was quiet, careful, and completely earned. Even now, the game rewards patience and planning. Menus have been cleaned up, and inventory management feels more intuitive than before. Switching weapons, crafting ammo, and scanning enemies with your Focus is all quick and responsive. There’s also a good mix of main missions and side content, with bandit camps to clear, machines to override, and ancient ruins to explore.
Despite not changing the core systems, the gameplay still feels current. Every fight, climb, and puzzle serves a purpose.
Even seven years later, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks and sounds impressive, especially on PS5. Nixxes rebuilt many environmental details from the ground up. Trees sway as you brush past them, lighting adjusts more naturally depending on time of day, and snow visibly collects on Aloy’s clothes in colder areas. These subtle upgrades make the world feel more believable without needing flashy gimmicks.
Textures are sharper, models are cleaner, and the character animations have been redone to better match dialogue. People don’t just stand still or stare off in weird directions anymore—NPCs actually look at each other, shift their weight, and react to what’s happening around them. It makes every conversation feel less like a cutscene and more like something happening in real time.
The game runs smoothly across all three display modes. Whether you stick to the standard performance setting or use the higher-resolution options with a 120Hz TV, the frame rate holds steady. Load times are nearly instant, and I didn’t run into any bugs, crashes, or visual hiccups during my playthrough. The only oddity is that pre-rendered cutscenes still run at 30 frames per second and look noticeably lower quality next to the rest of the game.
Audio also gets some love here. The mix feels more layered, from machine roars in the distance to the rustle of trees in a storm. Voice acting still holds up too, especially during emotional scenes.
Final Score: 9.5/10 - Amazing
Developer: Guerrilla Games, Nixxes Software
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action Adventure, Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
When Horizon Zero Dawn debuted in 2017, Guerrilla Games surprised many by stepping away from first-person shooters and delivering a vast third-person adventure set in a world where machines roam a reclaimed Earth. Developed by Guerrilla and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, this remastered version marks the studio’s latest collaboration with Nixxes Software—an expert team brought in to give the original game a visual overhaul tailored for PlayStation 5. While the narrative, combat, and structure remain familiar, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes advantage of modern hardware to reintroduce Aloy’s journey in a sharper and more responsive package.
This remaster doesn’t replace what came before—it builds on it. It includes the base game and the Frozen Wilds expansion, alongside a suite of technical upgrades. With performance modes, upgraded animations, and detailed environments, this release aims to match the presentation of Horizon Forbidden West. Small touches—like new idle reactions and subtle lighting changes—create a version that feels surprisingly fresh for a game nearly a decade old.
Whether you're revisiting the post-apocalyptic wilds or stepping into Aloy’s boots for the first time, this release makes a strong case for its place in the PS5 lineup. Let's take a closer look!
In Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, you follow Aloy, a hunter raised in isolation by an outcast who has no answers to her past. From the start, her search for identity drives the story forward, pulling you through a world shaped by ruin, rebirth, and machines that mimic wild animals. The setting blends the feel of early tribal societies with echoes of long-lost technology, where relics of a forgotten civilization peek through overgrown forests and desert ruins.
What makes the story feel personal is Aloy’s clear sense of purpose. She’s not driven by revenge or fame—she just wants to understand who she is, where she came from, and why she was cast out. That journey grows into something much larger, touching on ancient secrets, lost science, and global catastrophe. Along the way, she crosses paths with warriors, wanderers, and engineers—each shaped by the changing world and the mysteries buried beneath it.
Conversations feel more natural this time around, thanks to new facial animations and cleaner motion capture. Characters hold eye contact, react more believably, and no longer feel locked in place during dialogue. These updates don’t change the events of the story, but they help the emotional moments land with more weight than before.
Though the twists are already known to returning fans, the pacing and message still hold up today.
You spend most of your time in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered hunting machines, sneaking through grass, and taking down threats with well-timed arrows and traps. Combat still holds up, thanks to its mix of strategy and precision. Each robotic creature has weak spots to exploit, and figuring out how to take them apart without wasting resources feels just as satisfying now as it did years ago.
What stands out most is how well the mechanics have aged. You can choose to go loud or quiet, pick off enemies from a distance or get in close with a spear. There’s always more than one way to solve a fight, and that flexibility keeps things from getting stale. Climbing and exploring feel smoother on the DualSense controller too, with feedback that makes movement more tactile.
During one trek through the Valleymeet forests, I stumbled across a herd of Grazers. Instead of attacking head-on, I set up traps along their path, waited in the grass, and picked them off one by one. The moment was quiet, careful, and completely earned. Even now, the game rewards patience and planning. Menus have been cleaned up, and inventory management feels more intuitive than before. Switching weapons, crafting ammo, and scanning enemies with your Focus is all quick and responsive. There’s also a good mix of main missions and side content, with bandit camps to clear, machines to override, and ancient ruins to explore.
Despite not changing the core systems, the gameplay still feels current. Every fight, climb, and puzzle serves a purpose.
Even seven years later, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks and sounds impressive, especially on PS5. Nixxes rebuilt many environmental details from the ground up. Trees sway as you brush past them, lighting adjusts more naturally depending on time of day, and snow visibly collects on Aloy’s clothes in colder areas. These subtle upgrades make the world feel more believable without needing flashy gimmicks.
Textures are sharper, models are cleaner, and the character animations have been redone to better match dialogue. People don’t just stand still or stare off in weird directions anymore—NPCs actually look at each other, shift their weight, and react to what’s happening around them. It makes every conversation feel less like a cutscene and more like something happening in real time.
The game runs smoothly across all three display modes. Whether you stick to the standard performance setting or use the higher-resolution options with a 120Hz TV, the frame rate holds steady. Load times are nearly instant, and I didn’t run into any bugs, crashes, or visual hiccups during my playthrough. The only oddity is that pre-rendered cutscenes still run at 30 frames per second and look noticeably lower quality next to the rest of the game.
Audio also gets some love here. The mix feels more layered, from machine roars in the distance to the rustle of trees in a storm. Voice acting still holds up too, especially during emotional scenes.
The Verdict
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered brings meaningful upgrades that make a strong case for revisiting Aloy’s world or experiencing it for the first time. With improved visuals, refined character animations, and subtle enhancements throughout, it feels modern without losing what made the original special. The budget-friendly upgrade option adds real value, and Nixxes’ attention to detail proves they’re more than capable in the remastering space. Whether you're returning or just starting out, this version offers the most polished way to explore the wilds of a world reclaimed by nature.Final Score: 9.5/10 - Amazing
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered details
Platform: PS5, PCDeveloper: Guerrilla Games, Nixxes Software
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action Adventure, Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.