10 Best Improvements in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

When rumors began to circulate about Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredfans weren’t particularly pleased. However, from the initial announcement trailer and posts on the PlayStation Blog, everyone agreed, especially thanks to the generous $10 upgrade fee. This newfound love isn’t unwarranted, as the Remastered This version of one of Sony’s best exclusives offers many significant upgrades.

Unlike the failed Until Dawn Remake, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has a lot to offer returning fans and newcomers to the series. From improved visuals to a completely reworked cutscene system, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks and players like a dream. Of course, the most significant additions are what make it a truly impressive remaster, and thankfully there are plenty of them.

10

Improved textures are obvious right away

Armor, clothing, buildings, and more look better

One of the most obvious changes between the original Horizon Zero Dawn and the Remastered version are the improved textures. Everything from clothing to the individual bricks that line Meridian’s crowded streets has been greatly improved.with the overall quality looking drastically different compared to the original game. While Horizon Zero Dawn the visuals certainly still look great today, these improved textures prove the Remastered version is a big improvement.

Often, playing Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks like how players remember Horizon Zero Dawn looking to 2017. These improved textures improve the visuals just enough to make it feel next-gen without ever ruining the overall artistic vision the original developers had. It’s a huge improvement and one that most fans will likely pick up hzdr ready for.

9

Even more foliage brings Horizon’s beauty to life

The foliage of each biome is denser

One of the aspects Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered which is very in-depth Playstation The blog post detailing the various changes is improved foliage. The team at Nixxes worked tirelessly to make the foliage much denser and more in line with what the original art team had envisioned. in the game’s beautiful concept art. It’s denser and wilder, showing a world truly dominated by nature after years of civilization being driven underground.

Additionally, Aloy now interacts with the foliage around her and not just the tall grass she hides in. For example, plants will be moved out of her way as she walks past them. Additionally, weather effects have a greater impact on the foliage and Aloy herself, covering the grass with snow that hits Aloy as she walks. It makes the world feel much more immersive and alive.

8

Better water physics and graphics

Water reflections are much clearer

One of the smallest changes Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is the improvement of water physics and reflections. In the original game, the water barely rippled when Aloy swam and appeared constantly murky thanks to limited screen space reflections. However, the Remastered version brings the water physics and overall appearance more in line with the sequelalthough not that impressive.

Water moves around Aloy more realistically when she swims in itit reflects light better and generally looks more realistic than the original version. It’s not perfect, but it’s a big improvement that makes certain sections of the map feel more picturesque. While players are unlikely to pay much attention to it, Nixxes has finally fixed one of the worst-looking aspects of the original game.

7

Improved lighting to aid realism

Aloy looks a lot less macabre

One of the biggest changes Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered It’s lighting. While the original game lit up all areas, with interiors sharing the same lighting as exteriors, the Remastered version fixes this problem. Now, when Aloy switches between an outdoor and indoor location, the light changes with her. This makes areas like Meridian feel much more realistic, greatly improving the entire interior design and making the world feel more natural.

Additionally, there is better environmental shading, creating truly stunning scenes in the open world and cities. This complete lighting review is what makes it so important Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks as good as it looksincluding making the characters seem much less macabre. When under bright light, faces do not appear overexposed and translucent. Likewise, when under warm light, they do not appear overly red. This improved lighting is a game changer and completely transforms the base game.

6

Much better character models in the game

They are more aligned with Horizon Forbidden West

All character models in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered had a shinewith faces looking much more realistic and less affected. This is helped by more realistic skin textures, better shaders, the lighting improvements mentioned above, and improved details on the main characters. For example, Aloy now has peach fuzz on her face, improved hair texture, better eyes, and more. There is much more detail on almost every character, making them more like the amazing character models from Forbidden Horizon West.

Additionally, other characters now react to heat and cold the same way as Aloyand they will also have weather effects that will affect your clothes and hair. This helps make the game world more dynamic and alive, better immersing players in it. Overall, everyone in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks much better, more realistic and more in line with HFW.

5

60 FPS looks (and feels) a lot better

Smoother frame rate improves combat

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered comes with two visual modes: prioritize frame rate and prioritize resolution. It’s quite common these days for AAA games to offer this, however, this is a game changer for Horizon Zero Dawn as it allows it to run at an incredibly smooth 60 frames per second. Combat now feels more alive and action-packed than ever thanks to the increased FPS, making Aloy feel as agile as she appears in the cutscenes.

Exploration also feels much smoother, which is great when running from one end of the map to the other. It is worth noting that There really isn’t a substantial difference in image quality between prioritizing resolution and prioritizing frame rate optionsso fans are definitely encouraged to choose the latter. Playing Horizon Zero Dawn at 60 FPS it’s much better and provides a much more enjoyable experience overall.

4

Comes with all DLC included

The Frozen Wilds DLC is amazing

A noteworthy feature Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is that it comes with all the DLC from the original gameincluding the Frozen Wilds expansion. This rather robust expansion actually improves on many of the original game’s flaws, such as its strange cutscenes. Although most people would probably expect that Remastered version to include absolutely everything, it’s still a great touch.

Furthermore, the fact that those who only update the base game, and not the full edition, will have access to all the DLC as well, makes the already impressive Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered $10 upgrade is absolutely worth it. That makes this the definitive Horizon Zero Dawn experiencewhich is exactly what it should be. Fans won’t miss out on any of the incredible content offered in the original game.

3

The scenes are no longer strange

While assessments for Horizon Zero Dawn were largely positive when it was released, one of the prominent criticisms was its stilted and awkward direction of the scene. Specifically, whenever Aloy spoke to an NPC or vendor, the camera simply switched between the two, with little movement from either character. Happily, Nixxes completely fixed this by recording over 10 hours of motion capture footage and adding additional camera angles to each conversation.

Now, these previously lifeless chats seem more lively and exciting to watch, which in turn makes listening to the entire exposition more enjoyable. It’s a huge improvement and arguably one of the most important, as it directly addresses the original game’s biggest flaw. Fans who don’t believe how significant this is will need to watch a side-by-side comparison, as this really changes an important part of the game for the better.

2

Additions to the DualSense controller make combat better

Shooting a bow has weight now

Like the excellent Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered adds support for DualSense controllers. For example, whenever Aloy pulls her bowstring, players will feel resistance in the triggers, making each shot feel that much more impactful. That Remastered The game version really takes full advantage of the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to make combat and exploration more exciting.

Additionally, Players can toggle the option to have sounds or haptic feedback alerting them to nearby pickupsalong with a set of other accessibility options brought from Forbidden Horizon West. These options make it feel like a truly next-gen experience, making it a more welcoming and inclusive game.

1

Many more NPCs to find

The world seems more alive

Although cities and central areas of Horizon Zero Dawn never felt empty, the power of the PlayStation 5 allowed Nixxes to greatly increase the number of NPCs in the world. Now, when exploring even the smallest villages, players will encounter significantly more people, making the world feel much more lived-in. It’s a pretty significant improvement, felt especially when exploring Meridian, as it makes the various cultures and factions within Horizon Zero Dawn feel more confident.

Additionally, new animations, created from existing animations, have been implemented to give NPCs more activities in the open world and hub areas. So, in general, NPCs will feel more alive, something that certainly helps spice up exploration. This, together with the many improvements introduced Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredmakes it a genuinely compelling remaster and a showcase for how future PlayStation remasters should be done.

Source: PlayStation Blog, Digital Foundry/YouTube, PlayStation/YouTube,