But the game world really was terrific.)
Horizon instead focuses on how humans, having lost most of their past knowledge, rebuilt a world in tribal fashion, a world populated by animal-inspired machines.
So when Sony put out the recent “remaster” of Zero Dawn, I was cautiously optimistic.
In other words, this is not just some “upscaled” PS4 title; this thing looks like a modern PS5 game, and a good one at that.
Also, the less said about the new LEGO version of the game, called LEGO Horizon Adventures, the better.)
The best “remastered” video games continue to make great older titles playable on newer hardware and appeal to newer fan bases. They can feel like a cash-in at their worst.
With some trepidation, I recently started playing the “remastered” version of Horizon: Zero Dawn, a game that had won me over years ago with its PS4 version because it was simply one of the greatest video games ever made and because it had one of the greatest protagonists ever in one of the greatest tales ever told. Superlatives are some of the greatest words ever, so yes, I enjoy using them. However, the game world was excellent. Even my children were captivated and played the game and its follow-up several times.
Long after calamity—in the form of an autonomous robotic swarm—has destroyed the planet, the game portrays a future Earth. It’s not just dystopia, though there are a lot of abandoned and overgrown areas from that bygone era. Horizon instead focuses on how humans rebuilt a tribal world with machines inspired by animals after losing most of their prior knowledge. Set against the stunning backdrop of the American West, the game’s ambitious plot revolves around two timelines and includes cults, insane Sun Kings, and enormous killer robots.
Long load times were the original Horizon’s flaw. In the words of one redditor, “These load times are butt, huh?” Yes, they were. Really butt.
The reward was a stunning open world with such unique art direction that the game’s developer published a hardcover book highlighting the design work that went into it. Since it was about ONE OF THE BEST GAMES OF ALL—well, you understand—I did purchase it. ).
However, as the years went by, that incredible graphic design—which looked stunning when it debuted on the PS4—became a little out of date, particularly when its equally stunning sequel debuted on the PS5. The first game’s story and gameplay were still fantastic, but the inability to play both parts of ONE OF THE BEST GAMES was disappointing. , etc., in the same splendor.
That’s why I was cautiously optimistic when Sony released the latest “remaster” of Zero Dawn. Reworking PS5 in any way should shorten load times, right?
Over the past few weeks, I have been playing through the entire game and its expansion, The Frozen Wilds, even though my original plan was to only spend a few hours in the Zero Dawn universe. The remastered components were much more than a straightforward cash-in, and the voice acting, intricate plot, and arrow-based gameplay were still fantastic. Little details, such as how the PS5 controllers’ adaptive triggers replicate bowstring tension, felt ideal.
I enjoyed spending so many hours immersed in the game’s world, even though I didn’t anticipate doing so. I wanted to recommend it to anyone who might be searching for a fun single-player game to pass the time over the holidays.
significant shifts.
There are three significant changes in the remaster.
Initially, the game loads quickly. It seems like a brand-new PS5 game. During challenging battles, death and the reloads that come with it no longer make me want to hurl my controller across the room. It’s outstanding.
Second, the game has an unbelievable appearance. Increasing the resolution to 4K and calling it a day is not enough in this situation. According to Sony, “more than 10 hours of re-recorded dialogue, mocap, and innumerable graphical enhancements bring the game to the same visual fidelity as its critically acclaimed sequel.”. Additionally, the characters in the game have “been upgraded, bringing them in line with current generation advances in character models and rendering.”. “,”.
It is not merely marketing jargon. The lighting truly drew my attention, but the faces still look amazing, even in close-up cinematic parts. The updated lighting engine is evident from the first moment a young Aloy spelunks into a cave and discovers an electronic device fastened to a skeleton resting contentedly in a sunbeam. No, it’s not “realistic”; everything appears to be straight out of a postcard. However, I kept stopping the game to gaze at the sunlight strewn by a snowstorm or the sunrise cresting a mountain range. Like few other games I’ve seen, the fog and dust devils come to life thanks to the interaction between the lighting and a volumetric set of effects. Aloy’s footsteps in the snowy mountains as she walks through a winter storm create a mystical effect. Before a glinthawk leaps in, yelling, and launches an attack. ).
Also, the populated areas feel much better, particularly Meridian, the main town. There seems to be a lot more power available to the game engine now, and it has been used to add twice or three times as many non-player characters to towns and villages. I could feel the impact right away, and this helps to make the world seem more alive.
Put differently, this is not merely a “upscaled” PS4 game; rather, it appears to be a contemporary PS5 game, and a decent one at that. The world’s amazing art design and its people are more captivating than ever. (You really must watch the game in action; while screenshots are nice, what really stands out are the movements of the faces, the way light bounces off of trees, or the impact of a dust bowl. ).
Third, the game’s audio was enhanced. Sony claims that the audio “has been significantly enhanced.”. With the PS5 Tempest 3D Audio Tech2 support for higher-order ambisonics and Atmos rendering for an immersive soundscape, we have completely redesigned the sound mix. There have been hundreds of enhancements made to our sound design in both the game and the visuals. I believe what they say, but I didn’t see any significant change myself. Even without an Atmos system, the audio sounded fantastic.
For fans of the Horizon series, this is the ideal way to play the first game on the console. The PC versions are not something I’ve tried. Additionally, it is best to keep the new LEGO version of the game, called LEGO Horizon Adventures, under wraps. ).
You can upgrade the game for $10 if you already purchased it, but keep in mind that if you purchased a PS4 disc version, you will need to insert the game disc in order to upgrade and play the game. If you have a PS5 without a disc, you are out of luck in that regard. ).
