Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Review

The wilds of Horizon Zero Dawn have captivated players worldwide since its original release, blending a post-apocalyptic landscape with awe-inspiring machine life and a story filled with intrigue, mystery, and survival. With Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, developed by Guerrilla Games and Nixxes Software and published by PlayStation Publishing LLC, the adventure returns with enhanced visuals, PC-specific optimizations, and expanded content that elevates the experience to a new level. From the stunning visual overhaul to upgraded mechanics, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered invites new players and longtime fans alike to rediscover Aloy’s journey in higher fidelity and fluidity than ever before.

Aloy, the brave and curious machine hunter, remains at the story’s heart. Cast out from her tribe, she’s forced to navigate a vast, open world filled with dangers—from corrupted machines to rival factions—as she seeks to understand her origins and the world’s fall. This remaster brings every corner of this rich world to life, offering players a chance to see the forests, mountains, and ancient ruins of Aloy’s world in breathtaking new detail.

With support for ultrawide monitors, NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR, Intel XeSS, and DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes full advantage of modern hardware to deliver an even more immersive experience. But does this graphical overhaul and new content breathe fresh life into Aloy’s journey, or does the remaster feel like a mere technical upgrade? Let’s embark on the vibrant, machine-filled world and find out.

Setting and Story

The world of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is a sprawling, post-apocalyptic vision where nature has reclaimed the land, and powerful machine creatures roam freely across forests, deserts, and snowy mountain ranges. Set thousands of years in the future, this world is one of mystery, where ancient ruins hide remnants of an advanced civilization long since fallen, and the tribal cultures that remain struggle to survive against both natural threats and mechanical beasts. As the protagonist, Aloy, players are drawn into a world filled with secrets that only she has the power to uncover.

Aloy was raised as an outcast by the Nora tribe, and she has spent her life on the fringes, guided only by her adoptive father and her curiosity about the world beyond. Her journey begins with questions about her origins, purpose, and why she was cast out. As she ventures out to prove herself, Aloy becomes entangled in a larger mystery surrounding the machines’ corruption and the forces that control them. Her quest takes her across diverse territories, where she encounters friendly tribes and hostile factions, each with their perspectives, beliefs, and motivations.

The story of Horizon Zero Dawn unfolds like a layered tapestry, interweaving Aloy’s journey with the broader history of a world destroyed and reborn. She learns of a cataclysmic event known as the “Faro Plague,” which led to the extinction of the ancient civilization that once dominated the Earth. However, the remnants of their technology remain in machines that were once benign but have now become increasingly hostile, corrupted by an unknown force that threatens the remaining human tribes. Guided by the “Focus,” a piece of advanced technology she discovers early on, Aloy’s journey becomes one of self-discovery and heroism as she learns that her role is tied to a much larger destiny than she could have imagined.

The remastered edition brings this world to life with stunning new visuals and enriches it with expanded lore, mainly through The Frozen Wilds expansion. This expansion introduces a harsher, colder region inhabited by the Banuk, a reclusive and spiritual tribe with its unique connection to the machines. Here, Aloy faces new challenges, more powerful enemies, and secrets that deepen her understanding of ancient technologies.

The story in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered balances exploration and discovery with character-driven moments that explore Aloy’s journey from an outcast to a reluctant hero. It’s a journey that feels as compelling and fresh today as it did upon the game’s initial release, but with added detail that enriches Aloy’s world. This combination of personal and world-shaping stakes gives the story a sense of weight and urgency, with every interaction, every clue found, and every enemy defeated contributing to Aloy’s ultimate goal of saving humanity from extinction.

Through the remaster, Horizon Zero Dawn‘s narrative and setting are reintroduced to players with enhanced visual fidelity and atmospheric detail, allowing new and returning players to experience Aloy’s story with greater immersion. With its carefully crafted blend of post-apocalyptic lore, tribal cultures, and Aloy’s emotional journey, the story of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered remains a standout in action RPG storytelling.

Gameplay and Mechanics

The gameplay of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered delivers a rich blend of exploration, combat, and survival mechanics, all tailored around the unique setting of a world reclaimed by nature and dominated by machines. Players control Aloy, a skilled hunter whose combination of agility, resourcefulness, and an arsenal of primitive yet deadly weapons make her a formidable opponent to the technologically advanced creatures she faces. The remaster has retained the core mechanics that made the original game engaging while adding a few tweaks to improve the experience on modern hardware.

Exploration and Open World Design:

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered encourages players to explore its vast open world, where every corner teems beauty and danger. From lush forests and windswept deserts to snow-capped mountains and ancient ruins, each area is carefully crafted, offering a variety of biomes and a diverse ecosystem filled with both natural and mechanical life. The enhanced visuals, particularly in high-resolution modes on PC, make the landscapes feel even more vibrant, inviting players to roam and uncover secrets in every corner.

One of the game’s defining features is its seamless integration of lore and gameplay. The ruins scattered across the land aren’t just visually impressive; they’re also rich with clues that reveal the history of the old world and the events that led to humanity’s downfall. The addition of ultrawide and super ultrawide support for monitors enhances immersion, giving players a broader field of view to appreciate the world’s scale and beauty. For those with compatible hardware, this expanded view truly brings the world of Horizon Zero Dawn to life, making exploration more engaging and rewarding.

Combat and Tactical Depth:

Combat in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered combines action and strategy, as players must think carefully about how to tackle each enemy encounter. Aloy’s arsenal includes bows, slings, traps, and other primitive but powerful weapons that can be customized and upgraded as the player progresses. The game’s remastered graphics add to the visceral feel of combat, with explosions, sparks, and machine parts flying in stunning detail. Each machine has unique weaknesses and attack patterns, requiring players to scan them, plan their approach, and choose weapons to exploit their vulnerabilities.

Aloy’s “Focus” device adds a unique layer to combat, allowing players to highlight enemies, pinpoint weak spots, and even track the paths of patrolling machines. This mechanic encourages players to plan their attacks strategically, setting traps or using stealth to thin out enemy numbers before engaging in direct combat. The game offers a satisfying range of options for tackling encounters, whether players prefer to strike from afar, lay traps, or dive into melee combat. The remaster also introduces quality-of-life improvements, like smoother animations and higher frame rate options, enhancing the responsiveness of Aloy’s movements and attacks.

Crafting and Survival Elements:

Crafting is crucial in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, as players must gather resources to create ammunition, traps, and health items. Plants, minerals, and machine parts are scattered worldwide, encouraging players to hunt and scavenge to keep their supplies stocked. This mechanic adds a layer of survival to the game, as players must always be mindful of their resources when planning to face callous enemies or embark on extended explorations.

The Frozen Wilds expansion, included in the remaster, expands on the crafting system by introducing new resources and upgrades specific to the frozen terrain of the Banuk region. These additions increase the variety of weapons and armour available to Aloy, giving players more ways to customize their loadout to suit their playstyle. Upgrades to Aloy’s skills and gear allow players to tackle more challenging encounters, adding an element of progression that makes the world feel increasingly rewarding as players become more powerful.

DualSense Controller Integration and PC-Specific Enhancements:

One of the most significant improvements in the remaster is the integration of the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, which add a new level of immersion to the gameplay. Players can feel the tension of the bowstring as they draw it back, the impact of each arrow as it strikes its target, and even the vibrations of Aloy’s footsteps on different terrain types. These features enhance the tactile experience, making every action more immediate and engaging.

On PC, the remaster offers a range of graphical enhancements, such as NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR, which allow for improved frame rates and image quality on compatible systems. The unlocked frame rate option and support for 21:9 and 32:9 ultrawide resolutions enable players to tailor the visual experience to their preferences. The remaster also supports triple-monitor setups, making it a treat for players with advanced PC rigs who want to experience Horizon Zero Dawn in the highest possible fidelity.

Overall, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered’s gameplay and mechanics remain as captivating as ever, with the remaster adding subtle improvements that enhance the original experience. Strategic combat, a robust crafting system, and an open world of mysteries make every moment feel immersive and rewarding. With its updated visuals and new PC features, the remaster allows players to experience Aloy’s journey with enhanced clarity, fluidity, and depth.

Graphics and Sound

The visual and audio overhaul in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered truly brings the world of Aloy to life with breathtaking detail and immersive soundscapes that enhance the atmosphere. Building on the already impressive original game, the remaster leverages modern hardware capabilities to create an experience that feels visually stunning and audibly engaging, pulling players deeper into its rich, post-apocalyptic world.

Visual Upgrades and Fidelity:

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered offers significant graphical improvements, especially on PC, that make every corner of its vast world more vibrant and visually compelling. Textures have been upgraded to 4K quality, giving landscapes, character models, and machine details an added level of realism. Grass sways with the wind, light cascades through dense foliage, and reflections in water bring a new dimension to the game’s natural beauty. This heightened fidelity is especially noticeable in the finer details, such as the intricate carvings on machine parts or the fabric textures in Aloy’s clothing, which stand out in crisp clarity.

The remaster includes support for ultrawide and super ultrawide resolutions (21:9 and 32:9, respectively) and even triple-monitor setups, greatly enhancing the sense of scale when exploring the open world. This more expansive field of view makes sweeping vistas even more immersive, and navigating the game’s diverse environments—from lush jungles to snow-covered mountains—feels expansive and cinematic. Additionally, NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS provide smoother frame rates and upscaling options, allowing players to experience these stunning visuals without compromising performance.

Lighting and shadow improvements also play a crucial role in enhancing the remaster’s atmosphere. The game’s dynamic day-night cycle and weather effects feel more vivid, with sunlight casting longer, sharper shadows and moonlight illuminating nighttime encounters with an eerie glow. The improvements to reflections, particle effects, and the use of ray tracing help create a world that is more vibrant and feels alive with every step.

Character and Machine Design:

Aloy’s character model has received noticeable updates, with enhanced facial animations and finer details that bring more life to her expressions and interactions. The machines, the game’s most iconic elements, are also showcased in greater detail. Each mechanical beast—from the towering Thunderjaws to the stealthy Stalkers—features textures and animations that make them more imposing and lifelike. Watching them prowl, scan the environment, or respond to Aloy’s presence is a spectacle that feels even more intense in the remaster. Every encounter with these formidable foes is heightened by their improved design, making the thrill of battle that much more engaging.

Sound Design and Music:

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered audio is as meticulously crafted as its visuals, with soundscapes that build atmosphere, tension, and excitement. The ambient sounds of rustling leaves, distant machine roars, and shifting winds create an auditory experience that feels both immersive and grounded in its world. The remaster uses modern sound technology to enhance audio clarity, making every sound cue—from a machine’s metallic whirr to the snap of Aloy’s bowstring—crisp and impactful.

The soundtrack, composed by Joris de Man, The Flight, and Niels van der Leest, perfectly complements the game’s grand, adventurous tone. Its mix of orchestral and tribal elements captures the post-apocalyptic world’s beauty and danger, with tracks that shift between hauntingly atmospheric and exhilaratingly intense. The music swells in time with the action, heightening the emotional stakes of Aloy’s journey as players transition from peaceful exploration to intense machine battles.

DualSense Integration for Enhanced Feedback:

For players using the DualSense controller on PC, the remaster offers full support for adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, adding a tactile layer to the gameplay experience. Players feel the tension of Aloy’s bow as they pull back an arrow, the vibrations of each step as she runs across different terrains, and the jolt of impact when she delivers a heavy strike. This integration makes the experience more immersive, as the controller mirrors Aloy’s movements and actions, allowing players to feel the subtle nuances of combat and exploration. The haptics enhance machine encounters, as each creature’s unique movements and attacks have distinct feedback, making every battle feel dynamic and intense.

Enhanced Audio Spatialization:

The remaster also uses enhanced spatial audio capabilities, allowing players to pick up on directional cues during exploration and combat. Players can hear the whirring of machines approaching from behind, the crackling of a campfire nearby, or the chirping of distant wildlife, adding a layer of immersion that reinforces the game’s world. This audio spatialization proves particularly helpful in combat, where knowing an enemy’s location based on sound alone can provide a tactical advantage. Whether sneaking through tall grass or facing off against multiple machines, this level of audio detail enriches the gameplay experience.

In sum, the graphical and audio enhancements in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered elevate an already visually impressive game into a next-generation experience. The remaster’s attention to detail, from the fine textures to the improved audio cues, creates an atmosphere that feels tangible, inviting players to explore every hidden corner of its lush, expansive world. These improvements make the game more beautiful to behold and amplify the emotional resonance of Aloy’s journey, making it an essential experience for returning fans and new players.

Final Thoughts

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered by Guerrilla Games and Nixxes Software revitalizes an already celebrated title with stunning visual upgrades, refined audio, and meaningful gameplay enhancements that make Aloy’s journey feel as fresh and awe-inspiring as it did upon its original release. This remastered edition not only improves upon the game’s technical aspects but also emphasizes the beauty and danger of its world, inviting both new and returning players to experience the wilds of a post-apocalyptic Earth with a new level of immersion.

Strengths:

• Enhanced Visuals and Atmosphere: The graphical upgrades are a highlight, with 4K textures, ultrawide monitor support, ray tracing, and advanced lighting that bring the world of Horizon Zero Dawn to life in spectacular detail. Every environment, machine, and character is more vivid and realistic, making exploration more engaging and rewarding.
• Dynamic Combat and Tactics: Combat remains a standout feature, blending strategy, agility, and skill as players tackle various machines and rival factions. The DualSense integration on PC, with adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, adds depth to the action, making each arrow shot, and each machine encounter feel dynamic and satisfying.
• Immersive Soundscapes and Music: The remaster’s sound design, enhanced spatial audio, and evocative soundtrack heighten the experience, drawing players into Aloy’s world with detailed soundscapes that perfectly capture the game’s tone. The soundtrack punctuates the adventure, adding emotional depth to quiet explorations and intense battles.
• Rich Storytelling and Lore: Aloy’s journey remains compelling, filled with a blend of personal and world-shaping stakes that elevate the narrative. The inclusion of The Frozen Wilds expansion adds more content and context, expanding the game’s lore while offering new challenges and upgrades.

Potential Areas for Improvement:

• Repetitive Elements in Side Missions: While the world is rich and open for exploration, some players may find that side missions occasionally lack variety. Tasks like hunting certain animals or collecting specific items can become routine, though the rewards generally make them worthwhile.
• Difficulty Spikes for New Players: Despite its accessibility options, Horizon Zero Dawn’s combat can present a steep learning curve, particularly for players unfamiliar with strategic action games. Some might find the more challenging machines a bit overwhelming early on, though the variety of weapons and upgrades can help alleviate this as players progress.

In conclusion, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered elevates a beloved game into a new era of visual fidelity and gameplay fluidity, allowing players to explore Aloy’s world in stunning detail. The enhancements feel significant, adding layers of depth and immersion that make every encounter more impactful and every landscape more breathtaking. For newcomers, this remaster offers the definitive Horizon Zero Dawn experience, while returning players will appreciate the visual and tactile upgrades that make revisiting the game a rewarding experience.

Whether you’re drawn to the story, the combat, or the exploration, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered delivers on all fronts, solidifying its place as a must-play title on PC. It’s a journey of discovery, courage, and survival—one that reminds players of the beauty and resilience of life in the face of overwhelming odds.

We prepared this review with a digital copy of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for the PS5 version provided by PlayStation Publishing LLC.