Among the remasters that seemed ill-timed to me was Horizon Zero Dawn. Released almost 8 years ago now, Horizon Zero Dawn remains a (very) pretty game, especially since it is capable of running at 60 frames per second on PS5 via a free patch. However, after spending several dozen hours with this remaster, I must admit that I changed my mind as this facade renovation is so solid.
From the outset, as soon as you launch Horizon Zero Dawn Remasteredyou will automatically be offered to recover your saves of the original game; as long as you have played it and your data is hosted on the cloud. There recovery is quick and simple : no need to restart the base game on PS4 to convert the data to PS5 format (as is the case for FF7 Remake for example and damn it’s a pain to do). On this new version of Horizon, everything is automated and you will find your game in the blink of an eye. So I took the opportunity to rediscover this epic in New Game +, just to start a game with all my equipment and all the skills from the time I finished the game in 2017.
A new, brighter dawn
Remaster obliges, the vast majority of the work of the little guys from Nixxes consisted of a visual overhaul from Horizon Zero Dawn. And it is clear that the storefront is even more flamboyant than it once was. The numerous graphical improvements allow the game to be raised to the same level of visual fidelity as its sequel Horizon Forbidden West (which at the time of writing is still one of the most beautiful games in existence). For example, we can cite a clear improvement of vegetation on which the textures, geometry and interaction of foliage have been improved. To this is added a densification much more important flora (densification that a bald person returning from Istanbul would not deny). It is not only vegetation that has taken a leap forward, we can also note that all of the textures are finer – this is obvious, especially for stones or wood – and that water benefits from a truly more convincing rendering.
These additions provide a overall visual appearance finer, sharper and cleaner. You would have to be choosy not to notice and appreciate the general increase in the level of detail which pushes all the sliders even further upwards. Still with an eye for detail, the deformation of snow or sand under Aloy’s footsteps has been added (I know, you will tell me that the deformation of snow was introduced for the first time in the Frozen Wilds expansion , but in the remaster this feature is found everywhere).
The entire visual aspect has been redesigned in detail: even weather phenomena, volumetric effects or lighting. Honestly, at more than one point during my walk through the game, I said to myself that you could almost think that it was a remake tant we are far from the simple remaster minor which just displays a better resolution. Indeed, the entire visuals, in the general sense of the term, have been modified and reworked. It’s honestly amazing.
More alive
Another important change lies in theimprovement of the world’s feeling of life that Aloy goes through in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Villages, towns and other outposts seem less empty thanks to the addition of many new NPCs going about their business. This reinforces the feeling of teeming activity in inhabited areas. Many models have also been updated with more realistic and natural clothing or skin texture. Aloy’s model has also been carefully restored, including the addition of her famous down. Still with the aim of making the game more alive, the cutscenes have been reworked to make them less rigid thanks to the addition of more than 10 hours of additional motion capture data.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered also benefits from more gameplay options and accessibility like Forbidden West. In terms of performance, as is often the case, players can opt for 30, 40 or 60 frames seconds with visual compromises depending on the mode. Personally, at 60 frames per second, the game seemed very clean and fluid to me. I highly recommend who never coughs. PS5 obliges, we will also note that the functionalities of the DualSense controller have been taken advantage of with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers which reinforce immersion.
Always good Aloy
For the rest, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered remains the same masterpiece as its original version. For those at the back, I remind you that this is a action-RPG in an open world that immerses the player in a post-post-apocalyptic future where nature has reclaimed its rights and where strange mechanical machines populate devastated lands.
In game, you play as Aloy, an orphaned outcast investigating her origins and the mysteries of a lost civilization. THE open world is incredibly richvaried and detailed. It offers grandiose panoramas for fans of virtual hikes, thanks to a refined and immersive art of scenery composition. The combat and infiltration mechanics are still as solid and intuitive as ever. The fights can also be approached in several ways, in a sneaky way or more head-on with the help of numerous gadgets and traps. Everything is dynamic and tactical, notably through the exploitation of the weaknesses of enemy machines. The icing on the cake, the story and the universe developed throughout the 40 hours of the game are rich in twists and turns and revelations with a gallery of endearing characters. In short, there is something to keep you in suspense.
The question remains as to who is this remaster aimed at? For those who have not yet touched the base game, it is clear that this is the version that should be favored as it brings Horizon Zero Dawn up to date with great class. For the others, you have to see if the desire to go back to being around Aloy tickles you. In this case, note that the upgrade to the remaster is sold 10 euroswhich is clearly a good deal given all the work done which makes this new version of the game closer to a remake than a remaster.
