Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Review (PS5) | Push Square
Dutch developer Guerrilla seemingly achieved the impossible with Horizon Zero Dawn. After a decade slaving away over first-person shooter series Killzone, the studio effectively retooled itself as a maker of open world RPGs, and sold tens of millions of copies in the process. The intellectual property has since seen the release of a sequel and a PSVR2 spin-off, with a family-friendly LEGO adaptation imminent.
This remaster from Nixxes initially seemed superfluous when it was rumoured, but a $10 upgrade fee and the ability to import save files from the PS4 version has won fans over. And we have to say it’s an outstanding upgrade, bringing the original release closer to its successor Horizon Forbidden West. That means you can now play the two titles back-to-back with very little compromise, a goal Sony was also eager to achieve with its two The Last of Us titles.
Presentation is the key differential between the 2017 title and this PS5 upgrade, as the gameplay remains unchanged. That means you’ll still be controlling flame-haired huntress Aloy through a series of tropical biomes, as she explores a post-apocalyptic sandbox populated by mechanical dinosaurs. The sci-fi story is captivating throughout, tackling topics from two different timelines, as it deals with the politics of the present day and the cataclysmic events that led to the world’s current state.
In some ways, the story in this inaugural entry is far more focused than its follow-up, with the twists much more impactful. It’s a shame a lot of the major beats occur off-screen, as many of the revelations are reserved for audio logs, but it’s riveting stuff – even if it borders on ridiculous at times. The protagonist makes for a fun conduit for everything that occurs too: she’s as baffled and bedazzled as you will be.
Perhaps the weakest part of the game are its side quests, this being Guerrilla’s first foray into the RPG genre after all. These do improve in the Frozen Wilds expansion, included here, but there’s
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