Many are still skeptical about Sony’s remasters – they say they want to make money again by slightly updating the textures. In the gaming community, this has already become a meme: first they joked about the re-release of Spider-Man, then The Last of Us got it. Now Horizon Zero Dawn has come into focus – a game that, it would seem, came out quite recently… just seven years ago. Let’s figure out whether the updated version really brought something new – or is it just another attempt to play on nostalgia.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Free Steam Account

In recent years, Sony has clearly decided to turn the Horizon universe into something much more than just a series of games. A full-fledged threequel starring Aloy is already in the works, as well as an online project, as well as a series that is being prepared for Netflix. And this is in addition to the unexpected crossover – Lego Horizon Adventures, which reimagines the original in the style of a construction set.

Around the same time, a remaster of the first part was released, modestly called Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Formally, it is not connected to the Lego version, but it seems that its release was conceived as a way to attract attention to the new game. Like, refresh your memory – and run into the world of adventures! However, the calculations seem to have not come true. Both Horizon Adventures and the remaster itself did not cause much excitement – both new products have less than 1,500 reviews on Steam. Although, to be fair, the developers made an effort: the remaster was not just transferred to modern rails, but also pulled up important technical aspects.

The Nixxes studio, well known to Sony fans: it worked on the PC versions of Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank and Ghost of Tsushima, was responsible for the update. Its track record also includes the port of Forbidden West, the sequel to Zero Dawn. As for the PS5 version, it looks decent technically – there are practically no complaints. Especially considering the price: the owners of the original only had to pay $10 for the upgrade. But on PC, users have already found reasons for criticism: they complain about the unstable frame rate and imperfect optimization.

However, all these details fade into the background in front of a more serious question: why do we need this remaster at all? It offers neither a new experience nor fresh ideas – it’s still the same Zero Dawn, only slightly smoothed out. As a result, the game has a strange “identity crisis” – who is it for? Old fans who have already played through everything? Or newcomers who would find it easier to start with something more modern?

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Graphics in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

The team from Nixxes really tried — the Horizon Zero Dawn remaster has noticeably changed and began to look much more alive. Visually, it is already closer to Horizon Forbidden West, although it does not reach full visual continuity. Rather, it is something in between the original and the sequel, but with an excellent presentation and a modern level of quality.

On PlayStation 5, the remaster offers three modes: an emphasis on graphics (4K/30 FPS), on smoothness (4K/60 FPS) and a balanced option (4K/40 FPS) for owners of screens with 120 Hz support. Yes, in performance mode, the resolution may not be quite honest 4K, but the game pleases with a stable frame rate and smooth animation. And, if you don’t look at every pixel, the choice in favor of this mode will be quite reasonable — the dynamics are especially felt in combat scenes, where 60 FPS look much more appropriate than the cinematic 30. This mode is the best way to see how the game has changed. The space around has become denser, more alive — thanks to improved textures and increased drawing distance. Those same familiar meadows, rocks, waterfalls — all this now looks much more expressive. Take a closer look, and you will notice: there are more details on the counters, the walls have acquired texture, and the streets — more passers-by. This is especially noticeable in Meridian — the city seems to have added life.

The updates also affected the models and animations of the characters. Now the heroes show more emotions — facial expressions have become more mobile, and Aloy is visually closer to her appearance from Forbidden West. This is especially noticeable in dialogues and action scenes: even small details, like hair on a beard or pores on a face, are drawn very accurately. And yes, the costumes are now also pleasing to the eye – every feather, every fold of fabric has become more noticeable.

Interaction with the world has also reached a new level. The water is now more transparent, reacts more realistically to the heroine’s movements, and snow and rain leave their mark on her clothes. On snowy slopes, the suit becomes covered with frost, gets wet in the rain, and the snow still crunches pleasantly underfoot. Grass and bushes no longer look “cardboard” – now they respond to Aloy’s movements, swaying realistically upon contact.

The remaster has also affected the lighting system. Light and shadows have become much more natural, and at sunset, the game literally bathes in warm, but more saturated and believable tones. The world has become brighter, richer in colors, dust in the air adds depth, and at night it is easy to notice the starry sky. Improvements are noticeable both in underground laboratories and on the surface – reflections in the water have become clearer and more voluminous. Added to this is support for 3D sound and DualSense features: when you pull the bowstring, you feel the tension transmitted to your fingers. And the settings have become much more extensive – now they are almost at the level of Forbidden West, which will please fans of fine tuning.

Overall, the game has gained new life. Everything around has become more mobile, richer, richer in detail. Thanks to this, the immersion is felt much deeper: now Horizon Zero Dawn is perceived not as an original “powdered” by a reissue, but as a full-fledged return to a world where nature has once again captured the ruins of civilization. This is still not the level of Forbidden West or The Last of Us Part II, but the remaster conveys the atmosphere of a dying world with glimpses of new life perfectly.

Does Horizon Zero Dawn Need a Remaster in 2025?

When it comes to technical improvements, everything becomes clear pretty quickly – they are there, and they are noticeable. But who exactly this remaster is addressed to remains a mystery. After all, the original Horizon Zero Dawn was released not so long ago – in 2017 – and, although it started as a PS4 exclusive, its world still looks decent, especially by the standards of games of that time.

In many ways, this is the merit of Guerrilla Games itself, which from the very beginning relied on the technological side. Even the visual style in the game is closely related to the theme of machines and technology – after all, most of the enemies Aloy fights are robots. Already in the first release, the developers managed to create a truly impressive world. And after the release of The Frozen Wilds add-on, pleasant little things were added to it, like snow, realistically reacting to the heroine’s steps. And then in 2022, a sequel was released, which completely brought the series to a new level in terms of graphics and technical performance.

But both The Frozen Wilds and Forbidden West weren’t just pleasing with their graphics — they brought a bunch of new content: fresh locations, weapons, enemies, quests. In this regard, the Zero Dawn remaster has nothing special to brag about. It’s still the same original — without new enemies, without an additional plot or updated mechanics. Yes, they tightened up the graphics, expanded the settings, improved performance — but the foundation remained intact.

Here’s what exactly has changed in the remaster compared to the original version:

• Increased texture clarity and improved detailing of the environment;
• Updated lighting and more realistic visual effects;
• Support for modern resolutions and HDR technologies;
• Advanced graphics settings for flexible adjustment to the system’s power;
• Optimization of downloads and increased FPS stability.

On the one hand, it seems like you shouldn’t expect more — after all, this is a remaster, not a full-fledged remake. But on the other hand, it turns out that the project is stuck somewhere in the middle: for fans who have already played the original, there is nothing truly new here, and for newcomers, all the attention is drawn to the sequel, which looks cooler and offers a more modern experience. Perhaps this edition will really please those who want to return to the world of Zero Dawn after years – to play the game again, but with graphics that are closer to today’s standards. In this case, the remaster copes with its task – it makes the return enjoyable and does not cost that much.

But on the scale of the entire audience, the remaster is unlikely to succeed. Ironically, it somehow involuntarily emphasizes why the Horizon series never became a phenomenon on the scale of God of War or Ghost of Tsushima. Despite the efforts invested, its uniqueness is not felt as keenly as the authors would like.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered System Requirements

How to play Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for free on Steam via VpeSports

Once upon a time, the world belonged to people. Now it belongs to giant mechanical beasts hunting in the ruins of civilization. In this world lives Aloy — brave and unbroken, with a bow on her back and questions that she must find answers to. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is not just a game. It is a story about finding yourself, fighting the past and hoping for the future. And now, with the new edition, every moment of this journey has become even more beautiful, realistic and profound.

So that you can immediately immerse yourself in the adventure, we have provided everything in advance. You will have full access through a free Steam account, without the hassle of installations, registrations and long instructions. A couple of clicks – and you are already in the wild, where the ruins of the old world meet raging nature and steel monsters. We have done everything so that nothing distracts you from the most important thing – the journey.

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