When rumors began circulating about Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, fans were not particularly pleased. However, since the initial announcement trailer and PlayStation Blog posts, everyone has come around to it, especially thanks to the generous $10 upgrade fee. This newfound love isn't unwarranted, as the Remastered version of one of Sony's best first-party exclusives offers many meaningful upgrades.

Unlike the failed Until Dawn Remake, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has a lot to offer both returning fans and newcomers to the series. From improved visuals to a completely overhauled cutscene system, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks and players like a dream. Of course, the most meaningful additions are what makes it a truly striking remaster, and luckily there are plenty of them.

10 Improved Textures Are Obvious Right Away

Armor, Clothes, Buildings, And More Look Better

One of the most obvious changes between the original Horizon Zero Dawn and the Remastered version is the enhanced textures. Everything from clothing to the individual bricks surrounding Meridian's tightly packed streets has been greatly improved, with the overall quality looking drastically different compared to the original game. While Horizon Zero Dawn's visuals certainly still look great today, these improved textures prove the Remastered version is a big improvement.

Playing Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered feels like how players Horizon Zero Dawn looking all the way back in 2017.

A lot of the time, playing Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered feels like how players Horizon Zero Dawn looking all the way back in 2017. These enhanced textures improve the visuals just enough to make it look next-gen without ever ruining the overall artistic vision the original developers had. It's a great improvement and one that the majority of fans are likely to pick HZDR up for.

9 Even More Foliage Brings Horizon's Beauty To Life

Every Biome's Foliage Is Denser

One of the aspects of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered that is delved into a lot in the PlayStation blog post breaking down the various changes is the improved foliage. The team at Nixxes worked tirelessly to make the foliage far denser and more in line with what the original art team had envisioned in the game's gorgeous concept art. It's thicker and more wild, showcasing a world truly overrun by nature after years of civilization being pushed underground.

Additionally, Aloy now interacts with the foliage around her and not just the tall grass she hides in. For example, plants will be brushed out of her way as she walks through them. Additionally, weather effects have a greater impact on the foliage and Aloy herself, blanketing the grass with snow which rubs off on Aloy as she trudges through. It makes the world feel far more immersive and alive.

8 Better Water Physics & Graphics

Water Reflections Are Much Clearer

One of the more minor changes in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is the improved water physics and reflections. In the original game, the water barely rippled when Aloy swam through it and constantly looked murky thanks to the limited screen space reflections. However, the Remastered version brings the water physics and overall appearance more in line with the sequel's, although isn't quite as impressive.

The water moves around Aloy more realistically when she swims through it, it reflects light better and generally looks more realistic than the original release. It's not perfect, but it is a vast improvement and one that makes certain sections of the map appear more picturesque. While players are unlikely to pay much attention to it, Nixxes has ultimately fixed one of the worst-looking aspects of the original game.

7 Improved Lighting To Help With Realism

Aloy Looks A Lot Less Ghoulish

One of the biggest changes in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is the lighting. Whereas the original game overlit every area, with the interiors sharing the same lighting as the exteriors, the Remastered version rectifies this issue. Now, when Aloy shifts between an exterior location and an interior one, the light shifts with her. This makes areas like Meridian appear far more realistic, greatly enhancing all of the interior design and making the world feel more natural.

Additionally, there is better ambient shadowing, making for some truly striking scenes in the open world and in towns. This complete overhaul of the lighting is what makes so much of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered look as good as it does, including making characters look far less ghoulish. When in harsh light, faces don't look overexposed and translucent. Similarly, when in warm light, they don't look overly red. This enhanced lighting is a game-changer and completely transforms the base game.

6 Far Better Character Models In-Game

They're More In Line With Horizon Forbidden West

All of the character models in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered have had a glow-up, with faces looking far more realistic and less stilted. This is helped by the more realistic skin textures, better shaders, the aforementioned lighting improvements, and enhanced details on major characters. For example, Aloy now has peach fuzz on her face, improved hair textures, better eyes, and so much more. There's far more detail in almost every character, making them more akin to the amazing character models in Horizon Forbidden West.

Everyone in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks much better, more realistic, and more in line with Horizon Forbidden West.

Additionally, other characters now react to the heat and cold in the same way that Aloy does, and will also have weather effects affect their clothing and hair. This helps make the game world feel more dynanmic and alive, better immersing players into it. Overall, everyone in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks much better, more realistic, and more in line with HFW.

5 60 FPS Feels (& Looks) Much Better

Smoother Framerate Improves Combat

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered comes with two visual modes: prioritize framerate and prioritize resolution. It's fairly common nowadays for triple-A games to offer this, however, this is a game-changer for Horizon Zero Dawn as it allows it to run at an incredibly smooth 60 frames per second. Combat now feels more alive and action-packed than ever before thanks to the increase in FPS, making Aloy feel as agile as she appears in cutscenes.

Exploration also feels a lot smoother, which is great when racing from one end of the map to another. It's worth noting that there really isn't a substantial difference in picture quality between the prioritize resolution and prioritize framerate options, so fans are definitely encouraged to pick the latter. Playing Horizon Zero Dawn at 60 FPS just feels much better and makes for a far more enjoyable experience overall.

4 Comes With All The DLC Included

The Frozen Wilds DLC Is Incredible

One noteworthy feature of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is that it comes packed with all of the original game's DLC, including the Frozen Wilds expansion. This pretty hefty expansion actually improved upon many of the original game's failings, such as its awkward cutscenes. While most people likely expected the Remastered version to include absolutely everything, it's still a great touch.

In addition to the Frozen Wilds DLC, which will take players around eight to 12 hours to beat, the Remastered version also includes the various chests featuring new armor sets and helpful items for players to unlock. These are all accessible from the very beginning of the game.

Additionally, the fact that those who upgrade just the base game, and not the complete edition, get access to all the DLC as well, makes the already impressive Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered $10 upgrade absolutely worth it. It makes this the definitive Horizon Zero Dawn experience, which is exactly what it should be. Fans won't be missing out on any of the amazing content offered in the original game.

3 Cutscenes Aren't Awkward Anymore

10 Hours Of New Motion Capture Footage Improves Them

While reviews for Horizon Zero Dawn were largely positive when it first launched, one of the prominent critiques of it was its stilted and awkward cutscene direction. Specifically, whenever Aloy talked to an NPC or vendor, the camera would just cut back and forth between the two of them with little movement from either character. Luckily, Nixxes has completely fixed this by recording over 10 hours of motion capture footage and adding additional camera angles to each conversation.

Now, these once-lifeless chats feel more animated and exciting to watch, which, in turn, makes listening to all the exposition more enjoyable. It's a huge improvement and arguably one of the most important, as it directly addresses the original game's biggest fault. Fans who don't believe just how significant it is will need to watch a side-by-side comparison, as it truly transforms a major part of the game for the better.

2 DualSense Controller Additions Make Combat Better

Firing A Bow Has Weight Behind It Now

Like the excellent Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered adds for DualSense controllers. For example, whenever Aloy pulls back her bowstring, players will feel resistance in their triggers, making every shot feel far more impactful. This Remastered version of the game really makes the most of the DualSense's haptic and adaptive triggers to make both combat and exploration more exciting.

Additionally, players can toggle the option to have sounds or haptic alert them to nearby pickups, alongside a suite of other accessibility options brought over from Horizon Forbidden West. These options make it feel like a truly next-gen experience, making it a more welcoming and inclusive game.

1 So Many More NPCs To Run Into

The World Feels More Alive

While the cities and hub areas of Horizon Zero Dawn never felt empty, the power of the PlayStation 5 has allowed Nixxes to greatly increase the number of NPCs in the world. Now, when exploring even the smallest of villages, players will bump into significantly more people, making the world feel far more lived in. It's a pretty significant improvement, one especially felt while exploring Meridian, as it makes the various cultures and factions within Horizon Zero Dawn feel more believable.

Additionally, new animations, created from existing animations, have been implemented to give NPCs more to do in the open world and within hub areas. So, in general, NPCs will feel more alive, something that certainly helps to spice up exploration. This, alongside the many improvements made in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, makes it a genuinely compelling remaster and a showcase for how future PlayStation remasters should be made.

Source: PlayStation Blog, Digital Foundry/YouTube, PlayStation/YouTube,