Rumors are circulating that Sony has plans to remake or remasterHorizon ZeroDawnfor PlayStation 5, and the consensus is that this is a bad idea. The original game came out five years ago, and it still holds up very well today. Going from the PS4 to the PS5 is not enough of a hardware leap to justify fully remakingHorizon Zero Dawnfor the new hardware, and a lot of players feel like it is a simple cash grab. It also comes fresh off the heels ofThe Last of Us Part 1which remade a ten-year-old title, and it makes many people question the direction that Sony is taking in this new generation.
Remakes and remasters are nothing new to the gaming industry, but they do seem to be all the rage right now as many studios have been releasing new versions of some of their beloved games. Some remakes likeResident EvilorFinal Fantasy 7make sense as these are much older titles that people want to revisit through today’s hardware, butThe Last of Us Part 1andHorizon Zero Dawnremakesdo not make as much sense as those games are not very old and still hold up today.Horizon Zero Dawnis not ready for a full-on remake, but it could still use a remaster likeThe Last of Us Remastered.
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The Difference Between The Last of Us Remaster and Remake
The Last of Us Part 1was not the first time that the critically acclaimedThe Last of Usreceived a facelift, and it may not be the last. The original version ofThe Last of Uslaunched at the tail end of the PS3 era, and it quickly became a fan favorite. Sony released the PS4 at the end of that same year, but it drew some criticism for not offering backward compatibility with the PS3. This seemingly leftThe Last of Usin the dust until Naughty Dog releasedThe Last of Us Remastereda year later bringing the title to this new console generation.
The Last of Us Remasteredwas a simple HD facelift to an already impressive looking game. This new version took advantage of the PS4 hardware by updating its graphics, improving the frame rate, and introducing a brand-new photo mode. The title also bundled together the DLC, and this version quickly became the definitive version. What made it even better was that the game was actually cheaper than its PS3 counterpart as players only had to spend $50 this time around.
HD ports of games are nothing new as new consoles often see a slew of new versions of titles that released on the previous generation. Ubisoft remastered theAssassin’s CreedEzio trilogyfor this new hardware, theBatman: Arkhamseries got an HD facelift,BioShockreceived a new coat of paint,Borderlands:The Handsome Collectionbrought the looter shooter to the PS4, and evenGod of War 3andInjustice: Gods Among Usgot a new look for the PS4. This is commonplace in the industry as games that released on the previous generation want to take advantage of the new one, and that was all thatThe Last of Us Remasteredwas.
Remakes are a whole different breed of game, andSony aimed to remakeThe Last of UswithThe Last of Us Part 1. Remakes take older games and recreate them from the ground up for newer hardware, but this is usually reserved for games that came out more than one generation ago. Instead,The Last of Us Part 1remade a title that had released a remaster eight years prior, and that caused a bit of controversy. The game definitely looked better, and it felt like the best way to play it, but many felt like it was unjustified.
The Last of Us Part 1was far more than a simple remaster, but it did not need to happen. The remaster played and looked completely fine, and not many players were clamoring for a whole new version of the same game eight years later. It also cut out the fan-favorite multiplayer mode, and it cost $70 upon release while the remastered version only retailed for $20. Many felt like it was a simple cash grab by Sony, and some even felt like it purely exists as a way to hype up the upcoming HBO show. Now, Sony seems to berepeating itself again withHorizon Zero Dawn,and players are once again worried.
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Horizon Zero Dawn Should Be a Remaster
Horizon Zero Dawncame out in 2017for the PS4, and it is now 2022. That means that the game has been on store shelves for only five years, but Sony is apparently already working on remaking it. There has not really been enough time since the game’s initial release to consider remaking it, but that does not mean that it could not be remastered. New hardware offers more power for the developers to play with, and a simple HD facelift can take advantage of said power to deliver a better version of the original game.
A remastered version ofHorizon Zero Dawncan bring the gamemore in line withHorizon Forbidden West, and it can feature a trove of improvements across the board. Both games look very similar, but the sequel looks a little better thanks to the PS5’s power. An HD facelift could bring the original game to that level, and also give new players a chance to experience a more definitive version complete with all the DLC. It would also be a good way to hype up the upcoming Netflix show, which Sony most likely wants to do.
Horizon Zero Dawnis in no position to receive a full-on remake five years after release, but that should not stop it from receiving a remaster.Just likeThe Last of Us Remasteredbefore it, this remaster could bring a better looking version of the game to newer hardware, and maybe even make it cheaper. It would not be the first game to receive a facelift between generations, and it would probably be received a bit better by the fan base than a $70 remake would.
Horizon Zero Dawnis available now on PC and PS4.
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