As good as the game may be, requiring an internet connection to log into an account to play an offline game should be illegal.

Edit: I don't know whats happening, but the game doesn't even launch anymore. The only thing I can see is the "Sony presents" screen and then the game is just frozen. Why are games such trash these days? As cool as the technology nowadays is, gaming is f**ing dying and it makes me sad.

Avoid this waste of storage and play the original game instead. Don't give Sony your money for this "game" that doesn't even launch

I love the world of Horizon. I think the story is amazing, the characters are great, the combat is challenging and rewarding. I was excited when the Remastered version came out. Paid the $10 and started the download even before leaving work that day. I launched the game for the first time less than 20 minutes before writing this review, and have already requested a refund. Sony has decided to REQUIRE a PSN account in order to play this game. If, like me, you do not own a Playstation, and/or do not have a PSN account, don't waste your time. I'm not adding my information into their database with their previous track record of breaches. I'll stick to the original and save my $10.

Amazing game, well worth it to upgrade. This is some of the finest graphics in a video game so far!

Alright ill point out whats wrong.
:Cutscenes in game jitter and shake like crazy almost like an earthquake
:Apparently when you exit the game it doesn't register and u gotta manually stop it from running
:Performance is trash on high settings and the nvidia optimiser doesn't help (4060 rtx 16gb ram owner)
:Forced psn signup (not a huge deal imo but still annoying)
:its 50$ (10$ add on for owners of OG complete)....... TLDR this port is trash

Zero Dawn is a great game and I think it’s a lot better than Forbidden West. If you have the old version or if you get a cheap key for it (many websites available for this) then this is absolutely worth the £9 to upgrade.

It definitely didn’t need a remaster but it’s not unwelcome, the graphics in the sequel were so much better than the original Zero Dawn (which is 7 years old) and now this gets to have those improved graphics too.
I never played the original PC port so I don’t know if there are extra settings or features but the graphics alone are worth the £9.


But graphics bug out during every single dialogue. Everything in the background goes blurry and a couple textures might sometimes go back to normal but then the camera turns to the other character and it all goes blurry again.
I also had a couple other minor bugs like turkeys looking 3x the size in the distance and Aloy’s shoulder pad going into her chest during dialogue.
Dialogue is far too quiet far too often as well.


PlayStation Network account is a non-issue, anyone crying about that is just a whiny baby. You don’t even need to sign in, at least not if your account is linked from another game like Helldivers 2.
It lets you sync the achievements on Steam with PS trophies which I guess is nice but I don't care, I just didn't sign in.

Update - 21/11/24
Auto pickup just got added with 1.3, a simple feature but a huge improvement. As well as that the issues I had have been fixed.

Why would the original be taken off the store only for it to be replaced by this buggy mess? Great job sony

Having played Horizon Zero Dawn from my PS4 to my PS5, and now on PC, I can confidently say that this game continues to impress with each iteration. The remastered version on Steam is nothing short of spectacular.

The graphical upgrade is immediately noticeable. The lush landscapes, detailed character models, and stunning visual effects make the world of Horizon Zero Dawn more immersive than ever. The attention to detail in the remastered version is truly breathtaking, making every moment in the game a visual treat.

The story remains as captivating as ever. Aloy's journey to uncover her past and the mysteries of the ancient world is filled with twists and turns that keep you hooked from start to finish. The narrative is rich and engaging, with well-developed characters and a plot that seamlessly blends science fiction with a post-apocalyptic setting.

The controls are fluid and responsive, making combat and exploration a joy. Whether you're taking down a massive Thunderjaw or navigating the beautiful yet dangerous world, the controls feel intuitive and precise. The transition from console to PC has been smooth, with customizable settings that cater to different play-styles.

The audio experience is top-notch. The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly complementing the game's atmosphere. The sound effects are crisp and realistic, adding to the immersion. Voice acting is superb, bringing the characters to life with emotion and depth.

Overall, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered on Steam is a must-play for both newcomers and returning players. The enhancements in graphics, story, controls, and audio make it a definitive version of an already outstanding game. If you haven't experienced Aloy's journey yet, now is the perfect time to dive in.

I only bought the upgrade because of the DualSense haptic feedback and gyro aiming. But I'm also impressed by the better graphics. With RTX 4070 I get 144 FPS @ 1080p with settings on high, DLAA and frame generation. Without frame generation around 100 FPS.

Long Story short, it is a worth it game: 8/10 from me!

Now, long story long.... (Based on exploration playstyle and completed on Hardest difficulty with a controller; had additional 47 hours in the Complete Edition and I upgraded to this Remastered in between so in total: 47 + 61 = 108 hours of playtime)

Story: Tbh, the story just felt kinda meh. In the direction they were hyping up, turns out to be in some other direction. But it was good nonetheless.

Gameplay: Good game-play and mechanics. The only thing that I felt missing was target lock system. You cannot lock on to an enemy. I understand why they went in this direction but you should've given both the options to the player. I don't know maybe it is more complicated to implement both types of mechanisms in the game: Free aim & Lock on.

Exploration: It felt okay-ish. Didn't felt that rewarding or worth it. For achievements, yes it is required.

Battle/Combat: Okay so initially when i started my journey and 3-4 hours into it, I was like, "I'll do it only melee and ranged will be my secondary backup option" but guess what? It is the other way around. Your bow is your primary weapon and spear is the secondary one. It took me couple of hours to get used to this reality as I transitioned to this game after playing ELDEN RING sooooo......... yeah! But once you get used to it, it feels really good to use your bow like a primal hunter!

Dialogues/Conversations: They are good but didn't felt on the level of Witcher 3.

Side stuff: Damn I never thought that I ever say this for any game (except Witcher 3) but uh.....the side quests felt more engaging and interesting to me, over the main quests.

Now some things that I want to point out:
- Excessive darkness: In the dark areas like caves, there is pitch black darkness and there is nothing to counter it: no torch/lamp/lantern/no glow from Focus.

- Eye hurting visibility during blizzards/snowstorm

- Specific/scripted events even in open world: There are specific grapple points to grab on or ledges to grab even when you are free roaming in the world. I mean WTF?! Fr??! This is supposed to be an open-world game, yes? Why the restrictions? God, I missed Assassin's Creed soooooo much during these times!

- Item consumption animation too annoying/interrupting: Aloy shouldn't stop to use an item (it may not feel like much of an issue but during battles on ultra high difficulty, every nanosecond matters!)

Conclusion: Overall experience is AWESOME! Ignoring the -ves that I mentioned. You should definitely try this out but this is not a must play game for a gamer, just a nice addition to your experience. Now I am feeling very excited if there was a crossover for Eivor or Kassandra from Assassin's Creed with Aloy from this Horizon universe!

There are a lot of negative reviews for this game due to the requirement of a PSN account and HZD not really needing a remaster. Both of which are fair points and requiring PSN is an incredibly stupid decision on Sony's part that they are putting into their PC ports.

However, the visual updates to this game are absolutely stunning. They don't add any new content, which is why you can spend $10 to upgrade from the original to the remastered version. (So, buy a key of that online and spend the $10 to upgrade if you don't want to spend the full price).

The original HZD does have some issues but it is one of my favorite games and I have been loving the remaster. If you don't like the original, this is going to do nothing to change your mind.