Sony is reportedly looking into remaking/remastering Horizon Zero Dawn for PlayStation 5, five years after the PlayStation 4 game was first released.
As first come to light by MP1ST, the open-world action-adventure is claimed to receive an overhaul in textures, an improved lighting system, better animations as well as new character models that will bring it closer in line with its 2022 sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. This report was then corroborated by VGC.
Next to this, the proposed remake/remaster – which features PlayStation mascot Aloy as the main protagonist – is said to have a big emphasis on accessibility alongside new graphics models and a number of quality-of-life updates.
T3 has reached out to Sony for comment.
Horizon Zero Dawn first launched exclusively on PS5 in February 2017 before then coming to PC in August 2020. It earned an impressive 89 score on Metacritic, making it one of the best-reviewed games for the console. It's also worth noting that developer Guerilla Games released a PS5 patch for Horizon Zero Dawn in 2021.
This would be the second remake of a big PlayStation title in recent times with Naughty Dog remaking The Last of Us for PS5 this year, after first launching the game on PS3 in 2013. It also received a remaster in 2014.
Personally, this seems a bizarre move and one I do not welcome. Will we next get a Ghost of Tsushima remake? How about an unnecessary remake of 2018's God of War? It comes across as a waste of resources instead of investing in new stories and IP for the PS5. I can't imagine there being many people clamouring for this remake, either, so the thinking is highly questionable. Remakes of PS1 or PS2 games that look completely different, such as Final Fantasy 7, and offer new mechanics can be interesting if done right. This, on the other hand, seems misjudged. Horizon Zero Dawn is still a stunning game and will remain one for quite some time.
Additionally, both reports claim that a Horizon multiplayer game is now in the works for PS5 and PC. This is believed to be built off the scrapped plans for co-operative play in the original Horizon. If true, Sony is clearly investing heavily into the IP with Horizon Call of the Mountain officially in the works for PSVR 2.
T3's Horizon Forbidden West review stated that the PS5 game "is amazingly ambitious in every sense of the word, continuing the high bar that Sony has achieved time and time again with its blockbuster releases".
Meanwhile, Sony and Netflix partnered for a Horizon TV series earlier this year – and this Game of Thrones actor is perfect for Aloy.
