I don’t know the logistics of this, but this could literally just be a digital download to people that already own Zero Dawn. I think it’s a drastic improvement, but Rost and baby Aloy in particular look really plasticy in the remaster. Else, it’s clear improvements across the board. Let’s hope that they add motion capture to every interaction, just like Forbidden West. The game excels at character expression, while Zero Dawn certainly looks… stiff.

Here’s a highlight, credit to ElAnalistaDeBits on YouTube. Aloy’s model is so much better, especially her face. She looks like plastic in the original.

I’m more interested in feature parity with Forbidden West. Having the same accessibility options as Forbidden West is a great thing. 60FPS across the board is also great. Gyro aiming being an option is also great, whether you want to be a pretentious asshole about it or not. There’s probably going to be a lot of little changes here and there on top of that.

Still, a handful of models are a downgrade, and some still don’t look quite as good as Forbidden West. Young Aloy’s hair looks slightly off, for instance. Everything else is great.

The issue is that many people already own Zero Dawn. Me, for example. Twice. Steam and PS4 physical. For newcomers? Awesome. They’ll get a game much more on par with Forbidden West, and this version will be undoubtedly more future proof. Regardless, I don’t see why this can’t just be some sort of paid update instead of an inevitable $70 release.

…Unless it isn’t a $70 release. But it probably is.

People complaining that the remaster somehow looks overall worse are simply wrong. I get it. PS5 remaster. It sucks. Regardless, it’s not like this is somehow an inferior port of Zero Dawn. This is an upgrade, without a doubt, and saying it looks worse is just utterly deranged. Guerilla is not Square Enix. This is actually a PS5 game, and not a PS4 Pro game.

I’m on the fence over this one, overall. I think they should have waited to bundle the remaster with Forbidden West (with performance enhancements as well), and release that with the upcoming third entry. Then, you’d have all three games at peak fidelity on one system, and give people an easier time getting into the series in preparation for the final entry. Think Metroid Prime 4, if 1-3 were bundled like they were supposed to be.

Will I buy this? Maybe, kind of? I really want to do an ultra hard run, but my only systems are a Steam Deck and a PS5. Steam Deck has the benefit of gyro aim, having a wide array of control options, but PS5 has the benefit of having radically better performance. This remaster offers the best of both worlds, and then some. That’s just my scenario.