So when Sony released the recent “remaster” of Zero dawnI was cautiously optimistic. Any kind of non-half-baked PS5 rework should reduce loading times, right?
Machines make it difficult to enjoy the view.
Machines make it difficult to enjoy the view.
So many more people in the cities. It's starting to get a bit busy!
So many more people in the cities. It's starting to get a bit busy!
Everything about the game looks good.
Everything about the game looks good.
So many more people in the cities. It's starting to get a bit busy!
Everything about the game looks good.
My intention was to dive into the world of Zero dawn only a few hours, but in the end I played the entire game and its expansion, The frozen wilderness, the past few weeks. The arrow-based gameplay, complex story, and voice acting were still great, and the remastered elements were much more than just a money-maker. Even little things, like the way the adaptive triggers on the PS5 controllers mimic the tension of a bowstring, felt perfect.
I didn't expect to be sucked back into the game's world for so many hours, but I had a blast doing it and wanted to put in a good word for those who might be looking for an engaging single-player experience this holiday season.
Big changes
When it comes to major changes, the remaster has three.
First, the game loads quickly. It feels like a basic PS5 title. Death – and the reloads that come with it – no longer makes me want to throw my controller across the room during difficult fights. It's great.
Secondly, the game looks incredible. This isn't a matter of just upping the resolution to 4K and calling it a day. Sony claims the game features “over 10 hours of re-recorded conversations, mocap and numerous graphical improvements that bring the game to the same visual fidelity as the critically acclaimed sequel.” Also, the game's characters have been “upgraded, bringing them in line with current-gen advancements in character models and rendering.”
This isn't just marketing fluff. The faces look incredible, even in close-up cinematic interludes, but what really struck me was the lighting. From the moment a young Aloy dives into a cave and finds an electronic gadget attached to a skeleton lying peacefully in a ray of sunshine, the revamped lighting engine makes its presence known. No, it's not “realistic”: everything looks like a postcard photo. But I found myself pausing the game just to watch the sunlight scattered by a snowstorm or the dawn breaking over a mountain range. The lighting works in tandem with a volumetric array of effects that bring fog and dust devils to life like few other games I've seen. When Aloy walks through a winter shower, leaving footprints in the mountain snow as she walks, the effect is magical. (Until a Glinthawk swoops in screaming and attacks.)
