Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered vs Original | Direct Comparison

[@johnrobertsongames]

At 6:23 when you point out that the neon lights of the computer terminals are no longer reflected in the puddles, this is intentional. Those lights are augmented reality, seen through Aloy's Focus, not in the physical world, therefore they should never have been reflecting back in 2017 in the first place.

[@RenishSiyodia]

Great observation man 👌🏽💪🏽

[@Blag_Cog]

sadly I think they are still a tiny bit reflected because it uses screenspace information. But you're otherwise completely correct.

[@Nick930]

That's a fun theory, but Im afraid that's not the case here. Those lights are still being reflected in either version. The changes made to the SSR are what's causing the change, not an intentional art change to account for aloys AR

[@johnrobertsongames]

@@Nick930 yeah I guess what I mean is, the changes that's have been made technically make the AR light/reflections *more* accurate to real life than they were before - albeit there shouldn't be any reflection or light hitting the environment whatsoever. Just seems like a happy accident.

[@danishchawla690]

So I see, we are now calling a downgrade an intentional feature now?

[@davidmuller6011]

I thought the original version looked good until I played the Remaster lol

[@barberenforcement172]

Does it look better than forbidden west?

[@MichaelM28]

@@barberenforcement172Not quite

[@bankaispirits]

​@barberenforcement172 nah it's actually pieces of the older engine/newer engine combined and one of the devs called it a "Frankenstein" variant

[@adlibconstitution1609]

​@@barberenforcement172 Forbidden West + burning shores is still my top 1 most beautiful open world of all time

[@wahydesama3723]

I think motion and facial expression in every character is good on remastered version

[@EASY4V1]

Main reason i upgraded... 10$ for the upgrade, and the frozen wilds were 10$. The frozen wilds is included in the remaster. Made the vhoice easy if youve never played frozen wilds

[@QuivO-ctrl]

you took the same decision I took for the same reasons.

[@AlmightyPolarBear]

I bought the complete edition on sale years ago so I don't have that same reasoning if I am to get it.

[@Hechab]

1:47 NO! They did him DIRTY!

[@Nick930]

Yeah, I expected more from Varl considering how great he looks in forbidden west. He's a pretty minor character in Zero Dawn though

[@hagen9027]

same goes for Rost

[@zerotofifty]

He looks pretty clean actually

[@longebane]

thats the first thing i really noticed. his lips/mouth. yiiiiiiikes brah

[@HKdagreat]

Honestly the original release is quite impressive for a mere 1.84Tf machine.

[@vectoralphaSec]

Console optimization is a real thing

[@bobolins]

My man HKdagreat you are right

[@theseeker7711]

Just beat the remaster early this morning.I have now beaten this game 3 times.Thats a record for me.

[@vision821k4]

Now you have to beat it without dying.

[@biggranny000]

I played through the original and remaster and the remaster is way better on a technical and graphical level.

[@chielvandenberg8190]

I agree, i loved seeing all areas get a nice little touch, especially for 10 bucks

[@EchoJPR]

Loved this remaster. Played through the original a bunch of times and this was better in almost every way

[@Z0011-]

At 8:57 I love how the grass looks more alive than the remaster, remind me the wither 3 wind reaction with plants, I hope they update this

[@momonga.]

Not sure why there are so many sheep comments calling this a bad remaster. This remaster delivers more improvements and updated graphics for just $10 than 95% of other remasters, which typically charge $40-$50. If anything, more developers should follow this model-offering meaningful updates at less than the cost of DLC, rather than the price of a full game. You can criticize Sony for other subpar decisions, like requiring PSN accounts, but this is not one of them.

[@Nockblock]

It seems the modern world has conflated not good and bad. Just because it’s unnecessary doesn’t give you justification to hate it. Just because it’s mid doesn’t mean it sucks.

[@xTurtleOW]

The game really didn't need remaster but I don't think this is bad thing at all. I bought this and already finished it and had fun

[@awaisahmed01]

It's not bad, it's just pointless which is probably what a lot of people actually mean

[@anthonysmurthwaite6258]

This is absolutely a subpar decision, there was no need whatsoever for this and it is nothing more than a cash grab and if you don't own the previous version then it's also way more expensive than it should be for a graphical boost to a 7 year old game

[@Nockblock]

@@GodofGears Peoples interpretation is irrelevant mid means medium which is average.

[@DeadofWinter321]

The remaster is just so much better than the original. All the characters don't look and act like porcelain dolls anymore. The hazy mist has been toned down when you're on higher elevations and you want to look across the distance. And that's just only the beginning. I'm very happy that I didn't listen to the negative opinions, as the remaster makes them irrelevant.

[@longjohn526]

The haze was used to hide the lower quality distant LODs and lower draw distances. Depth of Field in cutscenes is used in the same way which is why you couldn't turn it off in the original but you can in the Remaster.

[@LegendaryNuggets]

2:46 I actually prefer this scene on the left more colors aren't as washed out

[@davidpitre5364]

I believe that’s because of the weather being dynamic not because of the game itself having more washed out Colors from my experience the remaster is a lot more colorful

[@Hozasaru]

Yeah, it’s just a misty scene.

[@dennisthemenace4288]

Other scenes?

[@IamXhedo]

It's kind of amazing the amount of detail they added. I really didn't expect that much effort.

[@-brownbread]

It's crazy how this is considered amazing, should basically be standard for a remaster imo

[@IamXhedo]

Yeah, specially when most remasters are sold as new games and don't give the option of an upgrade

[@calvanwest3612]

This is pathetic and shouldn't have happened

[@IamXhedo]

@calvanwest3612 too much work seems to have gone into it to call it pathetic, but I agree that it was unnecessary.

[@calvanwest3612]

@@IamXhedo maby so yeah but pathetic true wasted resources on this.

[@free_h2o142]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention one of the biggest changes to lighting, hero lights. The remaster changes how the characters are lit in many cutscenes and story moments, adding in more light sources where there weren't before. This makes the scene look more artificial in my opinion. Additionally, many have pointed out the new texturework (or possibly post-processing) applied to the characters, giving their faces a smoother, less realistic look with reduced apparent details like wrinkles and small imperfections. I think these would have been important changes to mention.

[@free_h2o142]

@@RicochetForce I'm not saying there hasn't been improvements, I just think all major changes to lighting and character models should probably be mentioned in a video like this.

[@pian-0g445]

@@free_h2o142 yeah, definitely an artistic choice made. Most likely, the direction they went with the sequal was what they intended or realised how they wanted the series to look, so decided to implement it in the remaster. Becomes a personal taste on which version you prefer.

[@Recht_voor_zijn_raap]

Was waiting for this one... Thank you

[@raymax_1071]

I bought it immediately. It's on the visual level of the sequel in many ways and I got the game for free back then so I would rather support this new release, which is also cheap as hell.

[@firas7229]

I paying this dreamy game over and over again Both zero dawn and forbidden west I got A90j Bravia just to enjoy this gorgeous game And not regret it ever

[@bebe-u6u]

playing it rn and the only weird thing im noticing is how theyre some of there movements feel robotic or how they sound more expresive than what there face is showing

[@meganvincent5381]

The animation update is much needed ngl

[@edwingarcia02151]

I just platinumed this game for the second time and it was worth it for $10!! The visuals and game play were def improved.amazing game to experience again

[@RubenKelevra]

I love how they updated the virtual lighting from CRI 70 to 95. :)

[@Reveal_City]

I feel like the upgrades are way less noticeable in Meridian, unfortunately. Probably because it uses a whole bunch of different assets they would have had to redo completely.

[@americasteam2112]

My only issue with the original version was the npc robotic movements during cutscenes. So glad those scenes were improved and the npcs look way more natural in their movements.

[@gamekicker7655]

Love your videos brother

[@Red_Rebel]

Tomb Raider 2013 got a definitive edition just less than 5 years after release. Nobody complained. HZD was remastered earned and needed. Guerrilla wanted to stay true to the original concept of the game, applying the graphics success of HFW to the original game was much needed and does the game justice. At this point, the problem is not the age of the game, it’s the overreactions to it. To each their own, and I’m glad the game got a remaster. It’s amazing

[@andrejv.2834]

Also guerilla didn't even make the remaster, their focus is on the multiplayer game and part 3 Nixxes made it, and they don't make original games in the first place

[@hydraulikdamian5676]

someone actually saying HZD remaster was needed is wild

[@CRSmaug]

@@andrejv.2834 Everyone's just pissed off cause Sony's remastering a lot of their games with the exception of Bloodborne. I honestly don't give a f for BB since I was never a big fan of that genre. I embraced the remasters Sony gave us for TLOU2, Spider-man or HZD. I also greatly enjoyed the remakes of TLOU1 and Until Dawn. And honestly, I think at one point, a remaster or a remake will come for Bloodborne as well. There's a big demand for it and Sony isn't blind. They're just waiting for the right moment. My guess is they're waiting for PS6 to do a remake similar to Demon's Souls.

[@vectoralphaSec]

Hes right though and a lot of people agree.

[@tobi9383]

defintive editions are not like a remaster, with other price politics. Aside from that, Tomb raider was released march 2013 for PS3/Xbox360. The ps4 release was November 2013. Its bad comparison

[@Sparks123d]

ooh i’ve been looking waiting for this one

[@simseezy]

Aloy's getting knocked down animations look better in the original.

[@ChipHaven_Dan]

One of the best games ever made. Horizon series along with God of War and Last of Us are among the best games of this decade...Completing the podium is also Rdr2 and for my personal nostalgia Ff7 remakes and RE2 remake

[@moon27hall]

I've been waiting on this video. Great vid!

[@miserablebrian]

The spatial sound with headphones on is absolutely incredible!

[@shadowfoam3491]

The audio design sounds more realistic in the remake too, especially when Aloy is walking about and out of battle. The environment seems more open and expansive, similar to the difference between closed and open-backed on-ear headphones. The biggest difference while in battle though is the equalization: the treble sounds like it has been pushed, eliciting sharper-sounding hiss and sizzle sounds

[@tristankordek]

14:30 WOW they really turned up the stereo sound P.S. Why are you playing without a crosshair?

[@imranhossainrohit6990]

Every remaster game should be remastered like this one. Good job to Guerrilla Games.

[@andrejv.2834]

Nixxes did the remaster, not guerilla They also did the pc ports for horizon 1 and 2

[@longjohn526]

@@andrejv.2834 Not true, it was a joint effort.

[@vectoralphaSec]

This is a fantastic remaster.

[@tenelisss]

Playing the remastered version and seeing the og version, I can't comeback

[@Micah__]

Damn dude, would you look at that blade of grass! Thats some high quality grass.

[@Nick930]

Only the best grass 🌿

[@the_bearded_jay]

The choice to remaster this game seems tone deaf to me. Though the one thing Sony did correctly vs the previous re-re-remasters was retroactively charge only $10 if you already owned the game. Still seems like a lot of work for not a lot of payoff. Either way, it's content for you. And you always do a great job with these direct comparison videos. So keep up the good work!

[@Cleverconveyence]

It makes it a lot easier to recommend the first one for me. It was definitely showing its age in a lot of ways. Those original character animations were... Woof

[@pskyvideo]

@Nick930 Did they add bowstring tension when shooting? In the original game, bowstring tension didn’t affect the power of the shot; they only introduced that in the DLC. Is this feature available at the very beginning of the game now? Does the Remastered version utilize the capabilities of the DualSense controller? Is there trigger feedback when drawing the bowstring?

[@Rumline7]

At 1:47, what the hell did they do to Varl's face? His jaw and mouth looks ridiculous in the remaster.

[@RelaxedRefreshed]

Great Review! Purchased because of this video. FYI, the remaster uses your old saves from the original so you do not have to start a new game. I just finished, what a beautiful experience, well worth the steam sale upgrade of $15. Just like the Witcher 3 remaster, I would never have finished this game without the added graphic detail that creates an immersive RPG experience.

[@mantisreturns2757]

1:31 there are less npc in remastered version?

[@Cleverconveyence]

I've noticed more overall

[@Samurai-Is-Real]

Best game ever made. The music in the conclusion gave me chills. One of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard in media history.

[@lopiklop]

There is so much hubris in the idea of remastering. To think THIS, right NOW is the end of the line for graphical improvements. They're just gonna make us buy it again in another 5 years. It's ironic because to the people selling it, it proves that we will keep buying it again, but to the consumer, they think this will be the LAST, the FINAL time you buy it. Like... no dude. They already tricked you. It helps to be a PC player to understand the reason remaster exists: during the PS4 and Xbox One era, they did not even have FULL HD 1080p, and even on top of that there was not a steady framerate. On PC you can change the resolution whenever you want. For console, you have to buy a remaster. It's that simple. They were'nt 1080p, they were like 800p. You know it. I know it, we all know it. Coming up next is 8k, then probably 12k, then 16k.

[@immortalkombat9289]

I NEED MA PEACH FUZZ RENDERING

[@diysai]

When will this be available as an upgrade on steam or epic?

[@jars23]

To be fair, not once was i distracted by the animations of the original. Nor did they seem awkward or clunky. They were varied enough for me, and I've seen clunky and recycled dialogue animations in my time (KOTOR, Mass Effect, Jade Empire).

[@just4dalaughters431]

On the Remaster Aloy’s body goes through the the bush, her body ain’t even touching it

[@savajames3774]

thank god they reworked the cutscene animations, might be able to get further into the game than an hour now. they really didnt gel with me

[@TobeyStarburst]

The Remaster is amazing totally worth it

[@independent2212]

Can you show us your current PC build?

[@Nick930]

Same as last year, i9 13900k and a 4090

[@gamekicker7655]

Can you also compare Spider-Man 2 ps5 with ps5 pro or those games with ps5 pro enhancement

[@YourOwnDa]

(they’re the same picture)

[@MichaelM28]

@@YourOwnDaliterally low end PC vs high end PC

[@sarthakvinchurkar]

The first thing that strikes me about the remake is how flat the character models look in so many of the cinematics due to the new lighting. It feels like that Halo Infinite pre-release issue that they fixed before launch.

[@hypotheticaltapeworm]

I was going to say. The original has wrinkles in the skin that make faces look more realistic. Who cares if Aloy has pores now, you won't see that unless zoomed in. She looks like she's made of rubber now, as do her clothes. You can't even see the burlap.

[@MdIbrahim-yd2sd]

Where's the Call if Duty Black Ops 6 and MW 2019 comparison

[@red9350]

At 8:33 i hear no footsteps in the remake

[@Mushroomtip098]

It would be good to have a Delta Force vs Battlefield comparison.

[@anthonysmurthwaite6258]

Looks decent but completely pointless, of all the games they could remaster they chose a game that has aged very well graphically, why not make a remaster of a game that need it and isn't easily available like a ps2 or ps3 game

[@davidmuller6011]

Those would require a full remake at this point

[@anthonysmurthwaite6258]

@davidmuller6011 not necessarily, a full remake would be ideal but Spongebob BFBB and the Tomb Raider i-iii remasters show that a simple remaster of older games can be good

[@MichaelM28]

@@anthonysmurthwaite6258BFBB Rehydrated is a remake, not remaster.

[@anthonysmurthwaite6258]

@@MichaelM28 I didn't know that, but there clearly wasn't as much work necessary as people would expect from a remake since the remake is solely focused or remaking the game as it was with visuals being the only significant difference

[@chuckgreen41]

No one cares what you think

[@Dontcareidc]

Currently playing the remaster on my ps5 am loving it so far can’t wait to finish it and play forbidden west

[@antoniscroft]

Do i need to have the original standard version for the upgrade or the complete edition ?

[@Nick930]

Any version it looks like. If you bought thr ps4 physical copy, i believe you can just pop the disc in and the price will reflect it as the game should be tied to your psn account. (Maybe you need to boot it up once first too). Haven't tested this myself tho

[@Totone56]

​​@@Nick930Can confirm, any version will work, and if it's a standard version, the upgrade will also unlock the DLC anyway. And yes, popping the disc in is enough, there's a card on the bottom right of the home screen that will link directly to the 10€ upgrade.

[@sosalowang1212]

since i played original zero dawn in ps4 and my previous gaming laptop , i thought it wouldn't be an impact for me , but since im playing the remastered version , it definitely feels more lively, the environment textures , lightning sure looks Better than the original one ,

[@metroplex29]

why didn't you talk about the strange grass pop-in that the remaster suffers from? it's clearly visible in your video, as you move around the environment the grass and bushes seem to change their level of detail at short range.

[@Nick930]

Grass pops in on both versions, much more so in the old version.

[@metroplex29]

​@@Nick930 I still don't understand why they couldn't fix that :/ sometimes the pop-in is quite abrupt

[@ryanbarry830]

They should just use everything they have and remaster killzone 1. That game is JANKY as hell and there are so many opportunities with being able to choose the characters you use the influence level design and change things for the better. That would be amazing

[@2INSNE]

Will this be an automatic graphics update if I already bought the game on PC a while ago ?

[@CaptNemo_]

Will Horizon Forbidden West also get a remastered edition?

[@aliendrone]

Matter of time..

[@zubairhussain7866]

I can't wait for the remaster of the remaster

[@LuiQueue]

1:55 looks like Sean O'Malley

[@doingcomputermalayalam]

lol true

[@spoots1234]

Looks great and I keep watching the vids, but I'd probably still fall asleep playing it like original

[@Hellfalcon666]

I wish the Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver remaster had more love.

[@NephalemOwl]

i know the sequel made the main character look ugly but this remaster somehow made the main character passable but original main character looks are better. never played this game before but im willing to give it a try the remaster on ps5. despite how much hate it got by the masses but i would judge it for myself instead of listening the hate mob.

[@killiantouboul8462]

If we buy the upgrade will we still be able to switch to the original game graphics on the PS5 ? I mean is there a button in the option that allows us to choose wich version we want to play with ? Or if we buy this upgrade there is no way back to the original ? :)

[@AXXTHHYBRD]

There is no button, but the original game is still aviable of you have it already

[@killiantouboul8462]

@ Okay ! So if I buy the upgrade I won't be able to play the game with the 2017 graphics anymore ?

[@AXXTHHYBRD]

@@killiantouboul8462 you’ll have both games. 2017 versión, and the remaster.

[@killiantouboul8462]

Okay ! So I will be able to play both of the games ? How ? I mean will there be 2 Horizon game slots showing on the ps5 menu ? Like one remastered and one not remastered ?

[@killiantouboul8462]

@ Okay ! I thought that buying the uprade would change the graphics of the base game, I didn't understand that it was like buying another copy of this game (with different graphics of course) ! Thank you for your reply !

[@Gmlt3000]

Cmon, everybody want STALKER 2 vs Original Stalker. There is so many updated stuff from original...

[@Nick930]

Lot of stuff im working on. Just moved, have been sick, and only just got a physical copy of stalker in the mail.

[@AnjektusStudio]

​@@Nick930Yes! Health and life happends before ytube-videos. And it comes from somone how are sick himself.

[@MichaelM28]

Nobody but xbox fanboys care about that trash game

[@Gmlt3000]

@@MichaelM28These greatest pc franchise was born earlier then u...

[@YKSaVi]

Waiting for this!!!!

[@longjohn526]

One big difference is you can actually turn off Depth of Field, something you couldn't do in the original. Personally I never use Depth of Field because games look better to me without it and I didn't spend $800 on a GPU to deliver crisp clear graphics just to intentionally blur out 75% of the screen. Depth of Field, Chromatic Aberration and Vignette are all worthless post processing features in my opinion. I just turn them off and gain a few FPS in the process.

[@SixSioux]

Guerrilla Games at the top of their game with these remasters. Great stuff Nick930! Are you going to do a comparison video between Stalker 2 release and "Strider trailer" (2023) and/or E3 2021 trailer? Thanks and keep up the great work!!!

[@estafador262dDelinquentovych]

Possible to switch to fpp while in battle?

[@patricktow4481]

Biggest difference is more transparent NPCs

[@estafador262dDelinquentovych]

Yt also wants to contribute to sound comparison by picking a perfect timing for ads. Not

[@Masterho310]

Because of the pandemic it really feels like the original came out in only 4-5 years ago. Change my mind.

[@abnormalnox]

The game is almost 8 years old

[@shadowfallenable]

The ONLY game that needs full remaster is Division1... Hell just give us the E3 version they lied to us. 😂

[@ALL_that_ENDS]

The fact I didn't receive a notification from YT until 17 mins after posted, pisses me off..

[@DominatorHDX]

Mwa was planning to do a replay of Zero Dawn on PS5 with 60fps anywayz (last time I played was almost 7 1/2 years ago on PS4) and for only 10 euro upgrade price why not. Good time to get through the story again before starting LEGO Horizon Adventures 😃

[@anubrakahn2970]

$10 is a steal for this.

[@alemswazzu]

For Sony, yes.

[@J.F.331]

I just played through the remaster. Definitely superior in every way to the original.

[@m.devellis]

I went from being totally against this to just kind of ok with it. For $10(15 cad for me) if you already own the original and the graphics upgrade being somewhat decent; I might pick this up before I play HZD again which is inevitable because I love the game so much.

[@jase276]

wtf did they do to Varl...

[@Dude_Guyman]

Broke his jaw apparently 😅

[@KatalinUrac]

i feel like the original version already looked great in the first place, but those small details when viewing them closely truly look better, and only expand on an already great game. P.S. Is a re2 remake vs sh2 remake possible. As i see it, there are multiple similarities between the two classics and since re2 was a triple A game, graphically they are pretty much on the same level. Otherwise thanks for this video, wait for more of your content.

[@MTwolf12]

Music? 0:59

[@Nick930]

Main theme to zero dawn

[@MTwolf12]

@Nick930 thank u

[@mattshami1505]

Love the game but the echo sounds of npcs are so annoying

[@squirtle88]

Just like the last of us part one remake, this game did not need a remaster. Going from horizon on PS4 to the PC port is enough of an upgrade. The original game looks SO GOOD on PC already.

[@anssiaatos]

Speak for yourself, looks good to me 🧏

[@ThegreatHera420]

This game didn’t need a remake

[@nizaral-olovy1584]

ngl the remastered is way way better than the og especially the characters animation & lighting 🫠

[@ianwood6438]

If u never owned the original and just bought a ps5 it’s a worthwhile remaster

[@ministrysoldierac56]

... and the spear still disappears.

[@agentsmith3034]

It's looks great! Is ot just a $10 dollar upgrade? I may consider it.

[@anssiaatos]

Contrary to the negative videos and comments I've seen, the upgrade looks very good to me. Perhaps people were upset because it was called a 'remaster' instead of a 'graphical uplift DLC' 🤔 What we're seeing here is definitely remastering.

[@andrejv.2834]

A remaster is supposed to be a visual overhaul, any additional changes would be a remake

[@GrumpyOldGamer9221]

Im enjoying it, never gave the 2017 release a proper chance.

[@madmaster0015]

Its also worth noting that Sony decided to abandon all the people that bought the GOG version of Horizon because they want to force PSN, so I can't get the upgrade.

[@P._diddy_disciple]

One thing i dont like is the jank hasnt been fixed, and ive even expirenced *way* more glicthes than the original, im kinda disappointed

[@WVLF_SPANKY]

I want to play this, but I can’t until they add the left aligned camera option 😑 the dynamic camera movement makes me want to yak.

[@NovaAge]

Remastered? Wasn't this game called modern Crysis when it- "First released in 2017" ...

[@TheCgOrion]

This is tough for me. I actually like the look of the original better, almost half of the time. 😂

[@MichaelM28]

How? The remaster looks objectively better

[@TheCgOrion]

@MichaelM28 I know, and besides Varl's face, the areas that have darker shadows, creating higher contrast, look better to me. Granted it's probably from a lack of any bounce lighting (baked or not). It could be because I played through it three times, and it looks right to me, because of just that.