A current-gen remaster of 2017’s Horizon: Zero Dawn has been rumoured for several years, but based on new information it looks like it won’t be a rumour for much longer.
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) has just rated Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered on its website, listing the new game for both PS5 and PC. It got a T for Teen, in case you were wondering, the exact same rating that the original game was given.
A listing on the ESRB does not just happen by accident nor can it be randomly made up, as a game has to be submitted and then actually gone through by the ratings board so they can assign it a recommended age rating. A game can be presented for rating months before it ever releases though. Still, I’d imagine we’ll see it before the end of the year, which is presumably why they removed Horizon: Zero Dawn from PlayStation Plus Extra.
The online reaction to a remaster hasn’t changed much since rumours first appeared, with the general consensus amounting to, “yeah, but why?” It’s an understandable reaction: Zero Dawn is just 7 years old and still looks absolutely stunning. It also got a PS5 upgrade that lets it run at 60FPS, making a full-blown remaster even less appealing.
For Sony, though, the math is probably quite simple. Horizon: Zero Dawn has sold a staggering 23.4 million units according to Sony. The Last of Us Part 2 Remaster also sold quite well, showing that people are willing to pay for an upgraded version of a relatively new title.
What do you guys thing? Are you excited by the idea of experiencing Aloy’s first adventure again, with all the current-gen bells and whistles? And can we expect some sort of upgrade scheme (like what was just announced for the Darksiders 2 remaster?) or will Sony expect us to pay full-price?