Why Horizon Forbidden West Doesn’t Have to Hurry To a Remaster Like TLOU2

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 4, 2025 8 Views 8 Min Read
Why Horizon Forbidden West Doesn't Have to Hurry To a Remaster Like TLOU2



PlayStation seems to be on a trend of remastering some of its latest, most popular titles in recent years, such as games from the Horizon and The Last of Us franchises. In January 2024, Naughty Dog released a remastered version of The Last of Us Part 2 featuring DualSense wireless controller integration, PS5 visual enhancements, Lost Levels, and the No Return roguelike survival mode, less than four years after the original’s release. Similarly, in October 2024, Guerrilla Games released a remastered version of Horizon Zero Dawn featuring re-recorded dialogue, the Frozen Wilds DLC, upgraded character models, and improved visuals for the PS5, only seven years after the original’s release. While these original games are widely celebrated, Guerrilla should hold off on making a Horizon Forbidden West Remastered for a bit.

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An Argument to Hold Off on A Horizon Forbidden West Remaster

When The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered was first announced in November 2023, many gamers were perplexed by this reveal as Part 2 was only three years old at the time, and thanks to the PS5’s backwards compatibility, Part 2 fans could continue to play the game on the latest console. Many players saw the remaster as unnecessary due to how young The Last of Us Part 2 was compared to other, older PlayStation exclusives that were more in need of an upgrade, such as Bloodborne. However, Naughty Dog has been known for remastering games early before, as it released The Last of Us Remastered for PS4 just one year after the original’s debut on the PS3.

Likewise, when Guerrilla first announced in September 2024 that Horizon Zero Dawn was going to be remastered, many players thought the remaster was too soon, since Zero Dawn was just over seven years old and the complete edition still played well on the PS5. While several fans appreciated Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered’s goal of matching Forbidden West’s visual and gameplay fidelity, others thought a remaster or remake of the game should have been pushed back a few years. Guerrilla could have instead used Remastered resources to help develop some of its rumored upcoming Horizon games, such as the Horizon multiplayer game, the rumored NCSoft MMO, or the inevitable Horizon 3.

Why A Modern Horizon Forbidden West Remaster Would Be Too Soon

By February 2025, Horizon Forbidden West will have turned three years old after its initial 2022 debut on both PS4 and PS5. Similarly, by October 2025, Forbidden West’s Complete Edition will have turned only two years old with the game’s PC release turning one year old this upcoming March. Additionally, in December 2024, Guerrilla announced that Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition will receive enhanced features for the PS5 Pro console, including a stable field of depth, cleaner volumetrics, and improved rendering for both NPCs and the environment. All of these factors make a Horizon Forbidden West Remastered release for 2025 or even 2026 far too soon because the game has repeatedly received updates consistently since it first released in 2022.

Predicting a Release Window for Horizon Forbidden West Remastered

While a Horizon Forbidden West Remastered isn’t exactly necessary right now, Guerrilla can still release a remaster of the second Horizon title sometime in the future. Based on Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered’s release, Guerrilla may debut a remaster of Forbidden West in 2029, seven years after Forbidden West initially came out. By then, the PS5 may be coming to the end of its life cycle, so Horizon Forbidden West Remastered could be an early game for the eventual PlayStation 6. It could additionally release on both the PS5 and PS6 similar to Forbidden West‘s original release on PS4 and PS5 to ensure that all PlayStation fans can play this new iteration of a classic.

However, given the confusion of many fans regarding the release of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, it may be better for Guerrilla to release Horizon Forbidden West Remastered for its 10th anniversary in 2032. For most gamers, it’s generally acceptable for games to receive remasters of some form by or following their 10th anniversary, such as the release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary in 2011 and Halo 2 Anniversary in 2014. By 2032, the expected Horizon trilogy will likely have concluded Aloy’s story in Horizon 3, generating nostalgia for Forbidden West’s adventure. Delaying Horizon Forbidden West’s remaster to the late 2020’s or early 2030’s could make its release more acceptable than Zero Dawn’s remaster and help make its improvements more distinguishable.

Guerrilla Games has released five Horizon games so far, including Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, Horizon Forbidden West in 2022, Horizon Call of the Mountain in 2023, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and LEGO Horizon Adventures in 2024.

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