Companies are always looking to create their own intellectual properties, something that hits big with fans, and which said companies can then turn into a cash cow. For Sony and PlayStation, one of their most successful IPs has been the Horizon franchise.
Horizon Zero Dawn, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, was released in 2017 for the PS4. It became an instant hit. The game introduced the character of Aloy, a young hunter in a world overrun by machines. That first game focused on Aloy learning the secrets of her past; it was followed up in 2022 by Horizon Forbidden West, another hit.
Now in 2024, and just in time for the holidays, there are two new Horizon titles to choose from. If you’ve got a gamer in your life, they’re both solid choices.
The first is Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for the PlayStation 5 and PC. Here are just some of the details of this new version, courtesy of the PlayStation blog:
The captivating story and awe-inspiring post-apocalyptic world returns alongside a host of technological improvements, visual enhancements, and upgraded features. It also includes The Frozen Wilds content, a vast expansion featuring additional lands, skills, weapons, and machines. Take a look at the announcement trailer below.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered features over 10 hours of re-recorded conversation, mocap and countless graphical improvements that bring the game to the same visual fidelity as its critically acclaimed sequel Horizon Forbidden West. The game’s lush world includes frozen mountains, dense jungles, and arid deserts with stunning new visuals and 4K graphics and traveling between settlements is now lightning-fast.
There are a lot more upgrades to the game to read about; what I can tell you is, having returned to the world of Horizon on the PS5, this is a definite must-play for newcomers to the title. I was suitably impressed with just how gorgeous the game looks remastered. It highlights everything that makes the PS5 such a powerful console. If the gamer in your life hasn’t played Horizon Zero Dawn, they’re going to love diving in with the remastered version.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is available for PlayStation 5 and PC.
While you’ve got to have a PS5 (or PC) to play Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, if the gamer you’re shopping for has another console, they can still experience the world of Horizon; though, with a little more humour and little less “wow, how about these graphics!” with LEGO Horizon Adventures.
Here’s the log line:
Explore the much-loved world of Horizon and come face-to-face with the game’s awe-inspiring machines – all faithfully recreated in LEGO bricks.Â
Experience thrilling online and couch co-op action with friends and family.
Enjoy an exciting mix of action, exploration, customization and laugh-out-loud LEGO humour.Â
Engage in explosive combat with spectacular weapons, power-ups, and gadgets.Â
I can’t imagine there are any gamers out there who haven’t played a LEGO video game at this point. With their titles, you really do know what you’re going to get – lots of smashing bricks, a fair amount of good humour, and games that are pretty easy to pick up and play. Though the idea of the world of Horizon lending itself to LEGO may have been hard to fathom, it definitely works, thanks in no small part to the excellent and often hilarious voice work of Horizon OG voice actors Ashly Burch as Aloy and JB Blanc as Rost.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is available for PlayStation, PC, and, in a first (I believe for a Sony IP), Nintendo Switch.
