I used to be prepared for Horizon Forbidden West to be an enormous disappointment on base PS4s. The sport is a technical marvel in so some ways on PS5, and developer Guerilla Video games hadn’t been exhibiting off a ton of last-gen footage. Certainly it might undergo on Sony’s outdated {hardware}. Not so. Whereas a transparent downgrade, the PS4 model of Horizon Forbidden West nonetheless seems to be nice and performs effectively, simply making it one of the crucial beautiful video games on final gen.
Horizon Forbidden West’s sun-soaked open world is filled with stuff: mud, foliage, rocks, rivers, mountains, waterfalls, large robotic animals. Every bit is extremely detailed with gentle bouncing off it to create the impact of a hyper-realistic day dream that shimmers as you progress via it.
All of those results are dialed again on the PS4 model of the sport, however what appears like a step down from the PS5 model nonetheless appears like a meaty improve from the unique Horizon Zero Daybreak. Whereas not surprising—-the first recreation got here out 5 years in the past—it’s a reduction when one thing like Cyberpunk 2077 reminds you of how badly issues might have turned out.
Listed below are some extra variations with the PS4 model:
- Cutscenes aren’t as clean and the graphical shift between them and the common recreation is extra jarring
- Foliage is much less detailed and a few of it’s eliminated.
- Tall grass and bushes are stiffer and extra jagged.
- Characters and different objects are much less sharply outlined and detailed, particularly whereas in movement.
- There’s extra pop-in, particularly when new scenes and areas are first loading.
- There are load instances and so they’re dangerous
- It’s powerful enjoying at 30 fps!
By far the largest distinction is that Horizon Forbidden West doesn’t have a 60 fps possibility on PS4. When you haven’t been enjoying video games on PS5, Xbox Sequence X/S, or PC, this isn’t a brand new factor and it received’t really feel bizarre, however after spending all the final console cycle not caring in any respect about framerates, it’s laborious going again. That stated, the 30 fps on PS4 is fairly secure and quarter-hour right into a play session, it was bothering me as a lot.
Even on PS5, there’s some debate about whether or not Horizon is a collection finest loved in 60 fps efficiency mode or in 4K. As a third-person motion recreation with a ton of fight the place timing could be key, the upper framerate appears like a no brainer to me. As Digital Foundry factors out over on Eurogamer although, there’s a case for Forbidden West being the primary PS5 recreation that’s price enjoying primarily in decision mode. Each view is filled with dozens of little visible particulars and prospers which can be preserved at greater decision at their sharpest. Thankfully, you’re not locked into one or the opposite. As in different video games you possibly can toggle forwards and backwards at will.
That’s not an possibility on PS4, clearly, however that model of the sport does an amazing job general of creating the enhancements on PS5 appear to be bonus perks slightly than the baseline. So in case you’re anxious about whether or not it is best to wait to play Horizon Forbidden West on PS5, don’t be. Along with working simply high-quality on PS4, it’s additionally cheaper there ($60 as an alternative of $70) with a free improve to the PS5 model. Your save knowledge will switch over as effectively, if and when you possibly can ultimately handle to get your arms on an precise PS5.