Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will feature many more NPCs.

More details have been revealed about the significant improvements that Guerrilla Games and Nixxes have implemented in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. A new article on the PlayStation blog highlights how the teams have worked to bring more life to the game world. Brian van Nunen, senior technical designer at Nixxes, explained that one of the main innovations was the incorporation of a greater number of NPCs in towns, cities, and outposts, thanks to the enhanced power of the PlayStation 5.

The increased memory available on the new console allowed for a substantial increase in the number of non-playable characters. Van Nunen added that more locations were created for NPCs to inhabit, sit, or work, and their routines were also diversified to make their movements more realistic. He mentioned, “We designed the game for PS5, which allowed us to take advantage of the expanded memory, increasing the number of non-playable characters. We created many more places for NPCs to interact, and we've improved their schedules to increase activity and dynamism in various areas. We also creatively utilized existing animations.”

One aspect that distinguished the transition from the original game to its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, was the developers' ability to effectively utilize PS5 features, generating a more active experience in urban environments where characters moved freely, making it more challenging for Aloy to navigate. Details in this regard are crucial for open-world games, setting Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered to compete in this aspect.

To make the NPCs even more realistic, adjustments were made to skin tones, hair quality, and clothing, replicating the standards of Forbidden West. This also applies to Aloy, who received detailed treatment in her appearance.

Additionally, Mark Bazelmans, senior technical artist at Nixxes, provided insight into the transition of dialogues and motion capture. Guerrilla recorded over 10 hours of new motion capture, resulting in approximately 2,500 files that Nixxes had to process. Bazelmans mentioned that they developed a Python tool to manage these files and refresh the originals. “Our tool referenced the characters and imported the dialogue audio, allowing animators to better coordinate movements and create cuts and camera compositions,” he explained.

Animator Alexander Georgiev pointed out that one of the challenges was adjusting heights and proportions concerning the environment, for which automated scripts were created to resolve shoulder and arm overlap issues. Thanks to these tools, animators could focus more on enhancing character performances and better conveying their messages.

The article includes anecdotes about how Nixxes improved elements of the environment, textures, vegetation, lighting, and terrain, making it an interesting read for those seeking more information on this development. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered was announced earlier this year during the September 2024 State of Play and is expected to release on PS5 and PC on October 31.