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Usually, yes—but it is an optional replay, not an essential repurchase. The PS4 release rebuilds the game’s presentation and adds Photo Mode and quality-of-life updates while preserving the story and core adventure. If you already have a playable PS2 or PS3 version and prefer its older atmosphere, keeping it is a perfectly good choice.
Is the PS4 release a remake or a remaster?
It is a ground-up remake, not simply the PS3 HD remaster moved to a newer console. The PS3 edition was the 2011 HD remaster; Bluepoint Games described its PS4 work as a remake because the jump from PS2 to PS4 called for more than re-releasing the PS3 version. In a PlayStation.Blog account of the project, Bluepoint president Marco Thrush said the team aimed to give the game a new presentation while doing justice to the original.
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That distinction matters to returning players: the PS4 version changes how the Forbidden Lands look and feel, but it does not replace the original adventure with a new campaign.
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A substantially rebuilt visual presentation
The most noticeable difference is visual. The scenery, characters, colossi, lighting and fur detail were rebuilt, making the world feel richer and often more legible. That is a major reason to revisit the game if you want to see its landscapes and creatures in a modern presentation.
More detail is not automatically better for every returning player. One 2018 Meristation review argued that the richer presentation can soften some of the dreamlike quality associated with the less-detailed original. That is an aesthetic judgment, not a universal drawback: the right choice depends on which version’s atmosphere you prefer.
The same story and essential adventure
The remake keeps the original’s story and core design. Wander’s deliberately heavy movement remains part of the experience, rather than being changed into a more conventional action-game control scheme. Bluepoint’s technical director Peter Dalton described the approach as staying true to and respecting the original team’s design decisions in a 2019 GDC presentation.
If what you want is a new campaign, substantially different fights or a redesigned adventure, the PS4 edition is not that. Game Informer’s 2018 review characterized the additions as limited and the core adventure as intact.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsPhoto Mode and convenience updates
The PS4 release adds a full Photo Mode, a more contemporary default button layout, D-pad quick selection for items, clearer stamina-bar progression, a smaller interface footprint and gameplay statistics. It also includes a mirrored mode unlocked after finishing the game. These extras make the remake a more appealing replay, especially if you enjoy photographing its environments or want a more modern-feeling interface, but they do not amount to a new game.
Rank #3
- Action-Packed Battles - Players will switch between using melee and ranged attacks in battle against hordes of enemies and challenging bosses across a variety of open field maps.
- Beautifully Desolate Open-World - The game seamlessly joins together hauntingly beautiful vistas and locations with no area loading.
- Masterfully Crafted Story and Characters - NieR: Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their ferocious battle to reclaim a machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful weapons known as machine lifeforms.
- Elements of an RPG - Players will obtain a variety of weapon types, level up in battle, learn new combat skills, and customise a loadout that caters to their playstyle.
- Utilise the Pod Support System to Assist In and Outside of Battle - Pods can attack the enemy in both manual and lock-on modes.
How does performance differ by PS4 model?
On PS4 Pro, Sony described two options: Cinematic mode emphasizes image quality and targets dynamic 4K at 30 frames per second on compatible 4K HDR displays; Performance mode targets 60 frames per second. Those are Sony’s stated targets, not a guarantee that every moment stays at those figures. Game Informer reported standard PS4 play at 30 fps and described the Pro choices as 4K/30 and 60 fps.
Choose on PS4 Pro according to what you value more: image quality at a 30 fps target or the smoother motion of a 60 fps target. Neither is an across-the-board best setting. The PS4 edition launched on February 6, 2018, and the US PlayStation Store listing identifies it as a PS4 game playable on PS5 subject to system software; some PS4 features may be absent on PS5.
Rank #4
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Who should play the PS4 remake?
- Play it if you want to see the Forbidden Lands and colossi rebuilt, use Photo Mode, or revisit the game with updated controls and small usability improvements.
- Stick with your existing copy if it is playable, you mainly want the same story and fights, or you prefer the older version’s visual atmosphere.
- On PS4 Pro, choose your priority: image quality at Sony’s 30 fps target or performance at its 60 fps target.
- If you want new story content or a substantially changed adventure, the remake is unlikely to satisfy that particular reason to buy it.
Game Informer reviewer Kyle Hilliard concluded that the PS4 version was worth seeking out for fans and newcomers, while noting it did not improve on the original or 2011 HD remaster in every way. That captures the returning-owner decision well: the remake is a compelling way to experience a classic again, but owning it is not necessary to get the essential adventure.
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