The Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores DLC weighs double the size of Zero Dawn’s Frozen Wilds DLC from 2017.
We’re talking about file size here (via @PlayStation Game Size on Twitter), and this doesn’t necessarily say anything about the actual size of the DLC compared to the Frozen Wilds expansion. The Burning Shores expansion weighs in at roughly 16.7GB, while the Frozen Wilds DLC clocked in at roughly 8.4-9GB. Also, comparing files between different platforms is somewhat tricky due to compression techniques. For reference, Horizon Zero Dawn on PlayStation 4 requires around 100GB of free space, whereas Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 5 required ‘only’ 96GB.
According to PlayStation Game Size, the above-mentioned file size for the Burning Shores expansion is for the European version. In Japan, the DLC clocks in somewhat smaller at 14.9GB, whereas the US version is expected to weigh in at 15GB.
16.7 GB For EU
JP : 14.921 GBUS Should be around 15 GB
— PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) April 16, 2023
The Burning Shores DLC, the first expansion for Horizon: Forbidden West, was officially announced during The Game Awards 2022 late last year. The expansion brings Aloy to the Ruins of Los Angeles later this week on April 19. As revealed by Sony and Guerrilla Games last month, the PS5-exclusive DLC will offer bigger enemy battles, more complex cities, and more (as well as higher resolution and framerates).
“Another notable [PS5-pushing feature] is a particular battle scene that requires a LOT of memory and processing power! “, Horizon Forbidden West director Mathijs de Jonge said last month. “To achieve this grand vision both technically and creatively, we definitely were thankful for the many advantages that the PS5 hardware brings.”
Horizon Forbidden West was released for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 back in February of last year. We reviewed the game upon launch, and we’re impressed by its great storyline, huge world, impressive visuals on PlayStation 5, improved traversal, and deeper combat.
“The latter activity highlights what is, in my opinion, one of the most significant improvements in Horizon Forbidden West: the puzzles”, Alessio Palumbo wrote in his review. “Oftentimes, you’ll really have to scratch your head to understand how to get into the next room. The same applies to other points of interest, such as Sunken Caverns (though you’ll need to get the diving mask to explore most of those) and other mini-dungeons scattered throughout the whole map. Puzzles in Horizon Forbidden West are nearly on the same level as the most recent Tomb Raider games, which is saying something as they were always a trademark feature of that franchise.”
