I'm glad you brought that up. HFW got a few tweeks but not enough to make it look a generation ahead of the PC version running at MAX settings and native 4k. They got a local light rig on the main character but the lighting in the game didn't change. They adopted the advanced form of AO on the PC version on the new HFW version. Better animation (key frames) and a new water shader to cover the underwater FX. This wasn't apart of the first HZD because there wasn't underwater gameplay.
I didn't say it looked a generation ahead, I always said it looked better than PC maxed out. And it does, regardless of what tech is being showcased. It looks substantially improved.
So some things people will automatically think is a drastic engine change when all it is really is a change in assets and shaders.
And it still looks better.
It's not going to be like Metro last light with no RT and then full RT comparison. Those are night and day impacts to the graphics engine itself.
It doesn't need to be.