The Decima Engine Is a Next-Gen Graphics Beast – Here’s Why

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In recent years, Guerrilla Games has become one of the gaming community’s most admired names, offering players numerous unforgettable experiences through their renowned series like Killzone and Horizon. Though their developers and writers have garnered much acclaim for their exceptional work, a significant aspect of Guerilla’s success often operates behind the curtains, seamlessly providing the power that fuels the captivating worlds depicted in their games with quiet efficiency and an adaptable skillset as diverse as the heroes portrayed within those titles.

We’re referring to the Decima Engine, indeed. This engine was specifically created by Guerilla and plays a crucial role in their popular video games. Notably, it powered ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ and its follow-up ‘Horizon Forbidden West’. Being developed in-house, it has proven adaptable across multiple generations of hardware, continuously adapting to the advancements each generation introduced.

In a realm where Unreal Engine and Unity remain prominent topics, why is Decima often overshadowed, given its impressive performance in that sphere?

Or:
Despite Unreal Engine and Unity being widely discussed, why should the outstanding work done by Decima be pushed aside to the sidelines?

In essence, this platform has provided an opportunity for both Guerrilla and Kojima Productions to innovate significantly across multiple aspects such as graphic quality, immersive large-scale environments, and enhanced gameplay performance.

It’s time to give Decima the spotlight it deserves.

A Performative Powerhouse

Decima initially appeared in 2013, playing a significant role in the sixth edition of the Killzone series titled Killzone Shadow Fall. This game marked the introduction of the title on the freshly released PlayStation 4 platform. As a first-person shooter, it garnered quite a bit of success, even though it only partially leveraged the capabilities of the new console due to Sony delaying the unveiling of its improved RAM and graphic abilities until the launch of the console itself.

The efforts made by Guerrilla to revitalize the franchise proved successful, largely due to a specific iteration of Decima, which came to be known as “the engine.” Notably, the studio chose to keep the capabilities of this engine private and undisclosed to the public.

Rush of Blood”. Due to Sony Interactive Entertainment owning Guerilla Games and publishing “Until Dawn”, the Decima Engine started gaining recognition within the gaming community.

The remarkable capabilities of this engine managed to impress Hideo Kojima, leading him to select the Decima Engine for his independent project, Death Stranding by Kojima Productions. To demonstrate its potential in realistic detailing and lighting effects, Kojima even recreated his own office space within the game as evidence of its superiority. Impressive indeed!

At the given point, Death Stranding wasn’t quite ready for its grand debut yet. On the other hand, Horizon Zero Dawn, launched in 2017, truly shone as a testament to Guerilla Games’ prowess. This masterpiece, powered by the Decima Engine, presented a one-of-a-kind gaming adventure that might have been challenging for competitors to replicate. It was an impressive demonstration of everything Guerilla promised in their 2016 PlayStation Experience presentation – from sophisticated AI and logic tools to stunning 4K visuals, HDR imaging, and realistic physics.

At this point, the name “Decima” officially emerged, serving as a recognition of Kojima’s significant part in highlighting the engine, as well as Guerrilla Games’ Dutch heritage.

In the follow-up to Zero Dawn, titled Forbidden West, Decima has significantly increased its impact. This is particularly noticeable in the PS5 edition of the game, where it showcases enhanced terrain rendering, a visually stunning and fluid underwater environment, and cinematic scenes that leave you breathless.

In the first-person perspective, I can’t help but marvel at how the remarkable skills showcased in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach have been refined even further by Kojima. This masterpiece enables him to truly manifest his vision of delving into life’s profound mysteries and enduring impact through Sam Porter’s extraordinary journey across Australia and Mexico. It’s Decima, a lesser-known yet crucial element, that has breathed life into some of the most memorable gaming experiences in recent times, contributing significantly to their widespread acclaim.

But how – and why – is it better than the best? That’s quite easy to answer.

Bringing Milestones to Life

Through their collaboration, Guerilla and Kojima Productions have largely attributed the Decima Engine as a significant contributor to the success of Horizon Zero Dawn on PS4. This powerful engine brought an authentic layer of realism to Aloy’s journey in the game, mirroring her world-weary perspective within the post-apocalyptic setting.

As I navigated through each machine, I found myself in awe of their intricate details, reminiscent of the Cauldrons I’ve delved into to uncover their secrets. The vibrancy of the Nora and Carja villages, cities, and fields was a spectacle that no other game could compare to. Yet, Decima offered more than just visual appeal. These machines, with their deadly efficiency, showcased the engine’s true worth in a way that left no room for doubt.

In every jump, swift evasion, and retaliatory move, players have been captivated since then, with the gameplay remaining thrilling to this day. Meanwhile, the soft winds and confined environments felt remarkably lifelike in players’ control. It was evident that Decima was capable of delivering stunning visuals and exceptional graphical performance seamlessly, creating a harmonious gaming experience overall.

The quality of “Forbidden West” significantly enhanced as it incorporated a broader, more elaborate open world, advanced lighting effects, weather conditions, and terrain ideal for showcasing the PS5’s extended draw distance. The game ran seamlessly on its Performance Mode, enhancing the overall experience with an upgraded melee combat system. Additionally, soaring through the game in later stages offered a stunning visual and graphical extravaganza that no other contemporary Sony platform title could come close to matching or replicate at the time.

The development of Decima’s features can be seen in both ‘Death Stranding’ and ‘On the Beach’. Sam’s journeys were significantly enhanced by Decima’s knack for imbuing a hauntingly realistic touch to a world wrecked by the Death Stranding, allowing Kojima to seamlessly integrate his thematic investigations into the game’s settings.

In simple terms, Norman Reedus’ outstanding acting skills, combined with the rest of the highly skilled cast, significantly enhanced Decima’s prominent game titles. Their performances were skillfully brought to life, adding depth and realism that significantly improved the gaming experience for players. This made both Strand titles from Kojima stand out, enhancing their quality and making them more appealing to those who chose to explore their dangerous worlds.

The latest unveiling from “On the Beach” undoubtedly represents the pinnacle of Kojima and Guerilla’s work over the years with Decima, offering a breathtaking cinematic experience through skillful application of skin shaders, fluid simulations, and lighting effects that breathe life into its portrayal of Mexico and Australia for players to explore.

One shared characteristic among these four remarkable games is the way Decima has contributed to making their virtual environments feel like distinct characters, reacting dynamically to player actions in a manner that other engines have approximated but not fully achieved, striving to elevate the visual and graphical quality of the games they power with unprecedented levels of detail.

Will Decima be able to consistently outperform its competitors or maintain its position against them in a future where the quality of gaming experiences is expected to significantly improve?

Standing Out From the Crowd

Examining the performance of Decima’s major competitors over the last while could provide some insight into the response to your question.

Comparing Guerilla’s work with Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) highlights a significant difference. The partnership between Guerilla and Kojima promises to contribute significantly, enabling the studio to ensure their creation remains relevant for the anticipated launch of the PS6. Although UE5 offers numerous appealing aspects, its performance instability is a concern that pales in comparison to Decima’s consistent delivery every time it powers a game.

The RE Engine is another strong candidate, responsible for some of the studio’s top-tier projects, including currently, Monster Hunter Wilds. Although the environments it offers are similar in quality to those presented by Decima, there was room for improvement in Capcom’s transition from PS4 to PS5.

Guerilla may wish to carefully observe any new releases from RE Engine in the upcoming years, as they prepare to launch the third instalment of their Horizon series. The studio is likely to utilize the knowledge gained from creating Death Stranding and its sequel, enhancing a new generation of games that will likely offer Decima even more refinements and capabilities.

As a gamer, I can confidently say that Decima stands alone at the pinnacle of video game engines right now. While other engines are trying hard to catch up, Decima sets itself apart by effortlessly combining distinctive visual styles with cutting-edge graphics and technical prowess. This allows skilled developers to weave experiences that not only impress critics but also resonate deeply with players, ensuring both critical and commercial triumphs.

In the future, it remains to be seen if this trend persists, but Guerilla is confidently preparing to deliver top-notch content and keep its audience captivated. Moreover, we can only imagine what masterpiece Hideo Kojima will unveil in his upcoming project.

An intriguing period awaits Decima and the games it supports. Without a doubt, this challenge will be met by the unsung hero of contemporary gaming.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

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2025-07-11 16:45