As I embarked on my journey through Horizon Zero Dawn, I was captivated by the breathtaking visuals that unfolded before me. The vibrant red grass danced gently in the wind, and the moonlight shimmered off the formidable machines that roamed the landscape, immersing me fully in the world of Aloy. Similarly, Death Stranding left a lasting impression with its striking imagery, from the hauntingly beautiful mountains of its initial setting to the vast, desolate expanses of On the Beach in its sequel. It’s no coincidence that both of these visually stunning experiences were crafted using Guerrilla Games’ Decima engine, which has been in development for over 13 years.
Innovative Technology Behind the Scenes
In a recent conversation with Automaton, Akio Sakamoto, CTO of Kojima Productions, shared insights into the capabilities of the Decima engine. “It offered many of the capabilities needed to build an open-world game,” he noted. While some features may not be as user-friendly as those found in more commercial engines, the standout runtime rendering analysis tools have proven invaluable.
Sakamoto also highlighted the collaborative nature of the relationship between Kojima Productions and Guerrilla Games, particularly in the development of titles like Horizon Forbidden West. This partnership has yielded mutual benefits, showcasing the potential of bespoke software in an industry increasingly leaning towards widely adopted engines like Unreal.
As studios such as CD Projekt Red pivot to Unreal Engine, it’s refreshing to witness the effective utilization of a custom-built engine like Decima. Sakamoto emphasized the longevity of their commitment to this technology, stating, “It has now been nearly ten years since we began using the engine. While no engine is the best choice in every scenario, Decima enables us to accomplish many things that would be difficult to achieve elsewhere.”
