Horizon Forbidden West will run on an updated version of Guerrilla Games’ Decima engine that uses the PlayStation 5 to push the engine to new heights. Originally developed for Killzone Shadow Fall back in 2013, new versions of the Decima engine were used in games like Until Dawn, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Death Stranding.

A sequel to the PS4 hit Horizon Zero Dawn seemed inevitable as soon as the first game launched to critical acclaim in 2017, but it took until a recent PS5 gameplay reveal event for the followup to be formally announced. While its announcement didn’t come as much of a surprise, the trailer still stunned fans with its gorgeous visuals and teased updates to the gameplay of the original. Guerrilla Games also revealed that players won’t have to wait long to take the next-gen version of Aloy on her next adventure, giving Horizon Forbidden West a 2021 release date.

When the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn lands on the PS5, it will benefit from both the console’s upgraded hardware and a new game engine running behind the scenes. In a breakdown of the recently debuted Horizon Forbidden West reveal trailer, Eurogamer takes a look at some ways that the new Decima engine is already showing improvements over the version that powered Horizon Zero Dawn. One big difference seems to be that the Decima engine can render detail farther from the camera than previous iterations. Shadows and foliage can maintain detail deep into the background, making the world seem that much more lush and realistic. Clouds and water effects will also get an update, which could make a huge difference in how the final game looks considering that it will take players to the Pacific Ocean and that huge storms look like they’ll play a major role in the game.


As Eurogamer points out, the Decima engine has already evolved since Horizon Zero Dawn’s release. It was used to power Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding, which featured visual improvements over Horizon Zero Dawn. With both of those games now coming to PC in the near future, the Decima engine underwent another evolution to work on hardware more powerful than the console where they were originally released. Once the PC ports of Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn are out, players will have a much better idea of what could be possible for Horizon Forbidden West.

There’s still a while to go before Horizon Forbidden West is finished, so the game’s first trailer may not be entirely indicative of its quality, and of course pre-rendered trailers aren’t the same as gameplay. Still, the Decima engine has pulled off incredible feats before and its PS5 iteration may have more in store.

Horizon Forbidden West will be available on PlayStation 5 in 2021.