The Infinity Engine is a game engine which allows the creation of isometric role-playing video games. It was originally developed by BioWare for a prototype real-time strategy game codenamed Battleground Infinity, which was ultimately re-engineered to become 1998's Baldur's Gate. BioWare utilized it again in several subsequent installments of the series and also licensed the engine to Interplay's Black Isle Studios to create Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment. The engine would serve as the cancelled Battleground Infinity's namesake.[1]
| Infinity Engine | |
|---|---|
 Screenshot of Planescape: Torment demonstrating the user interface and 2D isometric graphics representative of games utilizing the Infinity Engine | |
| Developer(s) | BioWare |
| Initial release | 1998 |
| Written in | C++ |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X, AmigaOS 4, GNU/Linux |
| Type | Game engine |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | http://www.bioware.com https://gemrb.org/ (open-source version) |
As of 2005 the engine has been open-source and referred to as "GemRB," which is a multi-platform implementation of the engine.[2]
History
The Infinity Engine was conceived by BioWare as the foundation for the real-time strategy game, then-titled Battleground Infinity, which eventually evolved into the first Baldur's Gate, a CRPG.[3]
The graphical engine uses an API implemented in OpenGL,[3] and was specifically designed for computer role-playing games. It relies on isometric, pre-rendered 2D graphics, with both PCs and NPCs represented by sprites.[3][4]
In December 2002, following the release of Baldur's Gate II, Ray Muzyka announced a high-resolution patch for BioWare's games that enabled the Infinity Engine to support resolutions higher than 800×600 pixels.[5] The last original computer game to use the Infinity Engine was Icewind Dale II, released in 2002.[6] The engine would be re-used in 2012's Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and 2014's Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition as well as for an expansion for the former, 2016's Siege of Dragonspear.[7]
The Aurora Engine is regarded as the spiritual successor to the Infinity Engine. BioWare would use it to create Neverwinter Nights (2002) and its expansions.[8][9] The Polish studio CD Projekt Red also employed the Aurora Engine to develop The Witcher, the 2007 video game adaptation of the Polish fantasy novel series by Andrzej Sapkowski, although the rendering module was rewritten from scratch.[10]
List of games using Infinity Engine
The following games and expansions are powered by the Infinity Engine:
- Baldur's Gate (1998)
- Planescape: Torment (1999)
- Icewind Dale (2000)
- Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
- Icewind Dale II (2002)
- Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition (2012)
- Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (2013)
- Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition (2014)
See also
References
- ^ BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development. United States: Dark Horse Comics. 2020. p. 27. ISBN 9781506718804. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025.
Baldur's Gate was the first game re-leased using BioWare's Infinity engine, named for Baldur's Gate's predecessor: the unreleased Battleground: Infinity. BioWare also used the Infinity engine for Baldur's Gate II... and... licensed it for other isometric Western RPG classics.
- ^ "gemrb/gemrb". GitHub. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ a b c "Infinity Engine". Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "Infinity Engine". Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "Bioware, una patch alta risoluzione per i suoi RPG". multiplayer.it (in Italian). 2002-12-13. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Greg Kasavin (2002-09-06). "Icewind Dale II Review". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Brett Todd (2016-04-14). "Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Review". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ "Aurora Engine". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
The spiritual successor to the Infinity Engine. This 3D engine made its appearance in the Neverwinter Nights series, and provided a toolset along with multiplayer where players could be Dungeon Masters and make their own stories and play them out with friends.
- ^ Shields, Jo (27 August 2002). "The new night". HEXUS.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
- ^ Bayer, Thilo; Reuther, Philipp (2022-10-27). "15 Jahre The Witcher 1: CD Projekt Reds erster Streich im Retro-Rückblick [Hinweis]". PC Games Hardware (in German). Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
External links
- BioWare official website
- Infinity Engine Structures Description Project
- Infinity Engine full games list
- Infinity Engine clone GemRB