INFINITY'S END

Retailer 'advice' put an end to games like BALDUR'S GATE

- Hope Corrigan

Classic RPGs make up some of the most formative examples of late '90s to early 2000s PC gaming in my memory, but I also remember when they weirdly disappeared. If you loved games like the original Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, or Planescape, and also wondered why we stopped seeing these kinds of titles for a bit there, it turns out you can blame physical retailers for the decline in Dungeons & Dragons-style PC RPGs.

The Infinity Engine was used to power isometric roleplaying games such as the ones above. It allowed game devs to take many of the sentiments and mechanics used in D&D and translate them to videogame experiences. It helped a lot of people to have these kinds of adventures for the first time, especially when good Dungeon Masters are always so hard to find.