XnGine is a 3-D graphics engine that was developed by Bethesda in the 1990's. It incorporated technology advances that made games more realistic. The engine featured quicker action, unrestricted viewing angles and freedom of movement. Its proprietary technology integrates 360-degree rotation with fully textured polygons, SVGA/VGA graphics and specialized video effects. XnGine can generate weather effects, such as snow, sleet and fog; realistic shading; and textured, contoured terrain. In an Interview with PCM&E Magazine in 1996, Todd Howard described the engine as a true 3D engine that delivered above any other engine in its lighting in that it uses real-time phong shading, which means that light effects from fires, explosions, the moon, or whatever will bleed off and light up anything the light will touch. The Terminator: Future Shock was the first game to use the engine, and also the first 3D PC game to use the now popular mouse-look interface, which was initially unpopular with gamers. The engine was later used in Terminator: SkyNET, Daggerfall, XCar: Experimental Racing, and other titles.
Description