Nearly three decades (!) ago, Star Wars: Dark Forces made its debut, with LucasArts trying to – and succeeding in – getting a piece of that lovely Doom pie from long ago. First person shooters thrived in the 90s, and Dark Forces was no exception, despite its somewhat limited map design. No matter – we got Stormtroopers to blast!
Enter Nightdive Studios, who have taken the original game and spruced it up nicely for Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster. Not only does it look and sound better than ever, but it also comes with bonus content that’ll keep you digging for a little while.
In other words, it once again proves why Nightdive is one of the best in the business when it comes to revitalizing classic shooters like these. The more games they can apply this to, the better.
The Force Is Strong
You portray Kyle Katarn, who’s been assigned the task of taking on missions across 14 dangerous levels filled with Imperial presence. You start off with a typical blaster, but can eventually pick up more weaponry to turn these forces inside out.
While Dark Forces may seem a little basic compared to, say, Republic Commando, Nightdive has given this Remaster some proper treatment. The gameplay holds up surprisingly well, giving you precision aim against enemies. There’s very little strain in getting used to the new controls, and you can even turn on “autorun” permanently if you can handle the extra boost of speediness.
There are difficulty options aplenty here, whether you’re a newcomer to first-person shooters (welcome!) or a veteran that cranks it all the way up. Each one is executed very well, and you can also play around with Accessibility options, changing the graphics, music and other things.
Along with the main content – which will keep you busy for a few hours – you can unlock extra goodies as well. The Vault is packed with all sorts of LucasArts-themed goodies that you’ll enjoy, along with prototype images that may have you longing for even more content. It’s the kind of treasure trove that rewards the main game brilliantly, and will keep you playing longer than expected. (Though taking down angry Stormtroopers and droids is always a joy.)
Now This Is a Special Edition
Where Nightdive truly shines with Dark Forces is making some old look vibrantly new. And boy, does it.
The game features a nice frame rate boost across all platforms – even Nintendo Switch – so that it moves more smoothly than ever before. Granted, the enemies still appear like static figures, but why change them up to the point that they look ridiculous? The cinematics are also very well done, and the level designs, though ancient, will keep you digging for secrets. What’s more, you can switch between “old” and “new” with a few clicks on the options menu, in case you’re feeling like going through the 90s again.
Likewise, the music is terrific as well. The old 90s tunes are present here, and sound like something your old PC would clearly process. But the remixed stuff is pretty nice too; and is backed up by solid voicework (even after 29 years) and sound effects, straight from the Star Wars universe.
Could more have been added? I mean, it would’ve been awesome to have a few extra levels, but I can’t complain much about the work Nightdive did here. As it did with the Turok games (and let’s not forget Forsaken for that matter), it’s taken old material and made it absolutely vibrant. And for a nice price of $30, at that.
Buy It, You Should
Unless you absolutely dread first-person shooters (which makes me wonder why you’re reading this all the way through now, hmmmm), Star Wars: Dark Forces Remastered is an absolute must-buy. It’s filled with nostalgia galore, but also comes with improved gameplay, reasonable challenge, tons of accessibility options, unlockable goodies and the best kind of presentation you could ask for in a 90s remaster. It makes me wonder where Nightdive could work its magic next.
I don’t suppose they’re willing to give the Rogue Squadron games a try…?
GAMERHUB RATING: FOUR AND A HALF (out of FIVE) STARS
Thanks to Uber Strategist and Nightdive Studios for the review code!
