You are not a Jedi yet
A long time ago, in a gaming galaxy far, far away, LucasArts delivered one of the best Doom clones of all time. That is a reductive statement, but the best way I can describe the greatness of Dark Forces. The 90s were filled with clones of id’s shooter, but so many of them are long forgotten. Dark Forces is not one of those, as anyone who was around or who has played it has fond memories of the title. It took the concept of that 90s shooter and turned it on its head. Toss in the Star Wars theme and a great story inside the universe that everyone loves, and we have a recipe for success. Now we are getting a complete remaster from the masters of 90s shooter remakes, Nightdive Studios.
The story of Dark Forces was one of the first to dive into the world of the extended universe, before it was nullified at least. Players take on the debut of Kyle Katarn, who used to be an Imperial officer who now works with the Rebellion. He joins forces with Jan Ors as they embark on a new mission for Mon Mothma to investigate a new weapon being developed by the Empire. No, it is not the Death Star, they had already discovered those plans in a previous mission, something we now know has been erased from Star Wars history. This time it is what they are referring to as a Dark Trooper.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
The story is nothing to write home about today, but it set the stage for several adventures featuring Katarn and spawned multiple sequels, all of which are remembered fondly. Each stage kicks off with a little blurb about the mission, then I was sent off on an adventure that lacks any hand holding as I worked my way through labyrinths of space stations in order to complete my mission.
Dark Forces takes what Doom built and expands on it. I never felt like this game got the credit it deserved from a design perspective. The levels here are much more complex than those found in id’s infamous shooter. There are sections inside sections with complex geometry. The areas are more vertical in design with hidden alcoves found all over the place. The design also feels like Star Wars, something that a lot of games attempted, and never achieved. It is criminal that this game only got one port until now, and that was a stripped-down version on Sony’s original PlayStation.
The core game play pretty much feels like the Doom formula. There are keys to collect, some puzzles to solve, and plenty of enemies to disperse. The weapons run the Star Wars gamut with plenty of blasters and thermal detonators. Shooting feels good and the action is fast. There is no reloading of weapons, so things move at a brisk pace. As I mentioned there are no arrows pointing players towards the objective, instead I had to constantly check the objectives and use the map to figure out what I had missed as I was blasting Stormtroopers. It can get confusing at times, but the levels are short enough that it never slows down the pace of the game.
The game is relatively short by some standards and there is no multiplayer, which was a huge no-no back in the day. Now I am actually relieved since I simply do not have time to blast through 20-hour campaigns and then dedicate to PVP shooters that I inherently suck at. This is just a solid Star Wars adventure with some great game play.
Speaking of, Nightdive has modernized this game very well. The controller support feels fantastic. The traditional Nightdive enhancements are also present. The original game is here in all its pixelated glory, and you can swap between modes with the press of a button. I love it when they do that. The new visuals retain the design of the game, but make it feel modern. This game runs FAST too. It is extremely well optimized with nary a hint of frames being dropped. There are also a massive number of extras including multiple audio profiles, which change the music and effects up dramatically. It mimics the old PC sound cards, which is a really neat touch. I do wish there was a save anywhere function though, I always had to finish the level before quitting, but that is truly a minor gripe.
Dark Forces is a game that more people should get the opportunity to play. It is a product of its time, but it is also packed with quality. Star Wars Doom was the best descriptor, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t find that appealing. This remaster brings all of that back and cleans it up very nicely. This is a game that everyone should check out as it has been limited since its release, now you can play it anywhere on anything, and that is what makes gaming today so awesome.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
