A long time ago in a year far, far away…
…The FPS genre was in its early infancy, with games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, and Duke Nukem dominating the imagination of PC gamers. At the time, LucasArts was known for making point-and-click games, and this was their first venture into another genre. Influenced by the new FPS craze, Star Wars: Dark Forces was created.
Returning to the present day with the title “Remastered”, with the mission of bringing a classic game from 1995 to modern audiences. It was initially released for PC and later ported to Playstation 1.
I was lucky enough to play this around the 2000s and I loved it. The idea of playing anything Star Wars was enough for me. But today’s review doesn’t focus on my childhood experience, but rather on my slightly more “professional” perspective.
The debut of fan favorite Kyle Katarn.
In Star Wars: Dark Forces, we dive into the story of Kyle Katarn, a skilled mercenary and former Imperial soldier who is recruited by the Rebellion to carry out secret missions against the Galactic Empire. And what is our mission? To steal the plans of the Death Star… THE PLANS OF THE DEATH STAR!!!! Almost as if Rogue One was inspired by this LucasArts classic.
Throughout the story, you will face iconic Star Wars enemies, from Stormtroopers and Imperial droids to the iconic Darth Vader. Given you thrilling battles and memorable locations from the Star Wars universe.
Some times the old ways are the best.
The Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster brings back the original game’s cinematic cutscenes, now fully updated. The sequences that combined 2D and 3D have been masterfully remastered, providing a stunning visual experience.
The audio has also been enhanced, revitalizing the game’s memorable music and sound effects. Given you an immersive Star Wars atmosphere and experience every moment with intensity.
For those who have already played Dark Forces, you will not find anything new in terms of gameplay as the original adventure has been preserved as we know it. Like the games of the time, it features fast-paced movement on a map that resembles a maze. While most games were limited to a horizontal plane, Star Wars: Dark Forces invited you to explore the verticality of the environments as well. Climbing stairs, scaling platforms, and using elevators were essential elements to unlocking all the secrets of the map.
Newer players may find this concept “outdated”, but this is the purest form of FPS. A simple formula that, to me, still works perfectly.
A recommended experience for fans of the franchise and the genre.
Star Wars: Dark Forces is undoubtedly a classic. A remaster was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. There is still room for improvement, the menus and maps could have been perfected. Overall, it is a good update to a game that is close to my heart and that recommend to all fans of the franchise and the genre.
