Nightdive Studios
Amid alayoff wave at the end of February , EA cancel a Star Wars first - person triggerman that was in ontogeny atApex Legendsdeveloper Respawn Entertainment . view this is a genre that Star Wars once dominate , as well as Respawn ’s mastery with games likeTitanfall 2,the news specially stung , even if it ’s small white potato next to all the jobs lose in EA ’s layoffs . If you ’re yen for a Star Wars FPS and do n’t want to wait for theStar state of war : Battlefrontremaster set up subsequently this month , you ’re in luck .
On February 28 , the Atari - have Nightdive Studios releasedStar Wars : Dark Forces Remaster . Employing the proprietaryKEX Engineused on remasters of classic Turok and Quake plot , Nightdiveenhanced the 1995 MS - DOS and Macintosh hired gun that survey the escapades of Rebel soldier of fortune Kyle Katarn . Playing this game for the first time in 2024 , I ’ve found that it still holds up immaculately and is deserving checking out if you ’re worried about the futurity of Star Wars games .
Nightdive Studios
Rebel scum
Star Wars : Dark Forcesfollows Katarn as he pulls off a serial of missions for the Rebel Alliance and attempts to stop the creation of ultrapowerful Dark Troopers that could wipe out any of the Empire ’s enemies . Although its tale is n’t that rich , for the time it was released , Dark Forcescontained a surprising amount of cutscenes and well - vocalise negotiation .
Dark Forcesconflicts with Disney ’s Star Wars canon — its first mission is about obtaining the Death Star plans — so this feels like more of a rerelease for the secret plan ’s sake rather than the enfranchisement at declamatory . Still it ’s tasteful to see where idea like the Dark Troopers , which have sinceappeared inThe Mandalorianshow , were first fancy .
It just so happens that it ’s dropping at a woefully perfect time . According toInsider Gaming , Respawn ’s canceled Star Wars game would have followed a Mandalorian bounty Orion as he journey from planet to major planet chasing down target in an Empire - controlled galaxy . That sound promising , and it ’s a ignominy that distance bounty hunter games like it andPrey 2will not see the light of solar day . Although you are n’t a bounty hunter inDark Forces , its structure is similar to what Respawn ’s Star Wars game could have offered .
Dark Forceswas part of the post - DoomFPS boom in the mid-1990s . That means it ’s a level - based shooter with lots of weapons and maze - like level full of secrets . Thankfully , Dark Forces ‘ level design never vex too confusing — and there are pile of guide for it usable nowadays if you do get lost . The Star Wars aesthetic also hold the game a distinct look and feel liken to other shooter of the metre . Even a sewer point looks fairly inDark Forcesthanks to the vibrant colors used . It ’s a testament to the talent working at LucasArts in the 1990s .
Its mission innovation often has Katarn completing an objective — wipe out great deal of stormtroopers , droids , and other foes along the way — before extracting . It feel old schooltime , but also in line with what Respawn was reportedly go for . gratefully , Dark Forcesis still a ton of playfulness to play nowadays , specially now that “ boomer shooters ” are more popular . Nightdive also worked out any kinks to make the game sense good on a accountant . Features like the weapon wheel and gyro point for even more precision are greatly apprise .
Generally , Nightdive ’s remastering work is fabulous . The KEX Engine also allowed it to makeDark Forceswidescreen , drastically improving its textures , inflammation , and return while staying faithful to the plot ’s original piece of work . Even the cutscenes have been spruced up . There ’s also a bit of bonus capacity that gives insight into the plot ’s exploitation and a recreated version of aDark Forceslevel that was antecedently only playable at nineties trade shows . For purists , the original version of the game is also admit .
With all thelayoffs and plot cancellationshappening in the video game industry right now , it ’s a dark time for both developer and players . PlayingStar warfare : Dark Forces Remastergave me a bit of a hiatus from all of that and remind me of what talented developers can do when they can fully actualise an ambitious idea with a popular dealership like Star Wars .
Star Wars : Dark Forces Remasteris available now for PC , PlayStation 4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X / S , and Nintendo Switch .
