BeforeRepublic Commandoand Battlefront, there was aStar Warsboomer shooter called Dark Forces. Set during the Original Trilogy, thisDoom-like FPS is all about infiltrating the Death Star and stealing its plans, an attempt at filling in the pre-A-New-Hope blanks that Rogue One would two decades later.
Now nearly three decades later, Dark Forces is getting a remaster for current-gen consoles thanks to Nightdive.
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As reported byVGC, this new port - which is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch - will simply be titled Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster. It will feature “advanced 3D rendering, modern gamepad support, trophies and achievements, and more,” but there is no release date as of yet.
Nightdive is the studio behindthe infamous Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, critically acclaimedSystem Shock remake, and several boomer shooter ports from Doom 64 toBloodto Turok. Dark Forces has as much a place among the titans of FPS history as any other Nightdive remaster or port, as it included several gameplay elements that were revolutionary for the time, such as being able to “shoot up and down”, jump, and crouch, all things we take for granted today.
To give you a better idea of the story, here is its title crawl, a Star Wars staple that Dark Forces didn’t shy away from; “The New Order of the Empire stretches its evil clutches across the galaxy, consuming planets with devastating results. Through many struggles, the Rebel Alliance has learned of a new Imperial battle station, the Death Star, with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
Unable to acquire the plans to the deadly space station, the Rebels have employed the skills of Kyle Katarn. Known to most as a mercenary for hire, Katarn is a rogue fighter who has a partial alliance with the Rebels. Armed only with a blaster pistol and intimate knowledge of Imperial methods, Katarn prepares to infiltrate the Imperial base in which the plans are kept…”
First appearing in Dark Forces, Katarn quickly became a widely popular character in Legends. A former Imperial officer, he defected to the Rebellion and later became a Jedi Master, swapping his blaster pistol for a light sabee. He appeared in Dark Forces 2, was playable in Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith, returned in Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, and was a major NPC in Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, so if the Dark Forces remaster sells you on the character, there are a bunch of other games including him that you can try out.
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