Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
WITNESS THE TRUE POWER OF NIGHTDIVE’S FULLY OPERATIONAL REMASTER
When it comes to remastering classic games, Nightdive
Studios certainly has a good track record. Its latest effort is the modernisation of Lucasarts’ iconic first-person shooter and while elements of it have certainly aged, Nightdive has done everything it can to make Dark Forces feel as fresh and exciting as it did in 1995.
The first thing you’ll notice is just how clean it now looks. Coded using the versatile KEX Engine, Nightdive’s remaster offers output up to 4K and can run up to a silkysmooth 120fps on relevant systems, while 3D rendering is utilised to offer some extremely atmospheric lighting effects throughout Kyle Katarn’s adventure. The game’s cutscenes have been completely redone as well, and while they drew some criticism on release, they do a great job of expanding the mood of Dark Forces’ (then ambitious) storyline. Still, if you do want to party like it’s 1995 you can switch all enhancements off or simply toggle between them using the F2 button. There are even multiple ways to experience Dark Forces’ MIDI soundtrack, so the classic game feels as authentic as possible.
Nightdive has done a lot more than simply spruce up Dark Forces’ visuals though and it has added a huge number of quality-of-life enhancements to make your fight against the Empire that little bit easier, particularly if you prefer using a controller. Weapon selection is super easy using a pad thanks to a weapon wheel being implemented, while useful items like night-vision goggles, gas masks and the game’s map are assigned to the d-pad. There’s a variety of customisation options that change everything from the shape and colour of your targeting reticule to turning off view bobbing and weapon/hud flashing, while autorun and crouching can be easily toggled on and off as well.
It’s worth remembering that for all the aesthetic and mechanical improvements Nightdive has made, the core game remains untouched and while it’s still a lot of fun, elements of Dark Forces are showing their age. It’s still just as easy to get lost in some of the game’s labyrinth-like levels as it was in 1995, while the sections that require precise jumping have aged like sour milk. Many of the switch-focussed puzzles also start to run out of steam as you get to the game’s finale as well. Thankfully, the combat at Dark Forces’ core remains challenging and while the AI won’t test you too much on the game’s default settings, things certainly ramp up on the later difficulty levels.
Once you’ve mastered Dark Forces’ 14 stages there’s the superb Vault to play around with. Thanks to some excellent access, Nightdive has trawled through Lucasarts’ archives to include a variety of stills, production shots and even short videos on how Dark Forces was made. Best of all though is the inclusion of The Avenger, a lost demo level from
CES that was omitted from the final game after being considered too hard. The end result is another classic game that’s been given a remarkably thorough makeover by one of the best restoration studios in the business.
In a nutshell
It’s showing its age in places, but
Dark Forces Remaster is another epic offering from Nightdive Studios, which looks and plays better than you remember.
Score 87%