Tested on PC, Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and last-gen consoles.
While the basic combination makes sense, it’s the surrounding package that truly elevates it.
Until now, it existed exclusively for DOS, macOS and the original PlayStation.
Nightdive has crafted this new version of Dark Forces inthe KEX engineusing the original game’s source code.
In that original form, Dark Forces was built using an in-house sector-based engine known as Jedi.
Upon release, however, it was widely praised for its gameplay, visual direction, and storytelling.
This enabled the level designers to be much less constrained than they would have been in the Doom engine.
LucasArts did an amazing job here.
Then we come to effects.
Years later, Dark Forces was ported to the Sony PlayStation and seems to use this original Jedi Engine.
However, it likely must run entirely on the CPU, leading to sluggish performance.
At least this means no real issues with texture warping, unlike most other PlayStation titles.
This was the only official console version of Dark Forces - at least until now.
Every inch of the game’s artwork has received a complete revamp.
I think it looks gorgeous and is among the best work Nightdive has done in this space.
It’s a true love letter to the original art design.
It’s truly remarkable.
I still love those original cutscenes but the new ones are a perfect fit for the Remaster.
This feels very accurate to playing the game on a real MS-DOS PC in terms of visual presentation.
Every version also controls like a dream - the gamepad implementation is simply superb.
It feels unbelievably precise and responsive, making it a joy to play on any platform.
It’s one of those things that couldn’t really be changed without breaking the game entirely.
Whelp, they work fast.
What I’ll be curious about now is how new players adapt to Dark Forces.
Doom is timeless, but not every shooter from this period holds up.
The remaster certainly helps due to its higher resolution support, but Dark Forces is not a simple game.
You will need to go in there with a keen eye.
