Star Wars: Dark Forces is one of the most significant titles in the Star Wars franchise, largely because it was among the first to deliver a truly original narrative. It expands the lore surrounding the original trilogy in meaningful ways—showing us the theft of the Death Star plans and offering a bit more background on the Rebel agent Madine, who only had a fleeting appearance in Episode VI.

Dark Forces arguably gave us two of the most impactful contributions to what was once called the Expanded Universe (now rebranded as "Legends" under Disney): the introduction of Kyle Katarn, a protagonist who would go on to become a major figure in later Star Wars media, and the formidable Dark Troopers.

At its core, Dark Forces is essentially a Doom clone—very much a product of its era, much like so many other shooters from that time. But thanks to its strong execution, it has endured as a genuine gem among Star Wars games. That said, revisiting it today can be a bit of a mixed bag. Poorly designed level layouts, repetitive enemy encounters, the occasional bug in this remaster, and a soundtrack that can wear thin after a while all make this a title best suited for either longtime fans who played the original or newcomers with a strong curiosity about the franchise's gaming roots.

The game is quite short—you can wrap it up in around five hours. The remaster does the job, but don't go in expecting the level of polish seen in the Doom or Quake remasters. It offers the bare essentials, and given the price point, I'd only recommend picking it up during a sale.

One of my favourite Star Wars games, and one of my favourite Doom clones, Star Wars: Dark Forces is a wonderful experience for any fan of the Star Wars franchise.

Play as Kyle Katarn, a mercenary for hire after defecting from the Empire, sent to steal the Death Star plans for the Rebellion, then to investigate the Dark Trooper Project that the Empire is running. Blast your way across fourteen levels ranging from Imperial facilities, starships, prisons, and even a visit to Nar Shadda in your search for information on the Dark Troopers; a battle droid and power-armoured stormtrooper project.

Gameplay feels very much like Doom - as it should - running and gunning your way through levels using weapons from the Star Wars universe, like blasters and thermal detonators, taking out stormtroopers, Imperial officers, Gamorrean guards, droids, and more. Health and shield packs can be found throughout levels to keep you going, power-ups like weapon overcharge and shield boosts to give you that extra oomph. Keys are not the only thing you might need to find to progress, sometimes needing to locate a particular panel to unlock an area or platform, or even find Imperial codes in Aurebesh, the alphabet used for Galactic Basic Standard throughout the universe.

Fans of Star Wars will recognize many locations, characters, items, and pieces of music from the franchise, rounding out the experience quite nicely while adding new bits and pieces to build upon what the original trilogy set forth. To me, Kyle Katarn and the Bothans will always be the reason the Rebellion ended up with the Death Star plans over Rogue One, which felt like Star Wars porn, even to a long time fan like me.

While the remaster is somewhat expensive at $38.99 CDN, I absolutely recommend it if you can get it for 50% off.

Follow CthulhusMonocle - That Next Fest Guy for more game and Steam Next Fest demo reviews.

You're not authorized in this area!