Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster

When it comes to remasters of old games, there are few other developers that come close to Nightdive Studios, a team that has proven time and time again to perform minor miracles with technically obsolete gems. Burning passion and a rare dexterity are just two of the many factors that have led to the many and often extraordinary rescues for which the studio has become known.

Turok: The Dinosaur Hunter, System Shock, PowerSlave and Quake are just a few of the many aged classics that have been tastefully resurrected from their dusty crypts, and now it's the turn of Star Wars: Dark Forces to get the same treatment. A nearly 30-year-old relic at the time of writing, it built on many of the underlying strengths of Doom, but also had the good taste to break new ground.

For those of you old enough to remember, Kyle Katarn's adventure presented distinctly different challenges and a far more meaty and well-presented narrative than its demon-banging predecessor. A journey that is still worth experiencing today, but whose strengths and bright spots have been heavily clouded and at times downright spoiled by Dark Force's technically doomed setting. Something that, thankfully, is no longer the case.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster follows exactly the same high standard that Nightdive Studios is known for. A masterfully executed effort from start to finish that is a hair's breadth away from being their most complete and best executed modernization to date. Heavy words, I know - especially considering their near flawless catalog of excellent remasters. But even in such eminent company, Star Wars: Dark Forces stands out as something quite extraordinary.

Gone is the old Jedi Game Engine and in its place spins Nightdive's proprietary KEX. Which means 4K resolution, support for up to 120 frames per second, high-resolution textures, the ability to play with a controller, and a whole arsenal of other minor improvements. Most noticeable of all, unsurprisingly, are the visuals where both gameplay and cutscenes benefit from modern rendering techniques and seeing Dark Forces Remaster in motion is a bit of a revelation.

Because as with many of its previous projects, Nightdive manages to almost perfectly balance the new with the old, and the feel of the original is tastefully preserved while modern sensibilities subtly elevate every little aspect to a level that makes it feel fresh and new. The floppy, imprecise controls of 1995 are a thing of the past and the game's visual presentation is sharper than a Japanese kitchen knife.

Even the handful of sequences that previously used 3D models have been redesigned from scratch by Nightdive, and it is sometimes difficult to actually understand or even appreciate what an incredible leap Dark Forces Remaster actually is. However, something that quickly becomes clear if you use the game's function that switches between new and old graphics in real time.

As previously mentioned, it's not only the presentation that is top notch, but also the gameplay of Dark Forces flows like never before, and the awkward controls where it felt like you were sliding around on ice are a thing of the past. In fact, the game runs like a dream, and punching Stormtroopers in 120 FPS is just fabulous.

But is everything really perfect? No, of course not, and while Nightdive has introduced a number of very welcome features (a map to name a few), Dark Forces is still a boomer shooter, with all that entails. You'll run into puzzles that feel clunky and old-fashioned, as well as the game's levels carrying a design language that is very clearly influenced by a completely different era. It's simply something you either appreciate or hate.

That said, however, Dark Forces offers a far wider variety than much else from this era, and as the trigger-happy Kyle Katarn, you get to visit a wide range of more or less iconic locations, including a Star Destroyer as well as Coruscant. In addition, the arsenal of weapons offered is a lovely little mix of iconic guns (and bombs) with just the right, satisfying feel.

I can't help but tip my hat to Nightdive and the incredible job they've done with Dark Forces. The gameplay from my childhood has never been better and the feeling of blasting space baddies with a blaster has never been better. It's a nostalgic euphoria that's almost unprecedented, especially for us old foxes who actually played the original back in the day, and in many ways it feels like Christmas and a birthday at the same time.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster is an absolute triumph, and may very well be the best yet from Nightdive. With only a few minor flaws, this space adventure is dangerously close to the perfection that Quake Remastered delivered last year. An incomparable piece of work, packed with improvements and executed with an unparalleled dexterity that makes you giddy with happiness.