Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (2024) REVIEW

Nightdive Studios remastered the classic Star Wars Dark Forces game for modern consoles and PC, upgrading the graphics & music as well as including a bunch of developer behind the scenes content. Can they improve on one of the best Star Wars games ever made? Check out my review!

My Video Gear & Equipment:
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate links)

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate links)
Background music by Metal Jesus Rocks and the YouTube Creator Audio Library

** DISCLAIMER: The developer provided me with a review code but all of the opinions are my own **

[achriscilley]

Some of my FONDEST memories of being a kid in the 90's, was playing this game. I'll never forget the very first time I was introduced to Dark Forces. My neighbor got it for his birthday and called me over to check it out. We must have sat in his room on that computer taking turns for at least 2 or 3 days straight.

I can still remember his Dad walking in his room and asking us if we had slept the night before. And his surprised look when my friend told him we had stayed up for the past two nights playing on the computer. 🤣 Good times!

Sadly, my friend is no longer with us. Every time I see this game, I'm reminded of him and all the great times we had playing it together. 🥲

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane Jason. I needed a smile today. 🤜🤛

[ebestul]

A Dark Forces 2 - Jedi Knight remaster would be AMAZING!

[Koborover]

Before Disney changed it to Cassian Andor and "Jyn Erso", it was Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors who were sent to get the Death Star plans.
Fun fact: In the Andor TV series (great show btw), Cassian Andor carries the Bryar pistol used by Kyle Katarn in this 1995 game.

[kazuhirala]

Those 90s Star Wars game covers are work of art. It really did a fantastic job in sucking you into the galaxy

[gateofmarvel]

Still waiting for a Rogue Squadron trilogy remaster...

[jimbones]

Yes, you could turn off the head-bob effect in the original version. You could also turn off the hud and holster your weapon. All of these functions were assigned to the F function keys on the keyboard (F1-F8) but it’s been so long I can’t recall which ones. Very innovative at the time. 👍

[OneTrueNobody]

For the soundtrack, it seems like they went for a soundfont that emulates what a more high-end PC of the time would have used. The thing about a lot of the DOSbox releases of old games is that they often choose to emulate a more basic sound card that *most* players would have had in their PC at the time rather than the higher-end stuff that the more dedicated PC users of the day would have favored; this leaves players of today to find and implement external soundcard emulation manually if they want that experience, which can be tricky to pull off.

[Seether-jtmo]

Watching your channel is like getting into a really deep game where you have to constantly go on the wiki to find out how to unlock certain items or have the best builds, then go on youtube & find a bunch of videos of how people are playing it.

Basically what I'm saying is your channel has a really warm feel to it & it makes me have a deeper love & respect for video games & all the equipment that goes along with it

[J.Wick.]

I remember beating this game over a weekend on a PS1. Believe I was sick that week/end, and my Dad made the weekly journey to the local rental store for me. He rented this and a couple movies. I was hooked on this game. Happy to see this get a proper revisit.

[greggvictorious]

Official Star Wars is whatever Disney says it is. Authentic Star Wars is everything before the sale of Lucasfilm. You can't buy authenticity.

[dtruong]

Thanks so much for posting this! The sheer amount of nostalgia I'm getting flooded with while watching is bringing tears to my eyes. These old Star Wars games that ran in DOS were amazing. I remember my friends and I collecting all of them and absolutely loving the heck out of the Dark Forces series, especially Jedi Knight. We were so hungry for new lore that we would sit through the FMV scenes in both of the Rebel Assault games and we absolutely devoured the story in the Tie Fighter Collector's Edition Strategy Guide. I have a bunch of them now in my Steam collection and need to find time to both revisit them and pick up this new remaster.

[nvmskullworks]

the skating effect from games without headbob is what gets me.

[RandomDudeFromSomewhere]

I think the head-bobbing in the original game was called "Head Wave" and *could* be disabled -- at least, in the DOS version.

[aforce]

Probably my second favorite Star Wars game after TIE Fighter. Lucasarts was killing it in the 90's.

[ddoominicc]

I love the pixel style of the OG Version more

[TheMcrico]

I would love for devs to start doing this with games like
Dino crisis 1 and 2
Re 1 and 2, code veronica
Parasite eve 1 and 2
Silent hill
They could make so much money and we would be so happy

[arkham]

This was an instant purchase for me! Love old school FPS games

[mlmmt]

I played the original on PS1 to death, I remember that game so much!

[breeze]

Star Wars X-Wing is the reason I added a Roland SC-55 Sound Canvas to my computer. I'm glad they have that version, that's how I remember the music for Dark Forces! Just wish we got a discount for owning the original Steam version. At least there's a discount for owning Battlefront 1 and 2 classics when the SWBF collection comes out.

[kevinhardy]

That elevator puzzle stumped me. Genius puzzle design.