Star Wars: Dark Forces

The Good
Dark Forces was and is a classic. Taking the role of mercenary Kyle Katarn, the players engage in fourteen levels of Imperial slaughtering. On top of that, there is thought required; some of the puzzles are tricky. On top of THAT, there are some really cool effects in this game: a Death Star hologram rotates in place; TIE fighters launch and land in the Super Star Destroyer Executor's bay; spotlights pan the rooftops of Coruscant as you try to reach the Imperial Security building. Incredibly details for something so old.

The Bad
It's age has shown, however. LucasArts has refused to release the source code, which would allow a 3D-accelerated version to be created by users. Stuck in 320 x 200 mode for PC users, the game does become badly pixelated. Macintosh users are better off; they get to play Dark Forces in 640 x 480 glory.

The Bottom Line
The staying power of this old game lies not only with the wonderfully crafted universe LucasArts created for us. Rather, hundreds of user-made levels have propagated the Internet and our hard drives, ranging from the epitome of laziness known as "Mines" to the glory and wonder known as "Condition Red," "Mt Kurek," and "Dark Tide." While the Dark Forces community has shrank in size, it still lives at www.df-21.net where forums are still active and downloads are still available. Few games have had such a lasting, creative community. In this old engine, users have created effects to rival the newest of games. So, even if you're bored with the originals, don't throw that CD...check out what others have done.

You just may decide that Dark Forces is, just maybe, the greatest game of all time.

The Good
Inspired by fan-created Star Wars content for the Doom games, LucasArts embarked to create their first FPS to capitalize on the eternally-popular movie property. While video game/movie tie-ins were typically brain dead cash-ins, Dark Forces aspired to, and succeeded in being, a rich and immersive gaming experience in the Star Wars universe.

While the mechanics work very much like any of the so-called "Doom clones" that were ubiquitous in the day, Dark Forces added some exciting features that weren't commonplace: cinematic expositions, mission briefings, a sidekick, puzzles, non-player characters and timed sequences all enhanced what was already a gaming experience that surpassed the run-of-the-mill shooter.

From the very first mission, wherein you as protagonist Kyle Katarn must infiltrate an Imperial base and steal the plans for the Death Star for the Rebel Alliance, the game makes you a key player in the unfolding of the Star Wars saga. The plot convincingly weaves in and out of the main trilogy's story line and explains how the player is an essential part in the unfolding of well-known events.

This preceding your visit to the Imperial City, your showdown with iconic bounty hunter Boba Fett, and your imprisonment by Jabba the Hutt, Dark Forces almost more adequately serves as an engrossing follow-up to the original trilogy than George Lucas' own.

The Bad
Some sequences in the game prove to be immensely challenging to the point of frustrating. Jumping puzzles frequently result in instant death, and because the game's save system only provides one profile save slot, you may find that you've saved at the wrong opportunity. Some of the bosses prove insanely hard to defeat, as well.

Although immersive beyond many of its peers, Dark Forces could have benefited greatly from the use of more, and more interactive, NPCs. Most dialog is carried out one way, or via cinematic sequences. In one mission, Kyle Katarn must visit the Imperial City, which is apparently populated exclusively by himself and Boba Fett, where even some static or non-interactive NPCs would have added to the credibility. Character interaction and player-character choices are incredibly limited, usually resulting in death or mission failure if the wrong decision is made.

Lastly, although above-par for the time, some of the graphics are a bit choppy. The grimy feeling is well in-keeping with the visual feel of the Star Wars trilogy, but some of the aesthetic choices for sprites are downright hideous.

The Bottom Line
Inasmuch as "Doom-clones" go, you can't get much better than this.

Inasmuch as Star Wars franchise games go, you can't get much better than this.

Dark Forces still holds up as one of the best DOS games to play even in a day where it has been visually surpassed.

The Good
As a game, "Dark Forces" was one of Lucasarts' first titles for the PSOne, and provided a solid translation of the PC title. It retained the gameplay, the graphics, the secrets, and the storyline which made the title so popular, and actually handled itself well.

The game managed to work well with the PSOne controller. Kyle Katarn was easy to control, and the game flowed at an acceptable framerate. What made the game so interesting was the numerous "Star Wars" gadgets at your command. Everything from Stormtrooper rifles to thermal detonators were at your disposal, and it was necessary to fight against the various aliens (as well as a clash against Boba Fett) and the Empire's secret Dark Troopers.

The sound effects were also lifted directly from the movies, and if you knew where to find them, the programmers snuck in a few amusing in-jokes.

The Bad
There were a few things that definitely detracted from the overall experience, however. The music is ugly. Weak, tinny MIDI versions of popular "Star Wars" themes were painful to the ears, especially when games of the time such as Nintendo 64's "Shadows of the Empire" provided better sound samples (even when that game used tiny samples of themes).

Load times were an absolute bear, leading into long waits when loading the game or going between levels.

Cut-scenes were equally as bad. They looked painfully outdated then at the time of its release, and look no better now. The graphics haven't aged as well, either. The characters are blocky and pixelated with stiff animation. But without a shadow of a doubt, they are still easily recognizable.

And while it was simply the design of the game, in comparison to "Doom", "Dark Forces" was simply a game that screamed for multi-player play. But that's not the port's fault.

The Bottom Line
"Dark Forces" the game was always "Doom" done "Star Wars" style. The PSOne has a commendable port of "Doom", so it's only fitting that "Dark Forces" would appear shortly after.

The PSOne version was an earnest attempt to bring this title home, especially since "Dark Forces II" never graced the console scene. The game had its share of problems then, but it remains a fun game. That in itself is a testament to its overall solid design.

It's a fun game, though it has a few hang-ups that show its age, especially in regards to how far the FPS genre has come in the last few years.

A good game for classic game fans, or "Star Wars" enthusiasts.