Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster Review - Screenshot 1 of 5
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

Following its stellar remaster work on the likes of Quake, Quake II, and the Turok series, Nightdive Studios is back with another glimpse into the world of retro first-person shooters. This time, we’re heading into the Star Wars universe with Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, an intriguing game in more ways than one. On the one hand, it offers a look at one of the many, many so-called ‘Doom clones’ that emerged after the immense success of id Software’s seminal shooter, and on the other, it represents an era of the Star Wars expanded universe that, in the wider context of the franchise canon, doesn’t exist anymore.

To call 1995's Dark Forces a mere clone of Doom, however, would be to do it a disservice. Yes, the game owes Doom a debt of gratitude, but given LucasArts’ prowess in the adventure genre, the developers were able to elevate Dark Forces to new heights, incorporating story elements via cutscenes and mission briefs, while ensuring that the gameplay wasn’t simply a case of ‘go here, shoot that’. It features actual objectives which, at the time, were a refreshing change of pace and allowed for more player agency. You weren’t simply infiltrating an Imperial stronghold for the fun of it; you were doing it to further the rebellion’s cause. For the galaxy, for goodness' sake.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

Chances are, however, that a good number of you reading this haven’t experienced Dark Forces before. Until now, the game had been left to die on MS-DOS, Mac, and PS1, but thanks to Nightdive's efforts, it’s now resurrected and is frankly better than ever. To paraphrase Poe Dameron: “Somehow, Dark Forces returned.” But while Palpatine’s revival in The Rise of Skywalker petered out faster than Ben Quadinaros’ pods, Dark Forces Remaster is a resounding success, bringing the curious FPS into the modern age with revamped visuals, a streamlined control system (with optional gyro aiming - yay!), and a wealth of options to allow both veterans and newcomers to appreciate the game in all its glory.

Split across 14 levels, Dark Forces provides an experience that feels meaty but also doesn’t outstay its welcome. There’s a wide variety of environments, from Imperial detention centres to rank subterranean hideouts complete with gross, tentacled beasties. What’s great about the overall aesthetic is that it’s based solely on the original trilogy, and that’s it. Predating The Phantom Menace by four years, Dark Forces isn’t bogged down by iconography and lore introduced in the prequel or sequel trilogy, and it makes for a more grounded experience (albeit one that is no longer part of official canon).

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

You can blast through each level fairly quickly if you like, particularly if you opt for the lower of the three difficulty options available, but there is also a wealth of secrets hidden in each environment, such as new weaponry and extra lives. It’s worth taking your time on your first go around — you never know what might be hidden behind a cracked wall if you chuck a Thermal Detonator at it.

Otherwise, your objectives are generally self-explanatory. Some might require you to locate a prisoner in the depths of an Imperial base, while others will have you steal a particular item locked behind several doors. With your objectives complete, the game will often have you hightail it back to the start of the level where your spaceship will pick you up. Under the default options, you’ll need to press start and manually exit the level to go to the next mission at this point, but Nightdive has seen fit to include an option on the 'Accessibility' menu that allows for this to occur automatically if you don't want to perform that extra step.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

The true joy of Dark Forces, however, lies in the combat. As you progress, you’ll amass a decent arsenal to take down enemies, and every weapon feels great to wield. Each shot of the Stormtrooper Laser Rifle is augmented by a short burst of vibration from the Switch Joy-Con, and you’ll even find that some environments allow for your lasers to ricochet off walls, making for some truly chaotic encounters. The frame rate drops slightly from the 60fps benchmark during combat, as previously highlighted by Digital Foundry, but goodness, it’s such a minor hiccup that we barely noticed it during our time with the game. Gameplay is, by and large, a true pleasure from start to finish.

The same goes for the visuals, too. Nightdive has somehow completely revamped the aesthetics while remaining remarkably faithful to the original game. The view has been expanded to fit modern displays while a modernised 3D effect — a subtle 'wrapping' of the environment around the player view that gives a better sense of depth than the OG visuals — has been implemented to increase immersion. If you happen to be a veteran of the original, however, there are plenty of options to make the game even more faithful, such as a toggle that changes the overall look from ‘hardware’ to ‘software’, essentially removing the updated visuals while maintaining the gameplay enhancements.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

Speaking of options, you can completely customise the controls to suit your needs, while accessibility toggles like ‘view bobbing’, ‘weapon flashing’, ‘H.U.D flashing’, and ‘subtitles’ are all available. Heck, there’s even a ‘menu transition speed’ slider that you can fiddle around with, proving that Nightdive really has thought of everything. In short, whether you’re looking for a completely modernised take on an FPS classic or you’d prefer a more authentic experience that’s closer to the original 1995 release, you’ll find both here and more.

Conclusion

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster is another resounding success for Nightdive, bringing a curious, nostalgia-laced FPS into the modern age with bells and whistles to boot. With enhanced gameplay, revamped visuals, and a wealth of accessibility options, this is easily the best way to experience Dark Forces and revisit an oft-forgotten era of Star Wars. Minor frame rate hiccups aside, this is an absolute must-play for fans of far-away galactic conflict.