Star Wars: Dark Forces Remastered brings the classic FPS to modern platforms

Nightdive Studios has announced it is remastering the classic first-person shooter Star Wars: Dark Forces.

Announced during gamescom 2023, the game is a collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and is being fully remastered using Nightdive’s KEX engine. It will support up to 4K at 120FPS and feature advanced 3D rendering, modern gamepad support, trophies, achievements, and more.

Originally developed and published by LucasArts, Dark Forces was released in 1995 for DOS and Mac and in 1996 for PlayStation. The story is set in the expanded Star Wars universe and takes place just before the original Star Wars film, before moving forward to the year following the film’s events.

The game’s playable character, Kyle Katarn, is a mercenary working for the Rebel Alliance, during which time he discovers the Galactic Empire’s secret Dark Trooper Project. The project would see the development of a powerful new battle droid army and stormtroopers with power armor.

Dark Forces was a bit ahead of its time upon release due to its level design featuring multiple floors and being able to look both upward and downward. The Jedi game engine was created specifically for this title.

Upon release, the PC and Macintosh versions received favorable reviews, whereas the PlayStation version’s technical issues made it a less than enjoyable experience compared to the desktop version.

However, it was still a financial success and moved over 1 million copies in the US alone by 1999, helping launch the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster is listed as coming soon to Steam for PC, Switch, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles. A release date announcement will occur later this year.