STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995)

Scumbag Disney has delisted this game to help drive sales of the remaster. As someone who played the remaster, I can confirm they are 100% only doing this to drive sales of the remaster. The remaster doesn't offer anything of value above updated sprites, and the price difference didn't make sense. So, for anyone who just wanted to experience the game, the classic version was perfect and cost much less. Now, instead, you need to pay Disney extra for what seems to be a pretty "half-assed" remaster. So, honestly, this isn't really a criticism of the game; the game is what you would expect from an FPS released in 1995. However, I absolutely hate that Disney delisted it, and this one 100% goes out to Disney for their anti-consumer and anti-preservation actions. Screw Disney and their systemic destruction of the Star Wars franchise!

Finally got around to playing this again and it’s wild how much more it offers than just being another nineties Doom clone. While it still uses that classic style with 2D sprites for enemies, the engine was actually a massive step up because it could handle overlapping rooms and verticality that most shooters couldn't touch. This technical leap allowed the developers to move away from simple mazes and instead focus on a much more ambitious sense of scale. Story wise, you step into the boots of Kyle Katarn, a mercenary who’s sympathetic to the Rebellion, and the game does a great job of making your actions feel like they have a massive impact on the broader story. Since this is tucked away in the Legends lore rather than the modern Disney canon, it has this distinct, gritty atmosphere that feels incredibly grounded. For those who don't know, Legends refers to the massive library of stories written before 2014 that are now considered a separate, alternate timeline. This cinematic ambition is carried by the cutscenes, which utilize a striking living comic book art style. Even with the technical limitations of the era, they manage to build a serious narrative momentum that makes you actually care about the mission at hand. That sense of immersion extends to the arsenal as well; the weapons feel powerful and specialized, like the thermal detonators that bounce realistically off walls or the heavy Imperial Repeaters. You aren't just carrying a collection of guns, but a tactical kit that feels like it belongs in a lived-in Star Wars galaxy. Even though the tech is primitive by today’s standards, the texture work is honestly great and goes a long way in making the environments feel immersive. The map design is surprisingly advanced for a game that came out in '95 because it utilizes those multi-layered environments to create logic-based levels. Each mission has a unique look and feel that makes them easy to distinguish, so you never feel like you're just running through recycled hallways. One of the best moments is that sequence in the sewers where you suddenly fall into a moving river. It’s such a cinematic and unexpected mechanic for that era, and it really catches you off guard in the best way possible. The interactivity in these levels is what really sells the experience for me. You aren’t just mindlessly shooting because there are plenty of puzzles to solve and items to track down that require you to actually engage with the environment. A perfect example is that puzzle where you have to physically lower a tower to get your hands on some Dark Trooper metal. It makes the world feel like a real, functional place. The prison complex level is another highlight because the elevator systems and those big arching bridges make the whole environment feel massive and layered while you're staging your escape. The missions themselves feel high-stakes because you're doing things like stealing the Death Star plans and uncovering the secrets behind the creation of the Dark Troopers. Getting to hunt down Phrik metal and learning how the Empire is building these super soldiers gives the whole journey a lot of narrative weight. It is honestly a real shame that this classic version has been taken down from the Steam store following the release of the remaster. I really don't agree with the decision to remove it because it limits consumer choice and takes away a much more affordable entry point for people who want to experience the original. Because this version was delisted, it also means new players miss out on the specific charm of the original DOS-based experience, though running it through DOSBox today can admittedly be a bit of a headache. To really get this version running properly with modern controls and resolutions, I highly recommend using The Force Engine source port. It takes a little bit of extra work to set up that third-party patch, but once you have those modern amenities in place without the old technical setbacks, the atmospheric detail and smarter level design make this absolutely worth your time.